Cajun Style Turkey
Ingredients:
- 10-14 pound whole turkey
- Injectable Butter Marinade You will need 1 ounce per pound of turkey. See notes for information on what I used.
- 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth You will likely need an additional 1-2 cups of broth if the initial broth completely dissolves.
- 1/2 cup olive oil Or olive oil spray. I use a lot less by using oil I’ve added to a bottle.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried or ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried or ground thyme
- 3 tablespoons Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika I used Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- foil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pat turkey dry. Remove all of the contents from the inner cavity.
3. Pour the broth into the bottom of a roasting pan and place the turkey on top.
4. Inject the turkey with the marinade. Focus on areas throughout the entire turkey, the breasts, legs, etc.
5. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil or I like to use this oil spray bottle that I load with olive oil. It makes it easier to coat the turkey by spraying it on and you will likely use less oil since it’s also injected with butter.
6. Season the entire turkey and rub the spices into the skin.
7. Place the turkey in the oven for 30 minutes on 425 degrees. After 30 minutes adjust the temperature to 325 degrees. This will crisp the skin. If you don’t want crispy skin you can start it at 325 degrees.
8. If you notice the turkey is starting to brown quickly (usually the legs for sure), place a piece of foil over the turkey to tent excess heat. You don’t want to wrap it. Place it on top.
9. Turkey will take 2-5 hours (depending on size) to cook based on the size. You will need to use a meat thermometer to test. If you notice that the broth is low, top it off with more.
10. Check if the turkey has finished cooking by using a meat thermometer. You always want to test the thickest part of the turkey, which is typically between the thigh and leg. Ensure it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. I usually test several areas of the turkey to be sure.
11. Allow the turkey to rest for a minimum of 20 minutes prior to slicing to allow the juicies to settle. If you slice too soon it will result in dry turkey.
12. Keep the turkey drippings if you plan to make gravy. I combine it with a tablespoon of butter and then start with a tablespoon of flour and add more if necessary to thicken.
Balsamic-Glazed Turkey
Ingredients:
- One 12- to 14-pound turkey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Four 1-inch-wide strips lemon zest
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 heads garlic, halved
- Several sprigs fresh rosemary
- Several sprigs fresh sage
- Several sprigs fresh thyme
- Olive oil, for the turkey
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Directions:
1. Position an oven rack in the lowest position and remove the other racks; preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Remove any turkey parts from the neck and breast cavities and reserve for another use if desired. Dry the turkey well with paper towels inside and out. Sprinkle the inside with salt and pepper and stuff with the lemon zest, onion, 1 head of the garlic and half of the rosemary, sage and thyme. Set the turkey on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan breast-side up. Rub the outside of the turkey with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put the chicken broth, 1 stick of the butter, 1 cup water and the remaining rosemary, sage, thyme and head of garlic in the bottom of the pan. Tent the turkey with foil.
3. Roast the turkey, basting thoroughly every 30 minutes, for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat the balsamic vinegar, honey and remaining stick of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is simmering. Continue to simmer until thick, syrupy and reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
5. After roasting the turkey for 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Roast the turkey for another 15 minutes, then baste with about a third of the balsamic glaze using a pastry brush. Roast for another 10 minutes, then glaze again with half of the remaining glaze. Roast for another 10 minutes, then glaze a final time with the remaining glaze. Continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 10 minutes more.
6. Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Tuscan-Style Roasted Turkey
Ingredients:
- For the Turkey:
- 1 9-13 lb turkey
- 2 lemons 1 for decoration
- 1 small onion in chunks
- 5-8 sprigs of sage
- Optional: parsley for decoration
- For the butter barrier:
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup 1 stick of butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped sage
- zest of 1 lemon about 1 Tbsp
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- For the Baste:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 white wine
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prepare roasting pan with grill rack or foil balls to keep turkey off bottom.
3. Remove innards from turkey. Clean, rinse, and pat dry.
4. Stuff turkey with onion, lemon, and sage sprigs.
5. Mash all the butter barrier ingredients together.
6. Use fingers to separate the skin of the turkey from the muscle across the breast and legs.
7. Work butter mixture in between the skin and meat covering the breast and legs.
8. Place the turkey in roasting pan on top of rack or foil balls. Leave uncovered.
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees.
10. Prepare basting liquid while turkey cooks.
11. After 1 hour and a half of cooking, baste the turkey and turn it the opposite direction in the oven.
12. Baste 2 more times, 15-20 minutes apart each time.
13. Check turkey at 2 hours and 15 minutes to read the internal temperature.
14. Remove the turkey once a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat reads 160 degrees.
15. Remove and let rest 15-20 minutes.