Our Abuela’s Cuban Mojo Turkey Recipe is a step by step guide to making a turkey this Thanksgiving (or any day). This turkey recipe is so easy to follow, and the Mojo injects a level of flavor that is hard to resist.
What is Cuban Mojo Turkey
Abuela’s Cuban Mojo Turkey is a very Cuban spin on a very American tradition. Mojo Marinade is a very acidic and tangy marinade used throughout Cuban cuisine. It is a bold punch of flavor, that really penetrates and spices up a dish. When you think of Mojo in Cuban cuisine, it is usually associated with lechon (pork). It’s something that our families were very familiar with as they used Mojo to marinate their pork.
It makes perfect sense that they would then want to use it to marinate pork. We should all be happy they did. The Mojo in this recipe really penetrates the turkey and helps keep it moist while it is roasting. We think the mojo turkey is symbol of our families planting roots in this new country. The Mojo Turkey is the way our Abuelas and all the other families that came here from Cuba made this holiday their own. We love to make it because it transports us right back to childhood and keeps us in touch with where we came from.
Using Mojo to marinade the turkey, was their way of injecting Cuban flavor into an American tradition and creating something new. We love when food does that. When it takes two completely different cultures and fuses them together. The result is almost always something delicious.
This Cuban Mojo Turkey calls for fresh mojo, and we happen to have the best mojo recipe in the game. No bias, of course.
For our Abuela’s Mojo Marinade click HERE.
Our Tips for Making Abuela’s Cuban Mojo Turkey
We understand that taking on a turkey can be intimidating. After all, you are usually making a turkey around Thanksgiving, and so there is a certain pressure. However we want you to try to think of the turkey as a big chicken. We broke down the entire process here on our You Tube Channel, and we take you through it step by step.
Catch Our Full Mojo Turkey Breakdown Here
We are confident that once you give this a try, you will feel like a pro. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- It is important to know how many people you have coming. Calculate around 1-1½ lb per person. We feel that smaller turkeys are always the way to go. By small we mean 10-12 lbs the most we would advise to go up to is 14 lbs if you need to. They stay juicy and don’t take too long to cook. In our opinion buying a Turkey this size and making an additional 1-2 breasts, is a better tastier plan, than buying a bigger Turkey. Large turkeys can get tough and chewy. The smaller turkeys are more flavorful.
- You want to be sure to give your Turkey time to defrost. You want to put it in the fridge at least two days before you are planning on cooking it. It is not a good idea to leave a Turkey on the counter to defrost, because it can lead to bacteria.
- You are going to need more salt than you think, and you definitely want to generously salt the inside cavity.
- Gently loosen the skin away with your fingers before marinating, so that you can be sure to get the Mojo in there.
- You will know the Turkey is ready when the legs easily pull away. However if you notice that the skin is browning a little too much, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Catch our video breaking Turkey Prep down for you step by step, so you have everything you need to host your first Thanksgiving. Watch it HERE
Try Some of Our Other Delicious Dinner Options
Abuela’s Mojo Turkey
Course: EntreeCuisine: CubanDifficulty: Moderate10
servings30
minutes2
hours30
minutesIngredients
1 10-12 pound turkey
2 cups of Cuban Mojo
6 carrots, cleaned, peeled and left whole
3 onions, quartered or sliced in medium rings
2-3 tablespoons of Sazon
2 tablespoons of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper pepper
1/4 – 1/2 cup of extra Virgin olive oil
1 lemon cut in half or quarters
I bunch of parsley, rinsed and dried
Directions
- Set up your roasting pan with a rack or use the sliced onions and carrots as the base. Drizzle the veggies with 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Pat your turkey dry once you’ve cleaned it properly.
- Spread the mojo marinade all over the turkey. Marinate overnight or up to 2 days.
- Season your bird with salt and pepper and the Sazon rub INSIDE and OUTSIDE of the turkey!
- Fill the cavity with 1 bunch of parsley and lemon. (If you have extra onions, garlic or other herbs you can fill the cavity with them too)
- Before you are ready to cook, take the turkey out of the fridge for at least two hours so it is not so cold. When ready to start cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Turkey Time: Drizzle turkey with a little more olive oil and put turkey in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees. Check your turkey around 20 minutes, if you feel like one side of the turkey is getting too crisp, move the pan to the other side so it can balance out.
- Then drop heat to 350 degrees. If you feel that parts are getting too much color cover those parts loosely in foil.
- A turkey should be cooked for a total of 12 to 14 minutes per pound. (A 12 pound turkey will roast for about 2 hours and a half)
- Once it’s fully cooked and golden brown, let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
- I like to add some green or fresh herbs to the veggies at the bottom that will become a natural pan sauce for your turkey.
- **** if you love the butter taste add 1/2 a stick as the turkey is almost cooked. I don’t like to add to the beginning because it makes the turkey skin soggy.
