Just in time for the holidays, here is the antidote to yet another boring turkey on your table. Whether you love or despise the popular holiday bird, your palate will be dancing to the beat of the Caribbean with these spicy, flavourful notes. Be prepared to have a Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner like no other.
Neither of us used to be crazy about turkey, to be frank. It’s really just a boring bird. Well that is how we have thought of the popular American holiday main dish for most of our years. After all, seasoned with little more than salt and pepper, most of the turkey we have tasted has made chicken look like foie gras.
The Jamaican holiday table is packed with spicy notes that add bang to every bite. We love complex flavours and don’t tolerate bland. Over the years it has become popular along with the staple cured ham at Christmas in Jamaican home. Even though Thanksgiving is not a traditional Jamaican holiday, as a spiritual people, we are happy to share in the spirit of being thankful for whatever our cups have been blessed with. Here’s how to ‘Jamaicanize’ your turkey and have a irie jamming Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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Perfect seasonal holiday side dish- try our simple yet tasty Roasted Beet & Apple Salad
Why not add a tasty vegan rice and bean side as well? Here is our Jamaican Rice and Peas, which really should be the national dish of our homeland on account of how much of it we eat!
For dessert we had our Appleton Jamaican Rum Cake, which we are taking orders for as well as the ever loved Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding. You can find MORE GREAT JAMAICAN RECIPES FOR A JAMAICAN THEMED THANKSGIVING…
CHEF’S NOTE: There are a few key tips for a juicy turkey. The first is not to marinate with salt for an excessively long period. We used 3-4 hours here. The second is to bring the bird to room temperature before cooking it. Shocking meat with extreme termperature changes makes for tough chewing. The third tip is to cook it low and slow. It’s easy to want to rush it but most people go wrong here. Do not turn the oven too high. This works for any meat to be roasted or braised as well. Last, but certainly not least, please don’t cook the silly bird for 6-8 hours! Whoever told you that turkeys take all day to cook must have been talking about the very old tough, wild game birds, not the ones farmed for sale, like the one probably sitting in your freezer already. Trust me. What really matters is that you get a reliable meat thermometer and an oven thermometer.
If you really love it, put a PIN on it !
- Makes enough for a turkey up to 7kg or 16lbs. Will last in refrigerator for roughly 3-4 weeks in an air-tight container.
- 1 whole turkey, up to 7kgs or 16 pounds
- 5 onions (approximately 400 grams)
- 4 cups chopped scallions/green onions
- 8 stalks fresh thyme
- 9 cloves of garlic (approximately 40g)
- ¼ cup allspice berries or 1 ½ tsp ground allspice
- 2 whole Scotch Bonnet peppers /substitute with habaneros (with seeds)
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns or 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 5 tsp fine sea salt (for a 6kg turkey, less if substituting with table salt)
- ½ cup cooking oil (a plain oil like sunflower)
- 1 tbsp distilled cane vinegar
- cornstarch (or other thickener) to thicken gravy
- METHOD FOR JERK SEASONING
- Set salt aside and do not combine with the seasoning.
- If using whole allspice berries and black peppercorns, dry roast them in a frying pan until the pan starts to smoke. Remove from heat, and grind the spices in a spice grinder. Combine with all other dry spices and set aside.
- In a blender, puree the onions, thyme, garlic, ginger, peppers and vinegar, and oil. Add the dry spices and pulse until incorporated.
- Add scallions and pulse several times to shred, careful to not blend them or they will render the seasoning bitter.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to fully combine.
- METHOD TO ROAST TURKEY
- Defrost turkey in fridge 3 days before you intend to cook it.
- Two days before cooking, clean the turkey and pat it dry, removing innards and any plastic ties for the legs. Keep the neck.
- Apply jerk seasoning liberally to your turkey. Make sure to get it into every nook and cranny of the cavities and inside the neck cavity and chest area. Season neck as well. Add any excess marinade to the grooves of the wings and legs and on top of the breast. Cover with aluminum foil and return to the refrigerator.
