Cajun Turkey Recipe

I got this recipe in 2008. It was the second time I had cooked a Thanksgiving meal alone. The menu was Cajun Turkey, ham, Bacon wrapped green beans, Artichoke hearts, and dressing.

I had spent the majority of the days before prepping for the big day. Everyone raved about my dishes, excluding the Artichoke hearts. They especally found themselves drawn to the savory southern flavor of my cajun turkey.

I have to admit even I was a little shocked at how much praise and how fast the bird was eaten. A few months later, I was asked by my mother to make it for a Sunday service dinner. The following holiday family members were already dropping not so subtle hints about me cooking it and bringing it to the family dinner. I cooked it that Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mother then requested that I make it every holiday season.

She would make her traditional bird. The two together have always delighted the family. This Cajun Turkey Recipe is good no matter what season or occasion.

Enjoy it and let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Cajun Turkey Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon liquid Zatarian's Concentrated Crab and Shrimp Boil (optional)

• 1/4 cup apple cider

• 3/4 cup honey

• 1 (12-ounce) Guiness Beer

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ground allspice

• 1/2 cup Tony Chacheres Seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup finely minced garlic

• 1 10 to 12 pound turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry

• 4 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

• 1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

Cooking Instructions

1. Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject each turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.
   

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
   

3. Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the Kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey.
   

4. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)
   

5. When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.
   

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