Spatchcock Roasted Turkey Breast
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 4 to 6
Let’s be honest, turkey can be dry and flavorless without a tiny bit of fussing. There are a few tricks to making this spatchcock roasted turkey breast delicious. The first step to flavor is the dry brine. Salt the turkey 6 to 8 hours before cooking and let it sit in the fridge until an hour before you’re ready to roast. Basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes while the breast is roasting adds great flavor. This is a great Sunday supper and leftovers make for wonderful sandwiches especially on whole wheat dinner rolls.
Ingredients:
4- to 5-pound turkey breast2-3 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond. You’ll need less if using other varieties that are courser.) 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature1/2 to 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 to 2 cups chicken broth1/2 a yellow onion
Instructions:
1. Start with a completely thawed turkey breast. (This takes at least a day in the fridge if you're starting from frozen.)2. Remove the turkey breast from the package. Set aside or discard any internal packaging—mine comes with a gravy starter. 3. If the backbone remains, using kitchen shears and a sharp knife, remove it from the breast. (I buy Honeysuckle and the turkey breast comes with the backbone removed.)4. Once the backbone has been removed, cut the cartilage connecting the wishbone. 5. Turn the turkey over with the meat facing upward, and press down hard in the center between the two breasts. This should flatten the turkey breast. 6. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels.7. Pull back the skin of the turkey and sprinkle the meat generously with salt. Make sure you cover all the meat. 8. Replace the skin, and sprinkle the skin generously with salt. 9. Flip the turkey breast over and generously season with salt. 10. Wrap the turkey breast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. 11. Remove the turkey breast from the fridge 1 hour before roasting to allow it to come to room temperature. 12. Mix the butter, poultry seasoning, and black pepper to form a compound butter. 13. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 14. Cut the onion into large slices or wedges. 15. Line a roasting pan with foil. 16. Place rack inside the roasting pan. 17. Spray the roasting pan and rack with cooking spray. 18. Add onions to the bottom of the roasting pan.19. Remove the turkey breast from the plastic wrap and place on the rack in the roasting pan. 20. Pull back the skin from the breasts. Rub 1/3 of the compound butter on each half of the breast. 21. Replace the skin, and rub the remaining 1/3 of the compound butter on top of the skin. 22. Sprinkle the entire breast with additional poultry seasoning and black pepper, if desired. 23. Place the turkey breast skin side down on the rack. 24. Add chicken broth to the roasting pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan but doesn’t touch the turkey breast. 25. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes.26. After 30 minutes, remove the turkey breast from the oven. 27. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. 28. Using a tongs, flip the turkey breast over so the skin is now facing up. 29. Using a spoon or baster, baste the turkey breast with the pan juices. 30. Return to the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 31. Remove the turkey breast and baste again. 32. At this point, assess the browning of the skin. If it is to your desired goldenness, tent with foil to prevent overbrowning. 33. Return the turkey breast to the 400-degree oven for an additional 30 minutes. 34. Remove the turkey breast and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. If the turkey has reached 170 degrees, remove from the roasting pan to a cutting board and cover with foil to rest. 35. If the turkey requires more time in the oven, baste before returning the turkey breast to the 400-dgree oven. Roast for an additional 15 to 30 minutes. 36. If the turkey still isn’t done after the additional 30 minutes, remove and baste. Check the turkey every 10 to 15 minutes at this point, being careful not to over bake it. 37. After you’ve removed the turkey from the oven and covered with foil, allow the turkey breast to rest for at least 20 minutes. 38. Once rested, slice and serve.
Ingredients:
4- to 5-pound turkey breast2-3 tablespoon kosher salt (I use Diamond. You’ll need less if using other varieties that are courser.) 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature1/2 to 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 to 2 cups chicken broth1/2 a yellow onion
Instructions:
1. Start with a completely thawed turkey breast. (This takes at least a day in the fridge if you're starting from frozen.)2. Remove the turkey breast from the package. Set aside or discard any internal packaging—mine comes with a gravy starter. 3. If the backbone remains, using kitchen shears and a sharp knife, remove it from the breast. (I buy Honeysuckle and the turkey breast comes with the backbone removed.)4. Once the backbone has been removed, cut the cartilage connecting the wishbone. 5. Turn the turkey over with the meat facing upward, and press down hard in the center between the two breasts. This should flatten the turkey breast. 6. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels.7. Pull back the skin of the turkey and sprinkle the meat generously with salt. Make sure you cover all the meat. 8. Replace the skin, and sprinkle the skin generously with salt. 9. Flip the turkey breast over and generously season with salt. 10. Wrap the turkey breast in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. 11. Remove the turkey breast from the fridge 1 hour before roasting to allow it to come to room temperature. 12. Mix the butter, poultry seasoning, and black pepper to form a compound butter. 13. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 14. Cut the onion into large slices or wedges. 15. Line a roasting pan with foil. 16. Place rack inside the roasting pan. 17. Spray the roasting pan and rack with cooking spray. 18. Add onions to the bottom of the roasting pan.19. Remove the turkey breast from the plastic wrap and place on the rack in the roasting pan. 20. Pull back the skin from the breasts. Rub 1/3 of the compound butter on each half of the breast. 21. Replace the skin, and rub the remaining 1/3 of the compound butter on top of the skin. 22. Sprinkle the entire breast with additional poultry seasoning and black pepper, if desired. 23. Place the turkey breast skin side down on the rack. 24. Add chicken broth to the roasting pan so that it covers the bottom of the pan but doesn’t touch the turkey breast. 25. Roast at 425 for 30 minutes.26. After 30 minutes, remove the turkey breast from the oven. 27. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. 28. Using a tongs, flip the turkey breast over so the skin is now facing up. 29. Using a spoon or baster, baste the turkey breast with the pan juices. 30. Return to the oven and roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 31. Remove the turkey breast and baste again. 32. At this point, assess the browning of the skin. If it is to your desired goldenness, tent with foil to prevent overbrowning. 33. Return the turkey breast to the 400-degree oven for an additional 30 minutes. 34. Remove the turkey breast and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. If the turkey has reached 170 degrees, remove from the roasting pan to a cutting board and cover with foil to rest. 35. If the turkey requires more time in the oven, baste before returning the turkey breast to the 400-dgree oven. Roast for an additional 15 to 30 minutes. 36. If the turkey still isn’t done after the additional 30 minutes, remove and baste. Check the turkey every 10 to 15 minutes at this point, being careful not to over bake it. 37. After you’ve removed the turkey from the oven and covered with foil, allow the turkey breast to rest for at least 20 minutes. 38. Once rested, slice and serve.