- Around 3-4 hours before cooking time, remove the turkey from fridge and add salt all over and inside the cavities. Replace cover and leave on top of kitchen counter to come to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 260C /500F.
- Grease roasting pan with oil. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey and truss the legs together. Tying the legs together is essential for even roasting.
- Drain excess liquid and place the turkey bottom-side-down in the center of the roasting pan. Place in the center of the oven and cook 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 130 C / 265F.
- After the turkey has been in the oven for one hour, turn around the roasting pan to compensate for any hot spots in the oven and to ensure even browning.
- Roast for 2- 2.5 hours or until the deepest part of the breast gives a reading of 70 C/ 161 F. Remove from the oven to rest for at least 30 minutes. Despite your eagerness to pinch, let the bird rest in peace. Literally! That’s what the neck is for. Grab your phone, take your best shot and brag about it on Instagram. Carve the meat against the grain.
- To make a tasty pan gravy, cook excess marinade and add pan drippings. Strain, then skim excess oil. Return to stove and stir continuously. Thicken with a runny paste of cornstarch and water to desired consistency.
- Allow the turkey to rest before carving. It’s best to carve just slightly warm or even cold (if you like cold food) for the best results
I still haven’t decided whether to do a turkey or not this year, this recipe sounds great though.
Whatever you decide, Merry Christmas!
I love jerk chicken and never thought about cooking some jerk Turkey. I’m definitely going to do it this year though of the family.
I love jerk chicken and never thought about cooking some jerk Turkey. I’m definitely going to do it this year though for the family.
I’ve been tossing up between turkey or chicken for Christmas this year.. and after seeing this post I think I definitely will be making turkey – and following your delicious recipe. Thanks for the idea!
You will be happy with your choice Thalia!
With you on turkey being a boring bird – unless you can get your hands on a beautiful free range bird like a Norfolk bronze….sadly difficult in the UAE. I am so tempted to put this on the table this year but I think the traditionalists would riot. A smaller version for New Year would go down a storm though. Your table looks lovely – what a vibrant feast. Happy a lovely Christmas.
Sally, if you see one of those, please pick up one for me! I will of course refund you for your expense. I deliberately tried to make the table setting more traditional and homely instead of the polished look I usually go for. I wanted it to feel like a seasoned grandmother was making this meal as opposed to a young millennial.
I am in my quest for a different recipe this time… this looks really lovely. Will keep you posted. I prefer duck! Have a wonderful Christmas and a lovely year ahead:)
What size was the turkey that you guys used?
Hi Raven, I believe the recipe said up to 7kg or 16lbs. Do come back and share your photos of your Chef and Steward Jerk Turkey with us!
I do hope my turkey look similar and taste like the one in the picture. I’ll post a picture in a couple of hrs. Wish me luck Easter turkey.
I hope yours turned out brilliantly Andela! Please share your pic with us by tagging us. We are @chefandsteward on FB, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Periscope and youtube 😀
I just found this recipe and we’re going to try it out this year because we can’t stand bland : ). Questions though: Do you recommend stuffing the turkey with anything for this? Also, we have a number of dried chocolate habaneros from a friend lying around still. Wondering if those can be used or if it’s better to use fresh ones? Thank you so much, this sounds delicious and can’t wait!
We would not recommend stuffing the turkey. That is usually where the food poisoning issues stem from. Use fresh scotch bonnet peppers or substitute with fresh habaneros if not available. Have a lovely, tasty Thanksgiving!
Super excited to try this! Do u recommend doing a brine as well? I’ll be using a fresh turkey. Thank you!!
Brining is not necessary especially with the specific marinade and cooking instructions provided. Once you follow them you will have a moist turkey.
Hi chef I’ll be trying your turkey- 2 questions
1) is brining necessary?
2)when you refer to putting turkey “bottom side down” do you mean putt it on its back?
