Spatchcock cooking times?

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davidski

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Nov 25, 2014
90
18
Baltimore MD
So ive been told to spatchcock this year by a few folks here and in RL. Ive also been told it shortens cooktime greatly. However for this thanksgiving production my timings need to be close to perfect. I usually smoke a round turkey 40min per pound @ 250. If i brine it. about 30-32 minutes per pound.  Google isnt helping me find an answer to this.

How many minutes per pound for spatchcock? Thanks ahead of time!
 
Here's hoping someone replies with some knowledge DavidSki!! I'm wondering the same thing. Ive got two in the brine right now. From what I have gathered it cuts the cooking time in half so maybe 10-12 min per pound? If no one with experience chimes in I'll probably give it enough time to cookk 15 min per pound though. Rather be early than late.
 
In cooking Poultry , there is no time , so to speak . Some will 20/lb @250* , and 12 min/lb @ 325*F but forget all that and get a good thermometer, place it in the deepest part of the Breast (without touching any Bone) .

Don't trust time as it is ONLY a guide...

Don't get sick, use that Threm. .

Have fun and . . .
 
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thanks for the response old school. I use digital therm as well as thermapen. Just trying to ball park it so I know approx when to start it for 5:00 dinner time. Guess I could wrap it and stick it in the cooler if it gets done too early but that seems like it would make the skin soggy. If it looks like it's going to be WAY early I guess I could slap it in the cooler and then pop it in the oven around 4:00 to crisp up the skin??

Thoughts?
 
i wouldnt stop the cooking process.. maybe kill the fire and get it down to 150 to slow down the process .. better to be done early and keep it warm and moist, than trying to get up another 20 degrees in an hour because your guests are about to start eating. 
 
I've got a 14# bird on right now. The smoker seemed to like 260 tonight so that's were I kept it. 4 hrs in and getting close. Breast is at 160 now.

I did a 12.5# bird Saturday at 250 average and it took just under 5 hours.

Good Luck!
 
so it looks like youre cooking at about 1lb:20 minutes where my normal round turkey goes 1lb:30 min. thanks for the stats. 
 
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Update: 14# bird at 260 done in 4hrs 15 minutes. This was only my second try spatchcock style and I think I held the temps more consistent. 
 
A spatched bird doesn't take as long. I do high temp smokes on poultry 350. The last full spatched turkey I did, 14 pounds was done right around 2-2 1/2 hours.
 
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Update: 14# bird at 260 done in 4hrs 15 minutes. This was only my second try spatchcock style and I think I held the temps more consistent. 
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Happy Thanksgiving.

David
 
I have about a 14lb bird, spatchcoked, in smoker @295 since around 8am and I am at 160 already.  Very fast cook time so far.
 
Well mine finished up about an hour ago.  Wow that was fast at around 300 degrees.  Wrapped it in heavy foil and wrapped in a towel for now.  Looks like I'll be eating a little earlier than expected. No problem with that!
 
Not sure if anyone is watching this thread anymore.

I thought this was a hard to find topic and this provided a lot of insight for a newbie like myself.

I have a 17.9# turkey sitting in a brine now going to pull it out after 16hrs. I'm hoping it will be thaw ( had it in the fridge Monday 4pm) by then, I could be hurting my self with the salt and water combo. We'll see. Might be tough to spatchcock if a little frozen. Will report back.

-NwBe
 
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