A whole new way to cook your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. This Mexican Turkey Recipe is poached in a lime broth and then roasted to ensure a juicy and incredibly flavorful bird!
Let’s go back to one year ago today when I was eternally washing dishes and listening to turkey roasting tips from Ariane Daguin when she said she poached her turkey before roasting it.
In her beautiful French accent she explained how briefly poaching the turkey the night before in a rich broth infuses the turkey with loads of flavor and not only that, you are pre-cooking it ever so slightly which cuts down significantly on the roasting time, resulting in a juicier bird.
I was willing to go the extra mile for such a glorious-sounding bird but to my pleasant surprise it turned out to be not that much more complicated than your average turkey roasting affair. With a tender turkey breast and no worries wondering if the thickest part of the thigh is cooked through.
There are no special bags, no brining, no basting, and bonus, you are left with boatloads of delicious turkey broth that you can use to make soup with the leftovers! The only, ever-so-slightly, annoying thing is that you do have to let it sit in the broth overnight.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning the star of your holiday meal – the turkey! This year why not give your traditional roasted turkey a Mexican flair? A Mexican-style turkey known as pavo navideño or pavo a la mexicana, is full of bright, bold Mexican flavors like smoky chipotle, earthy cumin, zesty citrus, and plenty of garlic. This unique twist on a Thanksgiving classic will give your meal a delicious south-of-the-border vibe.
In this ultimate guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to make a show-stopping Mexican thanksgiving turkey, from choosing the right recipe to roasting techniques With a little guidance, you’ll be able to create a turkey that’s moist, juicy, and bursting with Mexican flavor Your guests will be amazed at your culinary skills!
Choosing a Mexican Turkey Recipe
The first step to making a fantastic Mexican thanksgiving turkey is choosing the right recipe. There are a few different flavor profiles you can go for:
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Chipotle and Adobo: Recipes like Pati Jinich’s Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey rely on smoky chipotle peppers and tangy adobo sauce to infuse the turkey with flavor. This creates a turkey with a subtle heat and rich, earthy taste.
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Citrus and Herbs: For a brighter, fresher flavor, look for recipes that use orange, lime, cilantro, and Mexican oregano. The citrus cuts through the richness of the turkey.
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Achiote and Spices: Achiote paste and spices like cumin, cinnamon, and cloves give the turkey authentic Mexican flavor. The achiote makes the skin a beautiful reddish color too.
The quantity and combination of ingredients varies between recipes, so peruse a few to find one with flavors that appeal most to you. For adventurous cooks, you can even mix and match elements from different recipes!
Prepping Your Turkey the Mexican Way
Once you’ve settled on a recipe, it’s time to prep your turkey. Mexican turkey recipes often involve looseing the skin and rubbing a flavorful paste directly onto the meat before roasting. Here are some key prep steps:
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Remove the giblets and neck: Check both the main cavity and neck flap for the bag of giblets and neck. Set them aside for making gravy.
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Loosen the skin: Gently slide your fingers between the skin and breast meat to loosen. Do this over the whole breast, legs, thighs, and as much of the back as you can reach.
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Make a paste: Most recipes use a paste of spices, herbs, chili peppers, and oil or butter. Thoroughly blend everything together.
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Rub the paste under and on top of the skin: Carefully slide the paste under the skin, massaging it evenly onto the breast and thigh meat. Then rub it all over the outside of the skin as well.
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Season the cavities: Stuff herbs, garlic, citrus, and more paste into the main cavity and neck flap. Truss up the legs.
Rubbing the flavorful Mexican paste right onto the turkey meat infuses it with spice and moisture. This helps prevent the turkey from drying out as it roasts.
Roasting Techniques for Mexican Turkey
Roasting is where your Mexican spiced turkey really shines! Use these tips for roast turkey perfection:
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Brown the skin: Roast the turkey at a high temp (400°F) for the first hour. This crisps and browns the skin.
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Prevent overcooking: Cover the breast with foil if it browns too fast. Let the legs remain uncovered.
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Baste frequently: Every 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the pan juices to keep it moist.
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Cook to 165°F: Check the temp in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. The turkey is done at 165°F.
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Let rest before carving: Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes so the juices redistribute. Then carve and serve!
Cooking times: Figure about 15 minutes per pound, so a 12 lb turkey takes 3 hours. Add more time if your turkey is very large.
What to Serve with Mexican Turkey
A Mexican thanksgiving turkey is fantastic served alongside traditional and Latin-inspired sides:
- Roast turkey with mole sauce for dipping
- Cornbread stuffing with green chiles and cilantro
- Baked sweet potatoes with lime butter
- Pinto bean salad with cotija cheese
- Green rice flavored with cilantro and lime
- Corn on the cob slathered with mayonnaise
- Warm tortillas for making turkey tacos or burritos
With a combination of classic and Mexican flavors, your whole meal comes together in perfect fusion harmony. ¡Buen provecho!
Handy Tips for Leftover Mexican Turkey
Leftover Mexican spiced turkey is amazing for easy meals throughout the week after Thanksgiving. Get creative with these ideas:
- Turkey, pinto bean, and spinach burritos
- Reheat turkey in enchilada or mole sauce for enmoladas
- Dice turkey for turkey chorizo breakfast tacos
- Simmer turkey in posole or menudo broth for soup
- Mix turkey with barbecue sauce for pulled turkey sandwiches
- Add turkey to salads, nachos, omelets, pizza and more!
With a little innovation, you can reinvent those Thanksgiving leftovers in many delicious ways. Your Mexican turkey will go far beyond just sandwich meat.
Make This Thanksgiving One to Remember
As you can see, infusing your traditional roast turkey with authentic Mexican flavors is easier than you might think. With the right recipe, prep, roasting technique, and a little creativity, you can have a showstopping pavo navideño that becomes your new Thanksgiving tradition. Impress your family with your amazing culinary skills this year. ¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!
How To Make It (with step-by-step photos)
Prepare the poaching liquid. Combine the onions, jalapeños, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, oregano, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt in a stock pot large enough to hold the turkey. I use a 20 quart stock pot. This pot will also need to fit in your refrigerator so keep that in mind.
Add water and bring to a boil. Fill the pot about a third of the way up with water. I used 8 cups water. You don’t want to add too much or it will overflow when you add the turkey. You can always add more if necessary. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Add turkey. While the poaching liquid is heating, remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Cut off the plastic piece that holds the legs together. Once the liquid comes to a boil. Add the turkey with the legs sticking up. Try to submerge it as much as possible but don’t worry if it isn’t completely submerged, you can turn it later. Add more water if possible. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Poach off the heat. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let poach at room temperature, covered, for 4 hours.
Chill. Place pot in the refrigerator to soak in the poaching liquid overnight.
Roast. Heat oven to 400°F. Remove turkey from the poaching liquid by lifting it out with your hands from the bottom. Don’t lift by the legs or they will come off. Place on a rack in a roasting pan or very large baking dish breast side up and roast turkey in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour and 15 min, depending on the size of the turkey. You want to bake it until the internal temperature is 150°F and the skin is golden. Turn off heat and let rest in the oven for 1 hour.
Carve. Remove from oven and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest 30 minutes then carve and serve.
Save broth. Strain poaching liquid and use in place of chicken broth in all your favorite recipes. It makes and awesome soup with the leftover turkey!
More holiday recipes to try!
If you’ve never cooked a turkey like this before, you will not believe how delicious and easy it is. When you make it please let me know by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) !
How To Make a Taste of Mexico Thanksgiving Part 2
FAQ
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