Description
This Juicy Cajun Butter Thanksgiving Turkey recipe features a flavorful dry-brined turkey coated in a rich Cajun compound butter with fresh herbs and spices. Roasted to perfection with a unique cheesecloth soaking and basting technique, it results in moist, tender meat with a crispy skin that's perfect for your holiday feast.
Ingredients
Scale
For the turkey & prep:
- 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)
For the 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 & 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. Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels, including the inside cavity to remove all excess moisture.
- Dry-brine the turkey. Place turkey on a wire rack in a large baking vessel. Generously season all surfaces, inside and out, with kosher salt, black pepper, and brown sugar. Massage spices thoroughly over the bird. Place breast-side up.
- Refrigerate the turkey. Transfer the turkey uncovered into the refrigerator to rest for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days for dry-brining.
- Set turkey to room temperature. On the day of cooking, remove the turkey from the refrigerator several hours before roasting to let it come to room temperature.
- Prepare Cajun compound butter. In a large bowl, mix softened butter with Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper, rosemary, sage, thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper until smooth. Transfer mixture to a microwave-safe bowl and set aside.
- Preheat oven. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat to 425°F.
- Butter the turkey. Do not rinse off dry brine, but pat the turkey dry. Using gloves, coat the entire exterior of the bird with half of the Cajun compound butter, including under the skin on the breast by gently loosening it.
- Stuff the turkey. Fill the cavity with half of the chopped onions, celery, carrots, lemon quarters, and fresh herb bundle. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
- Prepare roasting pan. Place the remaining chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the roasting pan with the beer or stock. Set a roasting rack on top and place the turkey on it.
- Roast initial high heat. Roast uncovered at 425°F for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature. Lower oven to 325°F. Remove the turkey to prepare the basting mixture and cheesecloth.
- Prepare basting marinade and inject turkey. Microwave the remaining compound butter until melted and stir in neutral oil. Use a meat injector to inject the marinade mainly into the top breast area. Soak cheesecloth in marinade and drape it over the turkey.
- Continue roasting and baste. Roast at 325°F for 3 hours approximately (13-15 minutes per pound) or until internal temperature measures 165°F in breast or thigh. Every 30-45 minutes, remove turkey to re-inject/baste with remaining marinade and re-soak cheesecloth.
- Rest the turkey. Once fully cooked, remove turkey from oven and cheesecloth. Let rest for 30-45 minutes before carving. Baste with pan juices just before serving.
- Serve. Place turkey on a large platter, optionally garnish, and serve alongside favorite holiday sides. Use pan drippings to make gravy if desired.
Notes
- This recipe requires the use of a cheesecloth, meat injector, and kitchen twine for best results.
- Do not rinse off the dry brine before roasting; just pat dry to retain seasoning and promote crispy skin.
- Letting the turkey come to room temperature before roasting ensures even cooking.
- If you don’t have beer, use turkey or chicken stock as a substitute for moisture and flavor in the roasting pan.
- Keep the cheesecloth moist during roasting to help baste the turkey and keep it juicy.
- The resting time after roasting is crucial to redistribute juices and ensure tender meat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
