Dry Brine Spatchcock Turkey

5 from 117 votes

This dry brine spatchcock turkey recipe will give you a juicy, delicious turkey. It's an easy recipe that features simple spices and seasonings you probably already have at home, too. It's so simple and so incredibly flavorful, you'll never want to prepare a turkey any other way—especially if you combine this brine with this compound butter at the time of baking. Don't feel like baking your turkey? That's OK! You can also use this dry brine recipe to prepare your spatchcock turkey for grilling or smoking!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 15

Brining3

Course: Main Course

Keyword: holiday

Servings: Servings

Calories: 582kcal

Author: Aline Shaw

Ingredients

10 pound turkey, preferably spatchcock thawed, if frozen
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of ground achiote pepper optional
2 teaspoons of dry thyme
2 teaspoons of dry oregano
2 tablespoons of onion powder
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
cracked black pepper to taste
1 cup white wine or a combination of white wine and orange juice or water

Instructions

For the Brine

Add all the ingredients, except for the turkey, to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Gently lift the turkey skin with your hand and use a boning knife to pierce the meat on both sides of the bird.
Use your hands to spread the dry rub mixture all over the turkey. You want to rub it on the skin itself, as well as gently slide your fingers beneath the skin to spread the mixture evenly across the meat, too.
Let the turkey brine in the refrigerator no less than 24 hours, and up to 3 days.
I cover it with plastic wrap the first day to day and a half, then uncover it the remainder of the time - uncovering helps the skin be extra crispy, because it starts to dry as it brines.

Bake

Remove the turkey no less than two hours before you intend to cook it, and place it in a large rimmed baking sheet with a rack.
Then, preheat the oven to 375F for at least an hour.
Add the white wine to your baking sheet before you pop it in the oven to prevent drippings from burning.
Bake until an instant read thermometer registers 165F on both the thickest part of the leg and on the breast.
Let it rest well before carving.

Bom Apetite!

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