Cajun Turkey Recipe

An overhead image of a whole spatchcocked turkey cooked golden brown on a platter with limes and other thanksgiving sides and decorative leaves and garland around it.

This Cajun Turkey adds a flavorful twist to your holiday table- it's easy to make and comes together quickly for a tender, juicy turkey dinner the whole family will love!

Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish

Cuisine American, Thanksgiving

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 30

Resting time 30

Total Time 3

Servings servings

Calories 880kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

Compound Butter:

1 cup salted butter 2 sticks
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 limes

Turkey

Cooking spray
3 large onions cut into large chunks
5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
1 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 pound whole turkey (11-14 pounds)
2 cups water

Gravy

8 Tablespoons butter
8 Tablespoons flour
3 cups turkey stock warmed
1 cup pan drippings

Instructions

Make the compound butter:

In a small bowl, make the compound butter by mixing butter, cajun seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and zest of 2 limes until well combined. Set aside.

Prep the turkey:

Remove spatchcocked turkey from refrigerator 1 hour prior to cooking to bring it closer to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the middle position.
In a large roasting pan place onions and garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour in water. Place a rack on top of them and grease rack with cooking spray.
Place turkey breast-side-down onto the rack. Rub ⅓ of the compound butter onto the bottom of the turkey.
Turn the turkey over so the breast side is facing up. Take your hand and carefully push it under the skin of each part of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat. Evenly distribute another ⅓ of the compound butter onto the meat under the skin of the turkey.
Rub the last ⅓ of the compound butter all over the top of the skin of the turkey so that the full turkey is covered.
Gently tuck the wing tips under the to of the turkey breasts to prevent burning and place the pointed part of the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, making sure you don't touch the bone (if you have duel probes, place the other into the thickest part of one of the thighs, making sure you don't touch the bone).

Roast the turkey:

Place the turkey into the preheated oven on the middle rack. Plan on checking the turkey every 30 minutes to make sure the skin isn't getting too brown and the liquid in the bottom of the pan hasn't evaporated.
Roast the turkey until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast meat is 160 degrees.
Remove the turkey from the oven and place on a large cutting board. Rest turkey for 20-30 minutes.
While turkey rests, strain 1 cup pan juices for gravy and run. through a fat separator if you have one and make the gravy (directions below).
Once fully rested, carve turkey and serve immediately.

Make gravy:

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
Whisk in flour until no lumps remain. Cook 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
Slowly whisk in warmed broth and pan juices.
Simmer until thickened, whisking periodically. Hold at low heat stirring periodically until ready to serve. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Video

Notes

Spatchcock the bird- seriously- this is the best and easiest way to get a perfectly cooked bird every time and it cooks faster! I wrote an entire post on how to spatchcock a turkey.

Leave the turkey uncovered over night in your fridge- if there's the space to do this safely (and avoid cross contamination by touching other things). This allows the skin to dry out and become crispier as a roasts.

Remove your turkey from the fridge 1 hour prior to cooking- This helps remove the chill of the fridge and allows for more even cooking and easier spreading of the compound butter.

Check the bird periodically throughout cooking- if the water in the bottom of the pan has dried out, add more. If any spots get too dark, cover with foil.

Cook by temperature, not by time- to avoid overcooking. Place the probe in the thickest part of the breast (or thigh if the bird is not spatchcocked) and make sure it doesn't touch any bone.

Rest the turkey after roasting- for a more juicy turkey and crossover cooking. 20-30 minutes works great!

Don't throw out the pan juices- they add amazing flavor to your gravy! Strain and run through a fat separator.

Ingredients to prep ahead- Spatchcock the turkey, make the compound butter, cut the onion and smash garlic.

Leftovers and storage- This makes awesome leftovers that last for 4-5 days covered in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven- a little turkey stock or chicken stock while reheating helps avoid drying out. The cooked turkey also freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition