If you are an American, you associate turkey with Thanksgiving. However, you don’t have to wait for this holiday to enjoy the dish. While Jamaicans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, they surely know how to make and enjoy turkey, and specifically, jerk turkey. It’s a simple recipe to make but you need to handle the process carefully to get a sumptuous result. To have a flavorful jerk turkey, you must have the right spices blend. Keep reading to learn how to cook and serve this dish.
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How to Cook Jerk Turkey
Equipment
- Oven
- Stove
- Blender
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Ingredients
- 15 to 20-pound turkey
- 1 lemon
- ½ white vinegar
- ½ brown sugar
- Scallions green onions
- A few garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup of pimento berries
- 4 tablespoons of black pepper powder or scotch bonnet peppers
- 2 chopped onion
- Fresh thyme leaves
- A few hot peppers
- Salt to taste
- ¼ soy sauce
- ¾ cup of virgin or vegetable oil
People Also Read: Recipe: How to Make Delicious Vegan Stewed Peas from Jamaica
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the turkey into pieces and soak it in water mixed with white vinegar and squeezed lemon. The lemon should help you remove excess fat and undesirable things from the turkey. Once finished, rinse properly.
- Blend the turkey seasoning; thyme, onions, vinegar, ginger, and oil. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Place the turkey in a bag or bowl and pour the pureed ingredients. Thoroughly mix the ingredients in the turkey to absorb and then let the turkey sit in it for 24 to 48 hours. You can place it in the fridge for up to a week.
Cooking Day
- On cooking day, defrost the turkey preferably 3 to 4 hours before cooking by bringing it to room temperature. Preheat the grill or cooker to high temperatures. When using an oven, set the temperature to around 200 to 300 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the roasting pan with oil, and place the wings underneath the turkey and the legs together. Remove the excess seasoning and place the turkey at the center of the pan. Put the pan at the center in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to around 130 Celsius.
- Ensure that the turkey has browned evenly. Once done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Use the excess marinated ingredients and boil them on a stove. Stir until the sauce has a thick consistency. You can spread the jerk seasoning over the chicken and return it to the oven for five minutes to soak up the juice. Alternatively, serve them separately.
Jamaican Jerk Turkey
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 to 20- pound turkey
- 1 lemon
- ½ white vinegar
- ½ brown sugar
- Scallions green onions
- A few garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup of pimento berries
- 4 tablespoons of black pepper powder or scotch bonnet peppers
- 2 chopped onion
- Fresh thyme leaves
- A few hot peppers
- Salt to taste
- ¼ soy sauce
- ¾ cup of virgin or vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice the turkey into pieces and soak it in water mixed with white vinegar and squeezed lemon. The lemon should help remove excess fat and undesirable things from the turkey. Once finished, rinse properly.
- Blend the turkey seasoning; thyme, onions, vinegar, ginger, and oil. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Place the turkey in a bag or bowl and pour the pureed ingredients. Thoroughly mix the ingredients in the turkey to absorb and then let the turkey sit for 24 to 48 hours. You can place it in the fridge for up to a week.
- On cooking day, defrost the turkey preferably 3 to 4 hours before cooking by bringing it to room temperature. Preheat the grill or cooker to high temperatures. When using an oven, set the temperature to around 200 to 300 degrees Celsius.
- Grease the roasting pan with oil, and place the wings underneath the turkey and the legs together. Remove the excess seasoning and place the turkey at the center of the pan. Put the pan at the center in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to around 130 Celsius.
- Ensure that the turkey has browned evenly. Once done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Use the excess marinated ingredients and boil them on a stove. Stir until the sauce has a thick consistency. You can spread the jerk seasoning over the chicken and return it to the oven for five minutes to soak up the juice. Alternatively, serve them separately.
Video
Nutrition
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