Pavo Navideño, or Mexican Christmas Turkey, is perfect for your holiday dinner.
The meat comes out so juicy and so flavorful. For Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.
Looking for a spicier turkey, try Pavo Pibil!
🦃 Ingredients
- Turkey
- Butter
- Garlic
- Onion
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Oregano
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Cilantro
How much turkey do you need? I suggest planning for 1 to 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person. That is, if you have 10 people coming, get a 10 to 15 pound turkey. This will also ensure that you have plenty of leftovers like turkey mole!
Instructions
- Remove the giblets and neck from inside the turkey.
- Rinse the turkey well. Then pat dry the skin with a paper towel.
- Place the turkey on a roasting pan on top of a rack.
- Take softened butter and mix with spices to create the compound butter.
I like to make the compound butter days ahead of time. It saves time and can be done up to 2 weeks ahead. It goes great on chicken and gives a lot of flavor to this Mexican turkey recipe.
How long does a frozen turkey need to thaw? For every 5 pounds of turkey, a frozen turkey needs about 24 hours thawing time in the fridge. That is, if you have a frozen 10-pound turkey, it needs 2 days of thawing time. A 15-pound turkey needs 3 days. To speed things up, you can place a turkey in cold water (NOT WARM WATER) and change the water every 30 minutes until it is thawed.
- Gently peel the skin gently above the turkey breast and thighs. Do not remove completely.
- Add tablespoons of compound butter in between the meat and skin.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with onion, garlic cloves, parsley, rosemary, and cilantro.
- Take more softened butter and smear it all over the outside skin of the turkey.
- Tuck the wings underneath the turkey. Tie the legs with a cooking string.
Once you have buttered all over the turkey, season well with salt and black pepper for the best flavor. Then place the roasting dish in a 325 degrees F oven.
⏰ How long to Cook a Turkey
How long to roast a turkey depends on how much it weighs and whether it was stuffed or unstuffed.
- Unstuffed Turkey: 13 minutes per pound
- Stuffed Turkey: 15 minutes per pound
For a stuffed turkey cooked at 325 degrees F:
- 4 to 8 pounds: 1 to 2 hours
- 8 to 10 pounds: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes
- 12 to 14 pounds: 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes
- 14 to 16 pounds: 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours
- 16 to 18 pounds: 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes
- 18 to 20 pounds: 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours
- 20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 6 hours
Allow the turkey to rest in the baking dish for 30 minutes before carving. Cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
🌡️ At What Temperature Is Turkey Done?
- The thermometer in the thigh should read 180 degrees F.
- In the breast, 170 degrees F.
- In the stuffing, 165 degrees F.
🫙 Storing Instructions
Save the bones to make Homemade Turkey Stock and the pan juices to make a gravy. Store any leftover meat in an airtight container or plastic bag, remove as much air as possible, and place in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or place the leftover roast turkey in the freezer for up to 4 months.
🔥 Reheating Instructions
Thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then place in the microwave for 3 to 3 ½ minutes on high. Or place in a skillet, heat oil and add turkey meat. Stir occasionally while it heats up, about 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
🍴 Sides
- Roasted Mexican Sweet Potatoes
- Mexican Brussels Sprouts
- Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce
- Mexican Mac and Cheese
This Pavo Navideño (Mexican Christmas Turkey) turns out tender, juicy, and flavorful. It’s a foolproof recipe that’s perfect for your holiday table. Serve with beans and salsa for a more Mexican meal.
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Ingredients
- 14 lbs Turkey (see below for other sizes)
For Compound Butter:
- 2 sticks Butter (for compound butter)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Rosemary finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
To Make Compound Butter:
- Mix softened butter with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, rosemary, parsley, and cilantro.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For the Turkey:
- Remove the giblets and neck from inside the turkey.
- Rinse the turkey well. Then pat dry the skin with a paper towel.
- Lift the skin gently above the turkey breasts and thighs. Do not remove completely.
- You're creating a hole to add the compound butter.
- Add spoonfuls of compound butter in between the meat and skin.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with onion, garlic, parsley, rosemary, and cilantro.
- Take more softened butter (not compound butter) and smear it all over the outside skin of the turkey.
- Season the skin with salt and pepper.
- Tuck the wings underneath the turkey. Tie the legs with a cooking string.
How To Cook A Turkey:
- Cooking time depends on whether it is stuffed or unstuffed.
- Unstuffed Turkey: 13 minutes per pound. Stuffed Turkey: 15 minutes per pound
- We're working with a 14 pound turkey. (See below for more cooking times).
- For a stuffed turkey cooked at 325 degrees F:
- 14 to 16 pounds: 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours
- The thermometer in the thigh should read 180 degrees F. In the breast, 170 degrees F. In the stuffing, 165 degrees F.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- 4 to 8 pounds: 1 to 2 hours
- 8 to 10 pounds: 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes
- 12 to 14 pounds: 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes
- 14 to 16 pounds: 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours
- 16 to 18 pounds: 4 hours to 4 hours 30 minutes
- 18 to 20 pounds: 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours
- 20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 6 hours
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