Cajun-Spiced Spatchcocked Turkey Recipe

Rubbed all over with a fragrant and spicy seasoning, this rich, deeply flavored bird comes out of the oven with gorgeous rust-colored skin.

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Editorial Director

Daniel is the editorial director of Serious Eats, where he leads the site's editorial strategy and oversees everything from recipe development to articles on food science, cooking techniques, and more. He's a former food editor at Food & Wine and has cooked in New York City restaurants.

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Updated March 17, 2025
A roasted spatchcocked turkey covered in Cajun spices.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Spatchcocking the bird results in meat that cooks faster and more evenly, with better-browned, crispier skin.
  • A fragrant spice mixture adds tons of deep flavor.
  • A simple jus is all the accompaniment this bird needs.

Taking a page out of the Louisiana playbook, this turkey is rubbed all over with a fragrant, lightly spicy mix that includes paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander seed, cumin, black pepper, onion and garlic powders, and both dried oregano and dried thyme. The result is a rich, deeply flavored bird with a gorgeous rust-colored skin. It's different, yet recognizably all-American in the best sort of way.

Closeup of the rust-colored breast of a Cajun spice-rubbed turkey.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

I used a light hand with the rub in my recipe, which I felt was more likely to make it a crowd-pleaser. But if you're confident that you and your guests can handle a heavier spice load, I think you can safely increase the rub by 50%, if not fully double it, and get great, more intensely flavored results.

I use our recommended spatchcocking method, which guarantees the most evenly cooked meat, the crispest skin, and the quickest cooking time. That said, you could adapt this rub to a more traditional method for a whole roasted turkey.

This bird is so flavorful that it can stand on its own, which means that serving it with your typical gravy could be overkill. Instead, I recommend a light jus made from the reserved turkey spine, spooned on top for a little extra moisture. (Of course, if you want to go ahead and make gravy anyway, nobody's gonna stop you!)

November 2016

Recipe Details

Cajun-Spiced Spatchcocked Turkey Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Cook 85 mins
Active 45 mins
Resting Time 20 mins
Total 2 hrs
Serves 10 to 12 servings
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Ingredients

  • 3 large onions, roughly chopped (about 1 1/2 quarts; 1 1/2 pounds; 680 g), divided

  • 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 quart; 12 ounces; 340 g), divided

  • 4 ribs celery, roughly chopped (about 1 quart; 12 ounces; 340 g), divided

  • 12 thyme sprigs, divided

  • 1 tablespoon (12 g) paprika

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) cayenne pepper

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) ground coriander seeds

  • 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) ground cumin

  • 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) onion powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) dried thyme

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) dried oregano

  • 1 whole turkey (12 to 14 pounds total; 5.5 to 6.3 kg), butterflied according to these instructions, backbone, neck, and giblets reserved

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, divided

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 quarts (1.4 L) homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or turkey stock

  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scatter two-thirds of onions, carrots, celery, and thyme sprigs across pan. Place a wire rack directly on top of vegetables.

  2. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, combine paprika, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried oregano. Chop or crush to a powder.

  3. Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Rub turkey all over with spice rub. Rub 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil all over turkey, then season liberally on all surfaces with salt and black pepper. (If using a brined, salted, or kosher turkey, omit salting step; see note.) Tuck wing tips behind back. Place turkey on top of rack, arranging so that it does not overlap the edges, pressing down on breastbone to flatten breasts slightly.

  4. Transfer turkey to oven and roast, rotating occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into deepest part of breast registers 150°F (66°C) and thighs register at least 165°F (74°C), about 1 hour 20 minutes.

  5. While turkey roasts, make jus. Roughly chop reserved neck, backbone, and giblets. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat until shimmering. Add chopped turkey parts and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add remaining onions, carrots, and celery and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften and brown in spots, about 5 minutes longer. Add chicken stock, remaining thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, about 40 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2-quart liquid measuring cup and discard solids. Skim off any fat from surface of broth. Season jus to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm.

  6. When turkey is cooked, remove from oven and transfer rack to a new baking sheet. Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before carving. Carefully pour any collected juices from pan through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. Skim off excess fat and discard. Whisk juices into jus.

  7. Carve turkey and serve with jus.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, wire rack, spice grinder or mortar and pestle, instant-read thermometer, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

For best results, dry-brine your turkey by following the instructions here. If dry-brining, omit any extra salt added to the turkey in step 3.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
423 Calories
18g Fat
3g Carbs
60g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 423
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 221mg 74%
Sodium 961mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 60g
Vitamin C 1mg 7%
Calcium 58mg 4%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 644mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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