Description
This Juicy Cajun Butter Thanksgiving Turkey recipe delivers a flavorful, moist, and tender roasted turkey infused with a homemade Cajun compound butter. Featuring a dry-brine technique, aromatic herbs, and a unique cheesecloth basting method, this turkey is perfect for a festive holiday centerpiece with a delicious Cajun twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Turkey & Prep Ingredients
- 1 (12-14 lb) whole turkey, fresh or thawed
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 6 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 6 whole carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 large lemon, cut into quarters
- 1 heaping bundle fresh hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme & sage
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer or 1 ½ cups turkey/chicken stock as substitute
- ¼ cup neutral oil (like avocado, grapeseed, or algae oil)
Cajun Compound Butter
- 1 ½ lbs (6 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons Creole Cajun Seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 8 sprigs fresh rosemary, de-stemmed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground sage
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the turkey: Remove the turkey from packaging, discard or save giblets and neck, and pat the turkey dry inside and out thoroughly with paper towels.
- Dry-brine the turkey: Place the turkey on a wire rack in a large vessel and season generously with kosher salt, black pepper, and brown sugar, massaging spices over all surfaces including the cavity. Place breast-side up uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours up to 3 days.
- Set the turkey out: On the day of cooking, remove the turkey from the fridge several hours before roasting to come to room temperature, especially for a 12-14 lb bird.
- Prep the Cajun compound butter: In a bowl, combine softened butter with Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme, allspice, and salt and pepper. Mix well until smooth. Transfer to a container and set aside.
- Preheat the oven: Position the rack in the center and preheat to 425°F.
- Coat & butter the turkey: Do not rinse dry brine but pat dry. Using half the compound butter, coat all exterior surfaces of the turkey including under the breast skin. Reserve the rest of the butter mixture.
- Stuff the turkey: Fill the cavity with half of the chopped onions, celery, carrots, lemon quarters, and herb bundle. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Prepare to roast: Place remaining vegetables in roasting pan with the beer or stock, set roasting rack on top and place the turkey on the rack.
- Roast at 425°F: Roast uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature and baste: Lower oven to 325°F. Melt remaining compound butter with neutral oil in microwave. Inject several spots of the turkey, mainly breast, with this marinade using a meat injector. Soak cheesecloth in the marinade and drape over the turkey.
- Continue roasting: Roast for about 13-15 minutes per pound (approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours) until internal temperature reaches 165°F in breast or thigh. Every 30-45 minutes, remove turkey to inject marinade again and re-moisten cheesecloth.
- Rest the turkey: Remove from oven, discard cheesecloth, and let rest 30-45 minutes before carving. Baste with pan juices before serving.
- Serve and enjoy: Serve the turkey on a platter with optional garnish. Use pan drippings for gravy if desired.
Notes
- This recipe requires cheesecloth, a meat/flavor injector, and optionally a turkey baster for best results.
- Do not rinse the turkey after dry brining to maintain flavor and skin crispness.
- Allowing the turkey to come to room temperature ensures even cooking.
- Use neutral oils with high smoke points such as avocado or grapeseed for the marinade.
- Resting the turkey before carving helps retain juices for moist meat.
- The roasting times are based on a 12-14 lb turkey; adjust accordingly for different sizes using 13-15 minutes per pound at 325°F after initial high heat.
- Consult a meat thermometer for accurate internal temperature rather than relying solely on time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
