Turkey Adobado

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Turkey Adobado for Thanksgiving
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 10 mins
 
Our Oaxaca marinade is an aromatic, complex and delicious adobo that gives the turkey a beautiful color. It is not spicy, but full of flavor.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
  • 1 jar Molli Oaxaca Marinade Reserve 4 tbsp for gravy
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 12 lb turkey
  • 1 large onion quartered
  • 1 whole orange quartered
  • 4 tbsp flour For the gravy
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix 3/4 jar of Molli Oaxaca marinade, honey and salt until fully integrated. Set Oaxaca rub aside. Reserve 4 tbsp of Oaxaca for the gravy.

  2. Preheat oven to 500° and place rack in bottom third of the oven.
  3. Pat turkey dry with clean paper towels. Rub outside of turkey with Oaxaca rub and stuff with onions and oranges; transfer turkey breast side up to a rack set in a roasting pan.
  4. Roast for 30 minutes; lower heat to 325° and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and, flip turkey breast side down. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh but not touching the bone registers 165°, about 3 hours total for a 12-lb. turkey.

  5. In the last 45 minutes or so of cooking, you can also baste the turkey with the Oaxaca marinade. This helps crisp up the skin. Lower oven to 150°. Transfer turkey, breast side up, to a baking sheet; return to oven to keep warm. Remove turkey from oven 15 minutes before serving.
  6. Save roasting pan juices for gravy.
  7. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Add chicken or turkey stock to liquid to bring total liquid to 5 cups.
  8. Whisk together flour, 6 tablespoons reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter), and reserved Oaxaca marinade in a heavy medium saucepan, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 3 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, whisking, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt.

Recipe Notes

A note about time: The rule of thumb for cooking a turkey is 13 minutes per pound. Plan on the 13-minute-per-pound rule, but start checking the temperature of your turkey about halfway through the scheduled cooking time to gauge how fast it's cooking.