![\"pavochon](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pavochon-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
Although Thanksgiving is not a holiday typically celebrated in Puerto Rico, it is becoming more popular these days. As a result, Pavochon is becoming the star of the Puerto Rican dinner table for Thanksgiving. Because lech\u00f3n is a staple dish in Puerto Rico, turkey is seasoned and cooked in pretty much the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to make pavoch\u00f3n?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pavoch\u00f3n is juicy, tender and FLAVORFUL! It is seasoned with generous amounts of fresh garlic and oregano. Adobo<\/a><\/strong>, saz\u00f3n<\/a><\/strong>, y sofrito<\/a><\/strong> also infuse the turkey with tons of flavor. Annatto oil adds a beautiful color. I love to make my own adobo<\/a><\/strong> y saz\u00f3n<\/a><\/strong> at home. I have a recipe for both and they are so easy to make with spices you probably already have in your pantry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also keep stash of homemade annatto oil<\/a><\/strong> y sofrito<\/a><\/strong> at all times! Homemade sofrito is a must in Puerto Rican cuisine. Store-bought sofrito could never compare. Check out my sofrito<\/a><\/strong> recipe and take your cooking to the next level! See the ingredient list below for a better idea of how to make pavochon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First things first, you must defrost the turkey properly before the seasoning process begins. Give yourself at least 4 days to thaw and prepare the turkey. Place your frozen turkey in the refrigerator 4 days before cooking day. Once the turkey has been in the refrigerator 24 hours, place the turkey in a large bowl filled with cold water. Allow turkey to thaw 1-2 hours in the cold water. Discard the water and place the turkey back in the refrigerator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the next day, remove the turkey from the wrapper. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water, both inside and out. Remove the giblets and neck. You can save the neck for making broth for arroz con gandules and also stuffing. Wash the turkey with cooled coffee. This helps remove some of the gamey taste of the turkey. Rinse the turkey with cold water and pour white vinegar or lemon juice all over. Allow the turkey to rest about 10 minutes before giving it a final rinse with cold water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the seasoning can begin! Mash the garlic cloves in a pil\u00f3n (mortar and pestle). Add the crushed garlic to a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients for the marinade. The key ingredients in the marinade are garlic (lots of garlic!) and oregano. I add about 16-20 cloves of garlic for a 12-15 pound turkey. Annatto oil<\/a><\/strong> also helps add a beautiful color to the turkey’s skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Place the turkey in a pan and pour the marinade all over the turkey and give it a good massage. Rub it on top, all over the wings and drumsticks and the inside. Also, lift the skin carefully and rub the marinade in between the skin and flesh. Be careful not to tear the skin. Flip it and repeat the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cover the pan and place the turkey in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate overnight or up to 2 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On cooking day, take the turkey out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for at least 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350\u2109. Stuff the turkey with aromatics like onions, garlic, carrots, celery, lemon and cilantro. You can also add other fresh herbs, if desired. Tie the legs together with twine to keep everything neatly in place. Drizzle the turkey with annatto oil<\/a><\/strong> and sprinkle adobo<\/a><\/strong> all over the outside of turkey. Add white wine, broth and orange juice to the pan. Cover the pan securely with foil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Place the turkey in the oven, breast side up if you prefer crispy skin on top, cook breast side down if you prefer moist breasts. Cook the turkey according to its size. Rule of thumb: cook 15 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer reads 165F in the breast and 170F in the thigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The following are estimates while cooking at 350 degrees F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After 2 hours, remove the turkey from the oven, uncover the pan and baste with its drippings. Remove the aromatics from inside the turkey and stuff the turkey with traditional or cornbread stuffing, mofongo, mashed yuca or your stuffing of choice. If you’re not stuffing the turkey, you can leave the aromatics in. Cover the pan and place the turkey back in the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 15-20 minutes before the turkey is fully cooked, baste the turkey again with its drippings, uncover the pan and allow the skin to brown and crisp. Continue cooking until perfectly golden brown. Keep an eye on the turkey so the skin doesn’t burn. If the turkey wings or breast are becoming too dark in the oven, cover them with a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil to prevent burning. Once the turkey is out of the oven, allow it to rest 30 minutes before cutting into it. Remove the stuffing and place it in a serving platter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro Tip: Make a delicious gravy with the drippings in the pan. Strain the drippings and pour them into a saucepan over medium high heat. Add a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water) and stir until the gravy has thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Serve the turkey with your favorite sides and enjoy! \u00a1Buen provecho!