The Best Way To Grill A Spatchcocked Turkey For Evenly Cooked Meat

When Thanksgiving is right around the corner, it's time to talk turkey. There are as many tips for cooking a perfect turkey as there are actual methods of cooking said turkey. No matter how you choose to prepare your turkey, the most important thing is to have a juicy and tasty bird. For a slightly less traditional approach that's packed with flavor, you can always give grilling a try.

As spatchcocking poultry means more space in your oven, so too does it maximize room on the grill. While it may seem like a daunting task, it's actually fairly easy to spatchcock a turkey for Thanksgiving and grill it. The biggest tip for doing this effectively is to separate the breast and legs so that the white meat and dark meat can cook independently of one another for an evenly grilled turkey.

Because turkey breast and turkey legs will take different amounts of time to grill, this will ensure that you aren't over- or under-cooking either part of your spatchcocked turkey. As the process of spatchocking already deconstructs the whole turkey, taking it a step further to cut the pieces into breast and legs will expedite the grilling process and even let you get extra creative with your seasonings. For example, if your dinner guests have a preference for white or dark meat, you can change up the flavors of either portion.

First and foremost, it's crucial to oil turkey before grilling it and use other fats that will flavor the bird, maintain the skin's crispiness, and keep the turkey from sticking to your grill grates. With spatchcocked and separated turkey breast and legs, you can have your choice of seasonings for each part and use flavors that will complement both light and dark meat. This is, of course, enhanced in the grilling process as well.

For seasoning options, you can grab some Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning on Amazon to use as a rub for the breast meat with a generous portion of butter both on top of and under the skin. This will create a crispy skin during grilling and infuse the white meat with a bold flavor. With the more naturally flavorful dark meat, you can use Simply Organic Turkey Rub. The effectiveness of a spatchcocked and separated turkey makes grilling and sharing the Thanksgiving meal all the more delicious and fulfilling.