Spicy and juicy cajun turkey recipe is a mouth-watering meal for entertaining large gatherings. The savory turkey covered in hot spices and a lot of butter makes this recipe irresistible. You can make this tempting recipe for dinners, festive or holiday seasons for friends and family. And trust me this recipe will not disappoint you in front of your guests. The crisp on the outer skin and juicy meat will make your dinner a momentous treat.
Cajun Turkey Recipe
When I say easy cajun turkey then I make it easy, although cooking turkey is not an easy task to do. I have tried many techniques to cook turkey, hence I came up with some techniques that will help in evenly cooking along with keeping it crispy and juicy.
Turkey can be fried, smoked, and roasted in the oven. Air-fried turkey also tastes great but I love the aroma that spreads when the roasted turkey comes out of the oven. This step-by-step recipe will ensure a perfectly roasted cajun turkey, that will take you to the Louisian. The fusion of French and Southern cuisine with bold spices and aromatic flavors makes it a perfect dinner.
Spatchcocking the Turkey:
Mostly we cook turkey whole like a football-shaped turkey, in which the breasts are at the top and the legs are downwards. In this way, the heat circulates in such a way that it will not cook evenly at the same time. So to solve this problem, I will flatten the turkey by removing the backbone. In this way, it will cook faster and evenly. The flattened turkey will have more crispy skin as compared to football-shaped turkey.
Dry Brine:
Brining the meat is a technique in which meat is soaked in the salt water mixture for 24 hours to make it juicy and tender. Here we dry brine the turkey without water and we only use salt. When the salt sits for a longer time it will pull out the moisture from the turkey and then the moisture is again sucked back.
Injecting Herb Butter:
I love to inject herb butter with chicken broth into my turkey. Injecting the liquid with lots of flavor will make our cajun turkey juicy and soft. It will plump up with the delicious buttery broth.
What You Will Need
Turkey:
I take 12 pounds of fresh turkey for this recipe. As I am sharing my experience with you around 12 pounds of turkey is a young turkey. If you are taking some extra pound turkey then it may be an older turkey. I remove the backbone of the turkey with a sharp scissor but you can ask your local meat provider to do this task for you. Or you can buy a spatchcocked turkey from the store to avoid the hustle.
Butter:
Butter will add a tempting flavor and richness to the recipe. It will keep the turkey moist and juicy. The fusion of butter and cajun season will make this recipe a delicious feast.
Chicken Broth:
Chicken broth is used to make a liquid for injecting into the turkey. The combo of chicken broth, melted butter and cajun seasoning is injected into the turkey for a juicy and tender dish. We also use some of the chicken broth in our baking tray while roasting the turkey to lock in moisture.
Lemon Juice:
I like to add lemon juice to the melted butter broth for a tangy twist.
Spices:
For making a homemade cajun seasoning, I am using smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, black pepper powder, and cayenne pepper powder. We prepare a paste of butter and spice to coat the turkey. And a cajun buttery broth with chicken broth, butter, and spices. All of these spices will add warmth and flavor to the cajun turkey recipe. I use salt for dry brining the turkey.
Step By Step Directions
Step1- Spatchcocking the Turkey:
- Lay a kitchen towel on a kitchen countertop or a flat surface.
- Then place the turkey upside down so the backbone of the turkey is facing you.
- Then using a sharp scissor or a knife start removing the backbone from one side I am starting from the right.
- Then use your scissor on the other side of the backbone and remove the backbone.
- Now cut in the middle so that it can open up.
- Then flip the turkey and compress the breasts with your hands to flatten them.
Step2- Dry Brine The Turkey:
- Once the turkey is flattened, it’s time to dry brine the turkey.
- Pat the turkey with a paper towel to dry.
- Then generously sprinkle salt on the turkey.
- Flip the turkey and sprinkle salt on another side as well.
- Place it in a tray and refrigerate overnight.
Step3-Prepare Cajun Butter Paste:
- In a mixing bowl add smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, black pepper powder, and cayenne pepper powder. Mix them well to prepare cajun seasoning.
- Then take out 2 tablespoons of the cajun seasoning and set it aside.
- In the remaining cajun seasoning add 1/2 cup of room-temperature butter.
- Mix them well to make cajun butter paste, and set it aside for later use.
Step4-Prepare Cajun Butter Broth:
- In a saucepan add 1/2 cup of butter and melt it on low flame.
- Then add saved cajun seasoning into the butter.
- Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice and let it come to a boil.
- Strain it using a sieve and let it cool down.
- Once it gets cool fill the injection with cajun butter broth.
Step5- Inject Cajun Butter Broth:
- Now inject the turkey with cajun butter.
- Inject the broth in breasts, thighs and other parts of the turkey keeping a space.
Step6- Coat Turkey with Cajun Butter Paste:
- Take cajun butter paste and rub it over the turkey.
- Also, rub butter paste on the inside of the skin of the turkey.
