Add a Mexican Twist to Your Thanksgiving Turkey This Year

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:

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.

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.

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 loosening the skin and rubbing a flavorful paste directly onto the meat before roasting. Here are some key prep steps

• 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.

• 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.

• Make a paste: Most recipes use a paste of spices, herbs, chili peppers, and oil or butter. Thoroughly blend everything together.

• 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.

• 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:

• Brown the skin: Roast the turkey at a high temp (400°F) for the first hour. This crisps and browns the skin.

• Prevent overcooking: Cover the breast with foil if it browns too fast. Let the legs remain uncovered.

• Baste frequently: Every 30 minutes, baste the turkey with the pan juices to keep it moist.

• Cook to 165°F: Check the temp in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. The turkey is done at 165°F.

• 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!

Pati Jinich’s Mexican Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

This recipe from Pati Jinich relies on smoky chipotle peppers and tangy adobo sauce to create a turkey with subtle heat and rich, earthy Mexican flavors. It’s a great one to try for your Mexican Thanksgiving turkey.

Ingredients:

• 1 12-pound turkey, thawed if frozen
• 1 onion, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1⁄4 cup kosher salt
• 2 chipotles canned in adobo sauce
• 1⁄2 cup adobo sauce from the can
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

1. Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavities. Cut off excess neck skin.
2. Combine onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt in a large pot. Add 4 quarts water and bring to a boil.
3. Add turkey and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and let turkey sit in broth for 1 hour.
5. Remove turkey from broth and pat dry. Discard broth.
6. Heat oven to 400°F. In a food processor, puree the chipotles, adobo sauce, and olive oil.
7. Loosen turkey skin from meat. Rub chipotle mixture directly onto meat under skin and on skin surface.
8. Roast turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and continue roasting approximately 15 minutes per pound, until 165°F at thickest part of thigh.
9. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.

Adán Medrano’s Turkey Enchilado Recipe

This recipe relies on ancho chiles to create a flavorful, aromatic turkey dish. The turkey is brined to keep it super moist and juicy.

Ingredients:

• 1 12-pound turkey, thawed if frozen
• 9 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 gallons warm water
• 6 ounces piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar)
• 11 ounces kosher salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 cups diced tomato
• 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
• 2 cups turkey giblet stock

Instructions:

1. Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Make 4 cups ancho chile paste by blending anchos, garlic, onion, and 1 cup water.
2. Mix 2 gallons warm water, piloncillo, salt, and 2 cups ancho paste. Submerge turkey and refrigerate 3 days.
3. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Roast at 325°F for about 4 hours until 165°F, basting with drippings and ancho paste each hour. Let rest 30 minutes.
4. Make adobo by blending tomatoes and oregano. Simmer with giblet stock, salt, sugar, and 2/3 cup ancho paste for 30 minutes.