Every year I make an herb stuffed turkey. This year we wanted to try something a little different. We have been trying out so many cajun recipes lately and thought we would spice up our normal Thanksgiving routine.
I confess I did buy one of those little cajun spice injector kits, but the seasoning for the crust is really what takes it over the top! I made a 12 pound turkey so we would have lots of left overs for the busy weekend ahead. This meat pair perfectly with whole wheat bread and all the fixings for a turkey sandwich!
The skin came out perfect due to the cooking technique. Crank up the heat to 420 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered then lower the heat to 350 for the remaining 2.5 hours and cook with a layer of foil over the top.
Now lets talk about the stuffing. I almost always use my mom’s stuffing recipe. Fulled with fresh tart cranberry, spicy sausage and lots of veggies. To go along with the theme I skipped the cranberries and used andouille sausage over my usual ground sausage. This would be perfect on a serving platter stuffed into the turkey once both dishes are fully cooked. It is hard for me to ever say stuffing is “beautiful” but it sure is tasty!
- For the turkey:
- One turkey 10-12 lbs (cleaned and patted dry)
- 1 jar of cajun injector butter with syringe OR 2 cups of melted butter with 2 tbsp of cajun seasoning mixed in
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 tbsp of garlic powder
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
- Roasting pan and foil
- For the Stuffing:
- 1/2 pound of andouille sausage sliced or chopped
- 2 stalks of celery chopped
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 bag of stuffing bread crumbs, I used peppridge farm
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 tbsp of salted butter
- 1 tbsp of cajun seasoning
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees.
- Place the turkey in a roasting pan.
- Use the injector to insert the butter under the skin on the top layer, in the thighs, in the breast, and anywhere you think needs extra juice!
- Mix together the seasonings and rub them into the skin all over.
- Cook for 30 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degrees.
- Add the 2 cups of broth to the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Inject butter into the meat one more time.
- Cover with foil.
- Cook turkey for 2 more hours then start the stuffing.
- In a large oven safe sauce pan add the onions, celery and sausage.
- Cook until onions are translucent then add the butter.
- Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. ‘
- Take off the heat and add bread crumbs and seasonings.
- Mix through and cover with foil.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Uncover your turkey and spoon the broth over the top and anywhere that looks dry.
- Cook the turkey for another 30 minutes or until internal temp is 165.
Happy holidays!