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stuffing the turkey while raw is not safe because it can cross contaminate the stuffing. When you stuff a raw turkey, it increases the cook time and it will result in extremely overcooked turkey breast before the stuffing reaches a safe temperature to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After 2 hours, remove the turkey from the oven, uncover the pan and baste with its drippings. Remove the aromatics from inside the turkey and stuff the turkey with traditional or cornbread stuffing, mofongo, mashed yuca or your stuffing of choice. Cover the pan and place the turkey back in the oven. Eating stuffing from the turkey is safe when the stuffing is added during the last part of cooking because the turkey is almost completely cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puerto Ricans sometimes stuff turkey with mofongo (fried plantains mashed with butter, garlic and chicharr\u00f3n) and cover the turkey with plantain leaves, which I think is GENIUS! I love the taste of plantain leaves (think pasteles, yum!) so I am sure this is a great idea. I will try this soon and report my findings, haha!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other delicious options include mashed yuca, sweet plantains, ground beef. You can also stuff a turkey with traditional bread stuffing or cornbread stuffing. Just make sure to stuff the turkey after about 2 hours of cooking to stay on the safe side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Side dishes are just as important as the main dish for the holidays! In Puerto Rico, pavo is served with arroz con gandules<\/a><\/strong> (yellow rice with pigeon peas), ensalada de papa<\/a><\/strong> (potato salad), ensalada de coditos<\/a><\/strong> (macaroni salad), pastel\u00f3n<\/a><\/strong> (plantain lasagna), pasteles<\/a><\/strong>, tostones (fried plantains), maduros (fried sweet plantains), the options are endless!<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I have leftover turkey, one of my favorite things to make with it is soup! If you have ramen soup packets, cook them according to package instructions and set aside. In a large pot, saut\u00e9 onions and carrots. Add some turkey wings or drumsticks and add just enough water to cover. Add the ramen soup to the pot, bring to a boil and cover. Continue to cook on low heat about 15 minutes to allow the turkey to infuse the soup with flavor. This will be the BEST bowl of ramen you have ever had!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also make turkey sandwiches, paninis or wraps. Add stuffing and cranberry sauce for all of the thanksgiving flavors in every bite!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you enjoy this pavoch\u00f3n, Puerto Rican style turkey recipe, please leave me a 5 star review and comment at the bottom of this blog post! Your feedback makes me so HAPPY! It also makes it easier to find my recipes on Google. THANK YOU in advance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Si desea que le env\u00ede mis recetas directamente a su correo electr\u00f3nico, suscr\u00edbete a mi lista de correo electr\u00f3nico aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/strong>Tambien menci\u00f3name @madewithsazon<\/a><\/strong> en cualquier foto de esta receta que publiques en las redes sociales. Me encanta ver tus publicaciones, \u00a1realmente me alegra el d\u00eda!<\/p>\n\n\n\n S\u00edgueme en Instagram<\/a><\/strong>, You<\/a>T<\/a>ube<\/a><\/strong>, TikTok<\/a><\/strong> y Pinterest<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n![\"homemade](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/homemade-adobo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIngredients for pavochon:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Puerto](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pernil-ingredients-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to thaw a turkey?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to season a pavochon?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"garlic](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/garlic-in-marinade-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"seasoned](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/seasoned-pavochon-scaled.jpg?resize=1950%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to cook a Puerto Rican turkey?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prepare the turkey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"aromatics](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/aromatics-for-turkey-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCook the turkey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cooking time:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Stuff the turkey<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pavochon-stuffing-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to make homemade gravy?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"gravy\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/gravy-scaled.jpg?resize=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIs it safe to eat stuffing from the turkey?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What to stuff a turkey with?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What to serve with pavoch\u00f3n?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pavochon-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1920%2C2560&ssl=1\")
What to do with leftover turkey?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u00a1Por favor d\u00e9jame una clasificaci\u00f3n de estrellas y un comentario!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pavochon](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/curlsnpearlsss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/pavochon-scaled.jpg?fit=188%2C250&ssl=1\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPavoch\u00f3n Puerto Rican Style Turkey<\/h2>\n