In this jerk turkey recipe, the turkey is seasoned with a traditional jerk seasoning and marinated for a minimum of two days. I like marinating it up to two weeks in advance, keeping it in the freezer, and removing it from the freezer in ample time to defrost fully. Ingredients include scallion, habanero peppers, thyme, pimento berries, black pepper, cinnamon, soy sauce, and sugar. The spiciness of the marinade can be adjusted according to your preference. Even with a large quantity of hot pepper, the spiciness is mellowed during the cooking process, but if you are highly sensitive, feel free to reduce the amount of pepper used or eliminate it altogether.
The marinating process allows the turkey to be deeply infused with the seasoning, elevating its flavor, and resulting in the most delicious turkey you have ever eaten. I cut my turkey up into 6 pieces to ensure the seasoning is dispersed all over the turkey, making it even more delicious than a whole turkey.
Cutting up the turkey also allows it to cook in half the time it would take in the oven. However, if cutting up a turkey still seems daunting after watching the video, feel free to marinate, bake, smoke, or grill the whole turkey.
Watch the video for full details.
Other holiday recipes you may love:
Perfect Caribbean Roast Turkey
Hops Bread – Dinner Rolls
Perfect Smoked Jerk Turkey
Ingredients
- 15-20 pound turkey
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 Lemon
Turkey Seasoning:
- 1/2 cup pimento berries all spice berries or powder
- 4 tbs black peppercorn or black pepper powder or black pepper powder
- 16 scallions green onions
- 2 onion medium, chopped
- 1 cup garlic peeled
- 24 sprigs thyme sprigs
- 8 hot peppers or to taste, stem removed
- 4 tablespoon Himalayan salt or regular salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
- 1/4 soy sauce regular
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil
- 4 tbs browning optional
Instructions
- Cut turkey into pieces. Soak for 15 mins in large container of water along with 1 cup vinegar and juice of 1 lemon. Wash turkey inside out with lemon, removing any slime, excess fat, feathers or other undesirables. Rinse and drain.
- In a blender or food processor, puree all ingredients for the turkey seasoning.
- Place turkey in a baking bag and pour marinade over turkey. Close bag and move around to completely cover with the seasoning. Marinate in the bag 48 hours min or up to week in the refrigerator, turning once or twice. Place baking bag in another larger bag like a garbage bag to prevent spills in the event the baking bag gets pierced, bursts or breaks(which has happened to me before)
- When ready to cook, remove the turkey from fridge and bring to room temperature. Pre-heat grill or smoker to high or oven to 350 degrees, min 30 minutes.
Now you have several options
- Remove from the baking bag and place on a roasting rack or baking pan. Remove the excess seasoning from the skin and brush with oil. Alternatively, you can layer the bottom of the roasting pan with 4 carrots, 2 onions, 4 celery, 2 sprigs parsley, bunch thyme, 6 cloves garlic and a hot pepper. Mix 4 cups chicken stock with 1 cup of the seasoning from the marinating bag and pour over the veggies. Then place the baking rack on top of the veggies and move the turkey from the bag onto the rack on the roasting pan.
- Place turkey in the oven or pre heated grill or smoker and cook for the required time based on weight and desired doneness level, 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once the turkey is done cooking, remove from the oven, grill or smoker and tent with foil or parchment paper 15-20 mins to allow the juices to redistribute.
- To make the stock if cooked in an oven, in a saucepan, add 4 cups of strained gravy and 2-3 tbs of flour and cook, whisking until sauce thickens slightly. Add salt, pepper and butter as required.
- Serve warm over carved turkey. Enjoy.
