Pavochón Puerto Rican Style Turkey
Pavochón is a Puerto Rican style turkey that is seasoned like lechón (roasted pork or pernil). Pavochón is the star of the Thanksgiving dinner table and a favorite at every holiday celebration. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never eat turkey any other way!
Ingredients
Turkey
- 11-15 lb turkey thawed
- 12 oz coffee cooled
- 1 taza white vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 taza white wine drinking wine, not cooking wine
- 1/2 taza apple juice
- 3 apples diced
- 4 carrots sliced
- 2 tsp adobo Healthy Rican
Marinade
- 1/2 taza achiote oil see notes
- 1/2 taza white vinegar
- 1/4 taza sofrito
- 14-20 enteros garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than bouillon
- 2 tbsp adobo Healthy Rican
- 2 tbsp sazón Healthy Rican
- 2 tbsp ground oregano
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sal or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Thaw 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.
Clean the turkey
- On the next day, remove the turkey from the wrapper. Rinse the turkey thoroughly with cold water, inside and out.
- Remove the giblets and neck. You can save the neck for making broth or discard.
- 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 the vinegar or lemon juice all over. Allow the turkey to rest about 10 minutes before giving it a final rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
Season the turkey
- Mash the garlic cloves in a pilón (mortar and pestle). Add the crushed garlic to a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients for the marinade.
- Pour this marinade all over the turkey and give it a good massage. Rub it on top, all over the wings and drumsticks and the inside. Flip it and repeat the process.
- Flour an oven bag by adding one tablespoon of flour inside of the bag and shaking it up. This will prevent the skin from sticking and will also help brown the turkey.
- Place the turkey in the bag and pour the marinade over top. Add the white wine and apple juice to the bag as well.
- Tie the bag with a zip tie and place the turkey in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate overnight or up to 2 days.
Roast the turkey
- 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 degrees F.
- Cut up the apples and carrots and set aside.
- Stuff the turkey with the apples and carrots. Sprinkle 2 tsp of adobo all over the outside of turkey.
- Tie the oven bag with a zip tie and place the turkey in the oven, breast side down if you prefer moist breasts. If you prefer crispy skin on top, cook breast side up.
- Cook the turkey according to its size. Rule of thumb: cook 15 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer reads 170F in the breast and 180F in the thigh.
- About 30 minutes before the turkey is fully cooked, open the bag to allow the skin to brown and crisp. Continue cooking until perfectly golden brown.
- Once the turkey is out of the oven, allow it to rest 30 minutes before cutting into it.
- Remove the apples and carrots from the turkey's cavity. The carrots are edible, the apples are not.
- Stuff the turkey with traditional stuffing, mofongo or your stuffing of choice. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
TIPS:
I like to wash the turkey with cooled coffee. This helps remove some of the gamey taste of the turkey. Pour the coffee all over and rub into the turkey well. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Proceed to clean the turkey with white vinegar or lemon juice. Allow the turkey to rest about 10 minutes with the vinegar/lemon juice on before rinsing with cold water.
Cooking the turkey in an oven bag helps keep it moist. I use Reynolds oven bags. Flour an oven bag by adding one tablespoon of flour inside of the bag and shaking it up. This will prevent the skin from sticking and will also help brown the turkey.
Cook the turkey breast side down if you prefer moist breasts. If you prefer crispy skin on top, cook breast side up.
Once the turkey is cooked, use the turkey broth to make the most delicious gravy ever! Strain the broth into a saucepan over medium high heat. Add a cornstarch slurry to thicken it up. Stir until thickened and remove from heat.
Cornstarch slurry: 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water.
ACHIOTE OIL
To make achiote oil, simply warm annatto seeds in your oil of choice. Allow the oil to warm over low heat for about 5 minutes. You could also add aromatics like garlic, cilantro, culantro and black peppercorns. Allow the oil to cool and strain into a glass bottle. Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.
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