1. Brining is not necessary especially with the specific thawing, marinade and cooking instructions provided. Once you follow them you will have a moist turkey.
2.Yes. “Bottom side down means “putting it on it’s back”
What a flavorful way to cook up a turkey! This will be a hit at my next dinner party!
How do I order Jamaican rum cake
Marjorie, where are you located? At this point in time I do not ship internationally but I am able to deliver orders in Aruba right now as this is where I am currently based.
Chef, Thanks for sharing this recipe looking forward to infuse my Jamaican culture in this year’s Thanksgiving by cooking my first jerk turkey. Your directions say one should remove the turkey from the fridge hours before cooking time to season. Would it make a difference if I seasoned the turkey the night before and then 3-4 hrs before cooking it the next day bringing it out to add salt and let it sit at room temperature before putting it in the oven? In regards, to spice factor how would you rate the spice with using 2 scotch bonnet peppers for a 16lb turkey? Thanks!
I just edited the recipe to make it clearer. Hope that helps. The two peppers are not hot at all for the quantity of seasoning you will get from this marinade.
What size onions are you using and are you actually using 5 whole onions ???
Yes 5 whole onions med-large.
Okay, I’m really nervous about this recipe. In the blender everything came out greenish and it was quite a bit.
Brittany that is fine and you will have excess for other use. Put the unused marinade in an airtight glass jar and refrigerate for several months!
Does one rinse the turkey before roasting? My fear is heavy layer of marinade will burn…thanks?
NO you do not rinse the turkey. If your oven keeps correct temperature and you cook it at the temperature stated, it will not burn. You can rotate the turkey half way during the process.
So excited for this! Marinade has been made, turkey thoroughly coated and sitting in the fridge \o/
One question: Should I cover the turkey with aluminium foil while it’s in the oven or no?
No need if you follow the instructions as written and IF your oven temperature is accurate. I strongly advise investing in an oven thermometer
Thank you for sharing such an easy way to roast jerk turkey. It is amazing how clear instructions can make the whole process a breeze!
This is absolutely perfect for the family! Your Jamaican Jerk Turkey looks really scrumptious in every bite.
This looks so delicious and flavorful! I could use a good change in my turkey seasonings, we make it the same every year. I’ll def keep this recipe on hand!
What a great recipe to make for my family! Tender and flavorful meat is just what they like, specially turkey. Definitely going to give this a go, thank you so much for the recipe!
That is a great turkey recipe, I am saving it. Love the spices and flavors, it will be awesome for the holidays. Thanks so much.
This is such a fun way to get more flavor in the turkey! Cannot wait to try this recipe, it’s going to be a hit in our family!
My stomach is grumbling as I read through your post and look at these turkey pictures. I love the complex flavors of jerk chicken and cannot wait to try it on turkey!
This is such a helpful post with such great tips . So lucky to have it before the holidays. I have bookmarked it so I can visit it again.
This bird looks so perfect! The use of jerk seasoning is such a delicious idea. It makes me long for the holidays–in August, who would’ve thought!
This recipe turned out wonderfully. We typically avoid turkey at Thanksgiving in favor of more flavorful meats but I can never resist buying one when they go on sale for $1 per pound.
Since cold weather visited Florida this past weekend I thought it a good time to try this recipe.
Your technique was perfect & finally yielded what I’ve been wanting, a moist bird with flavor & a touch of heat.
Making stock out of the carcass as we speak. Thanks!
Thanks ever so much for not only making this but coming back to give such detailed feedback to attest to the quality of the recipe!
Jerk turkey is such an awesome idea! Sounds like a great way to spice up Thanksgiving dinner – especially for my kids who love a bit of spice to all their food.
It’s not too spicy even for kids who don’t take too much spice. It’s very well balanced.
This sounds super delicious! My mouth was watering just reading your post! I will have to give this a try! Thanks for the share!
The feedback I’ve gotten on this recipe is everything! So many people have said my recipe and techniques have helped them save thanksgiving