Pavo Navideño, or Mexican Christmas Turkey, is perfect for your holiday dinner.
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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!
Table of Contents
🦃 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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