Cooking Turkey

[VTXCyRyD]

I got voluntold to cook the turkey this year for Thanksgiving. Normally I spatchcock and cook at a fairly high temp and am successful. I've been seeing some feeds of people doing it differently. I've heard the term frogging, but really it looks more more like the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Cylon Raider to me. Has anyone done it that way? I assume it's as successful as spatchcocking, I really just wanted to use the term spatchcock on Cyclonefanatic.com.




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[Gonzo]

I just go with the good ol' fashioned oven roasting.

 

[intrepid27]

AKA Spatchcocking : https://www.sipandfeast.com/spatchcock-turkey/

Never tried it but it makes sense. Side note I started using Duck Fat spray on chicken wings and is is soooooo much easier to get a nice crisp. May be worth a try on turkey.

 

[JM4CY]

Spatchcock over some citrus chunks on the smoker. Don't cook too low, err on the side of too hot. Big bird needs some heat

 

[cyfan964]

Oven roasting is better, and more nostalgic, than smoking for Thanksgiving. I said what I said.

 

[aeroclone]

My simple secrets to cooking the perfect Thanksgiving turkey:

Step 1, buy a prime rib.
Step 2, cook said prime rib with your preferred method.
Step 3, eat and enjoy.

You're welcome.

 

[psycln11]

You'll never be "voluntold" again!!

 

[Clonehomer]

Oven roasting is better, and more nostalgic, than smoking for Thanksgiving. I said what I said.

Also, turkey breasts are easier to roast IMO. You don’t have to worry about the breasts overcooking while you get the rest of the bird up to temperature.

 

[CY88CE11]

"frogging" is a new one to me. Looks like spatchcocking, minus the backbone removal? I would worry about consistency of cook through the breast. The reason spatchcocking works so well is everything is more spread out and cooks more evenly. I wouldn't try frogging on Thanksgiving without giving it a test run first.

 

[Tailg8er]

I've been smoking ours via spatchcock method the past ~4 years or so and doubt I'll ever try any other method. Hands down the best turkey I've had, and that seems to be the consensus amongst the family as well. We brine for 24 hours before, then throw herb butter inside/on the skin with a simple rub - turns out phenomenal & is very hard to screw up.

 

[Al_4_State]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

 

[BCClone]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

I smoke a turkey breast. Easier when no legs or wings. Turns out very good. My told me that she liked that so I said I would do it. Then she said she likes it when I drop it in the I fryer also and wants one of those too.

 

[baller21]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

Just fyi, if you buy a fresh turkey from Fareway they will spatchcock it for you. At least the Fareway I go to did.

 

[Antihawk240]

I'll be oven roasting. But on this note since it is somewhat in question for the thread. I went to a party where we deep fat fried one in a Pole Barn with a keg of beer. Cooked it and carved it on a picnic table....man that was a good time. Keg of Beer might have had a lot to do with it, but man that was a good time had by all.

 

[cdnlngld]

brine overnight, rinse, spatchcock, rub down with compoud butter put in the smoker with some hickory. Good stuff!

 

[Gonzo]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

Never. I've smoked pork shoulders, back ribs, spare ribs, brisket, chicken thighs, brats... but I've never had the cajones to smoke a whole turkey. Especially not for Thanksgiving when we're hosting family.

 

[Al_4_State]

Just fyi, if you buy a fresh turkey from Fareway they will spatchcock it for you. At least the Fareway I go to did.

I'm inquiring about this tonight.

I just did some Googling, and it brought up a Reddit thread where the consensus was not spatchcocking was suicide.

 

[Brentwood]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

I have multiple times and they always turn out great.

Definitely brine the night before. I also add butter underneath the skin and on the outside to keep whatever seasonings you are using.

 

[RagingCloner]

I don't trust myself cutting the thing up for a spatchcock, but has anyone tried smoking the bird intact? I've never smoked a turkey, but do whole chickens all the time and they turn out phenomenal. Planned on a 24 brine, and then smoking it intact in one of those roaster tins, with a couple beers poured in the bottom for moisture.

Sort of like a beer can chicken, but a turkey.

If anyone's had bad luck with something like that, I'd be curious to hear it.

Actually ive been doing it this way the last 5 years, and its been great, never had an issue. plan on needing extra time though, the last few degrees seem to take longer. Nice citrus brine 36 hours before smoking, inject with cajun butter day of, butter under the skin right before throwing on the smoker

Trying spatchcock this year for the first time so any tips and tricks for spatchcocking would be helpful!

 

[VeloClone]

I am relatively new to smoking. I have fried a turkey a couple of times and loved it.