- Sep 18, 2025
- 2
- 4
How To Spatchcock (Butterfly) a Turkey
Materials needed:
Large cutting board
Sharp kitchen shears
Meat cleaver or large chef’s knife
Thawed Turkey (remove neck and giblets from inside the turkey; discard the pop-up thermometer and any trussings)
1. Place the thawed uncooked turkey on a large cutting board.
2. Position the turkey with the backbone facing up. To angle the turkey for easier cutting, you can also place it with the neck pointed toward your dominant hand. (see photo)
3. Starting at one side of the neck/backbone, cut alongside the backbone about 1/2-1” with your kitchen shears. You can use your meat cleaver as you get close to the tail to break through some of the tougher bones.
4. Cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it completely.
5. In the center of the inside of the turkey on the neck end, there is a keel bone. Use your meat cleaver to cut into that about a quarter of an inch.
6. Using your hands, you should now be able to place your hands on the inside of the turkey and press down firmly to spread it apart and crack open.
7. Prep and season your turkey for cooking.
See the following step-by-step tutorial video from @TulsaJeff for more details.
Materials needed:
Large cutting board
Sharp kitchen shears
Meat cleaver or large chef’s knife
Thawed Turkey (remove neck and giblets from inside the turkey; discard the pop-up thermometer and any trussings)
1. Place the thawed uncooked turkey on a large cutting board.
2. Position the turkey with the backbone facing up. To angle the turkey for easier cutting, you can also place it with the neck pointed toward your dominant hand. (see photo)
3. Starting at one side of the neck/backbone, cut alongside the backbone about 1/2-1” with your kitchen shears. You can use your meat cleaver as you get close to the tail to break through some of the tougher bones.
4. Cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it completely.
5. In the center of the inside of the turkey on the neck end, there is a keel bone. Use your meat cleaver to cut into that about a quarter of an inch.
6. Using your hands, you should now be able to place your hands on the inside of the turkey and press down firmly to spread it apart and crack open.
7. Prep and season your turkey for cooking.
See the following step-by-step tutorial video from @TulsaJeff for more details.