- Flip the turkey and cover the other side of the turkey as well.
- Make sure you have coated every inch of the turkey with cajun butter paste.
Step7- Prepare Baking Tray:
- Preheat the oven to 400°C.
- Take a baking tray and fill it half with chicken broth.
- Then place the marinated turkey on a rack and put this rack in a baking tray.
Step8- Roast the Cajun Turkey:
- Roast the turkey for 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- Once the thermometer indicates 160°C temperature in the breast, remove it from the oven.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes the temperature will rise while resting.
- Finally, serve it with hot with dips and sauteed vegetables.
Tips That Will Help
- Make sure that turkey is dry and it should be at room temperature before roasting.
- You can use a cheesecloth dipped in the paste to cover the turkey while it is in the oven.
- You can also brush the turkey with a paste every 40 minutes for a crispy and flavorful turkey.
- Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey.
- I recommend using a baking tray beneath the roasting rack in this way you will save some gravy and use it later on as a side dressing. It will also help in mess-free cooking.
- For every 4 pounds of turkey use 1 tablespoon of salt for dry brine.
- Don’t rinse off the dry brine.
- Overnight brining the turkey is advised.
- Take out the turkey from the refrigerator 2-3 hours before so it will come to room temperature.
FAQ’s
What goes well with a cajun turkey recipe?
You can pair this with classic corn bread, rice, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, or even with bean salad. I like to enjoy it with hummus, you can use its dripping as a sauce or toss some sauteed vegetables in the dripping.
What is a cajun turkey recipe made of?
The main ingredient in cajun turkey is cajun seasoning and turkey. You can alter other ingredients as per preference, like substituting butter with olive oil, or chicken stock with vinegar or orange juice.
Can I skip the dry brine in the cajun turkey recipe?
Yes, this is an optional step that makes turkey juicy and tender. The dry brine will help lock in moisture that will make the meat soft and juicy. But you can skip this step.
Can I skip chicken stock while baking the cajun turkey recipe?
It is an optional ingredient that you can skip according to preference. The chicken stock infuses a flavor and makes the turkey tender and moist. But adding it depends on your choice.
How long to cook turkey for cajun turkey recipe?
The cooking time of a turkey depends on its weight and size. If you are using a football-size 12 pounds of turkey then it may take 2 and a half hours but if you flatten it then it will be ready in half time. However, a stuffed turkey will take a little bit longer time in oven.
Cajun Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- Stove
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Injector
- Pan
- Scissor
- Baking Tray and Rack
- Thermometer
Ingredients
- 12 Pounds Turkey with skin
For Cajun Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 Tbsp Onion Powder
- 2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 2 Tbsp Dried Thyme
- 2 Tbsp Dried Basil
- 2 Tbsp Black Pepper Powder
- 2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper Powder
For Cajun Butter Paste
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- Cajun Seasoning prepared
For Cajun Butter Broth
- 1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
For Salt Brine
- 1/4 Cup Salt
Instructions
- Lay a kitchen towel on a kitchen countertop or a flat surface.
- Then place the turkey upside down so the backbone of the turkey is facing you.
- Then using a sharp scissor or a knife start removing the backbone from one side I am starting from the right.
- Then use your scissor on the other side of the backbone and remove the backbone.
- Now cut in the middle so that it can open up.
- Then flip the turkey and compress the breasts with your hands to flatten them.
- Once the turkey is flattened, it’s time to dry brine the turkey.
- Pat the turkey with a paper towel to dry.
- Then generously sprinkle salt on the turkey.
- Flip the turkey and sprinkle salt on another side as well.
- Place it in a tray and refrigerate overnight.
- In a mixing bowl add smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, dried basil, black pepper powder, and cayenne pepper powder. Mix them well to prepare cajun seasoning.
- Then take out 2 tablespoons of the cajun seasoning and set it aside.
- In the remaining cajun seasoning add 1/2 cup of room-temperature butter.
- Mix them well to make cajun butter paste, and set it aside for later use.
- In a saucepan add 1/2 cup of butter and melt it on low flame.
- Then add saved cajun seasoning into the butter.
- Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice and let it come to a boil.
- Strain it using a sieve and let it cool down.
- Once it gets cool fill the injection with cajun butter broth.
- Now inject the turkey with cajun butter.
- Inject the broth in breasts, thighs and other parts of the turkey keeping a space.
- Take cajun butter paste and rub it over the turkey.
- Also, rub butter paste on the inside of the skin of the turkey.
- Flip the turkey and cover the other side of the turkey as well.
- Make sure you have coated every inch of the turkey with cajun butter paste.
- Preheat the oven to 400°C.
- Take a baking tray and fill it half with chicken broth.
- Then place the marinated turkey on a rack and put this rack in a baking tray.
- Roast the turkey for 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- Once the thermometer indicates 160°C temperature in the breast, remove it from the oven.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes the temperature will rise while resting.
- Finally, serve it with hot with dips and sauteed vegetables.
