Can I cut a turkey in half to cook it?

Roasting turkey halves in the oven is a truly great way to cook a turkey, especially for Thanksgiving. The turkeys cook evenly, the skins get golden brown and crisp, the halves are easy to carve, and the turkeys cook in about 2 hours.

Can you split a turkey before cooking?

Though it may sound like a old-fashioned culinary term, spatchcocking is in fact one of the biggest hacks around when it comes to cooking poultry. Essentially, to spatchcock (or butterfly) a bird is to remove its backbone and flatten it before cooking. You can spatchcock any bird, but let’s talk turkey.

What is it called when you cut a turkey in half?

To spatchcock, you remove the backbone of a whole bird and lay it flat to cook. … Though the presentation isn’t traditional, there are a few reasons we prefer to spatchcock turkey: It’s quick. Because the bird is flattened, the cooking time is cut almost in half. The bird cooks evenly.

How long will it take to cook a 20 lb Spatchcocked turkey?

A smaller bird will cook more quickly; start checking at 45 minutes for a 12-pounder, while an 18- to 20-pound bird could take an hour to an hour and 20 minutes. Larger birds may take up to 1 1/2 hours or even longer.

Why do you Spatchcock a turkey?

One the biggest benefits of spatchcocking your turkey is that it keeps the meat moist while providing you with crispy skin. According to Kenji from Serious Eats, this has to do with how the flattened turkey sits in the pan—all of the skin faces upward in open air, while the exposed meat is on the bottom.

How long do you cook a turkey?

Calculate Turkey Cooking Time and Temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Do they sell half turkeys?

Once upon a time, the only way to cook turkey was to stuff and roast a whole bird at holiday time, stuffing yourself in the process and eating leftovers for days. Now, thanks to fresh and frozen turkey portions, you can prepare turkey for two or a few anytime.

Will a butcher Spatchcock a turkey?

Most butchers will spatchcock the bird for you. If he/she is not aware of the term, ask to have the backbone removed and the bird butterflied. And be sure to ask for the backbone (for the gravy)! Large turkeys (over 14 lbs) don’t do as well when spatchcocking.

Is it better to spatchcock a turkey?

Why Should You Spatchcock a Turkey? Not only will spatchcocking turkey ensure plenty of crisp skin (since virtually all of it is out in the open), it makes it much easier to cook the white and dark meat evenly—meaning the breast will stay juicy. It cuts down on the total cooking time too, always a plus.