Spatchcocking is the process of removing the backbone from a whole turkey so that it can be flattened out for cooking. This results in a turkey that cooks more evenly and quickly, making it the better option for smoking if your turkey is over 15 pounds. For example, a 9-pound smoked turkey will take about 5 hours to cook, and a 9-pound smoked spatchcocked turkey will take about 3 hours to cook.