If you want your holiday meal to taste even better, try this Mexican turkey recipe for Pavo Navideño! Don’t be scared—it’s a lot easier than it sounds!
Pavo Navideño is a Mexican turkey recipe that is full of flavor, juicy and tender, and the skin is a beautiful red or golden color and crispy. It has a hearty, slightly smoky, and mildly spicy taste.
In Mexico, a turkey is called pavo or guajolote. They are native to the country and were introduced to Europe only until the 16th century.
To make Pavo Navideño, you must first make a traditional and tasty adobo sauce. This sauce will be used to cover the turkey and spread it around while it’s roasting. This is one of the most popular and best ways to prepare a Mexican-style turkey.
The chili sauce has just the right amount of Mexican flavors and spices to make the meat taste great. It will be the star of your family’s holiday dinner.
Everyone can make our step-by-step recipe, even if they’ve never cooked before. Enjoy a stress-free family dinner! A roasted Mexican turkey is perfectly juicy, evenly cooked, and super flavorful. Perfect to serve with papas gratinadas.
You can also use chicken or turkey in this recipe; the only thing that changes is the roasting time. For information on how to change the roasting time based on the weight of your bird, read on.
Take the thawed turkey out of the fridge and take out the bag of giblets. You can either save the giblets to make gravy or throw them away. Use paper towels to dry the skin, and then let the turkey rest at room temperature for an hour.
Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be complete without a beautifully roasted turkey holding court at the center of the table But after years of preparing the same traditional roasted bird, many cooks are looking to add more excitement and flavor to the holiday’s main dish Enter Pavo Navideño – a Mexican-inspired turkey recipe that infuses incredible depth of flavor into the meat. With just a few extra steps, you can give your Thanksgiving feast a south-of-the-border twist that will have your guests talking all season long.
What is Pavo Navideño?
Pavo Navideño translates from Spanish to “Christmas Turkey.” It’s a popular preparation for the holidays in Mexico, resulting in a turkey that is perfumed with warm spices, subtly hot from chili peppers and redolent of fresh citrus. The turkey is first coated in a paste of guajillo chilies, garlic, and Mexican oregano called adobo. It is then roasted with aromatics like garlic, oranges and herbs tucked into the cavity.
The meat turns out incredibly moist, succulent, and packed with the essence of traditional Mexican flavors. Pavo Navideño is impressive looking too, with vivid reddish-orange skin enveloping the tender white meat within. With origins dating back to the 16th century when Spanish colonists brought turkeys to Mexico from Europe, Pavo Navideño has become a can’t-miss component of Nochebuena and Christmas feasts.
Transform Your Thanksgiving Turkey Into Pavo Navideño
With just a few additional steps, you can infuse your traditional roasted turkey with the incredible flavors of Pavo Navideño this Thanksgiving.
Start with the adobo paste:
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Soak dried guajillo peppers to rehydrate then blend into a smooth puree with garlic, spices and citrus juice.
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Loosen the turkey skin and rub the chili paste directly onto the meat beneath.
** Roast the turkey with Mexican flavors:**
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Stuff aromatics like lime, orange, and herbs into the cavity.
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Pour a flavorful chicken stock into the roasting pan.
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Baste frequently with more adobo sauce for maximum flavor infusion.
With this easy process, your Thanksgiving turkey will become an impressive Pavo Navideño with all the fantastic Mexican spice and intrigue your guests crave.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Pavo Navideño
Follow this straightforward method for preparing the ultimate Mexican-inspired Thanksgiving turkey:
Ingredients:
- 1 10-12 lb turkey, fully thawed
- Guajillo chilies, garlic, spices for adobo
- Orange, lime, fresh herbs
- Chicken stock
- Butter, salt
Steps:
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Make the adobo paste by blending rehydrated guajillo peppers with garlic, citrus juice, and spices.
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Gently loosen the turkey skin and spread adobo paste directly onto the meat below.
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Stuff the turkey cavity with orange, lime, garlic, and fresh herbs.
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Pour chicken stock into the roasting pan and arrange turkey on a rack.
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Roast at 390°F for 1 hour, basting with more adobo sauce.
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Continue roasting, basting frequently, until 165°F internal temp.
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Allow turkey to rest before carving for perfect Pavo Navideño.
With just a few extra techniques, your Thanksgiving bird is transformed into a stunning Mexican-inspired dish with incredible depth of flavor.
Serving Suggestions for Pavo Navideño
A beautifully roasted Pavo Navideño deserves all the trimmings of a great Thanksgiving meal, with a few Mexican touches:
- Fluffy bolillo rolls
- Black beans and green rice
- Corn pudding or tamales
- Roasted poblano pepper strips
- Crunchy jicama salad or sliced radishes
- Margs or horchata to drink
Take your entire Thanksgiving spread on a delicious Mexican journey by accompanying Pavo Navideño with authentically flavored sides. The turkey will be the star attraction at this fiesta feast.
Make Your Holiday Unforgettable with Pavo Navideño
This Thanksgiving, take your family’s turkey tradition up a notch with bold Mexican flavors. By infusing your bird with a rich adobo paste and Mexican aromatics, you’ll have a show-stopping Pavo Navideño as the centerpiece of your holiday table. Your guests will be wowed by the succulent, intensely flavored meat inside the vivid red-orange, chili-spiked skin.
So skip the boring butter-slathered turkey this year, and embrace new holiday memories with a beautiful platter of Pavo Navideño that incorporates the best of Mexican cuisine. The fantastic food and conversations it inspires will make this Thanksgiving one to remember. ¡Viva Pavo Navideño!
Approximate turkey roasting times (pounds and kilo):
- 6 lb (2.8k): 1 hr 30 min.
- 10 lb (5k): 2 hrs 15-30 min.
- 12 lb (6k): 2 hrs 35-45 min.
- 14 lb (7k): 3 hrs
- 16 lb (8k): 3 hrs 15-20 min.
- 18 lb (9k): 3 hrs 45-55 min.
- 20 lb (10 k): 4 hrs 15-20 min.
- Put your turkey on a deep baking tray while it’s defrosting to keep leaks from going through your fridge shelves.
- Put the turkey in the fridge to thaw. For every 3–4 pounds (1 5-2 kg) to completely defrost.
- Before putting the Mexican turkey in the oven, it needs to be at room temperature so that it roasts evenly.
- For every pound of turkey, it should take about 13 to 15 minutes to cook.
- To make sure you got everything out of the turkey, you should always check both bodies.
- After you roast your pavo navideño, give it 20 minutes to rest. Then carve it and serve it.
- Don’t throw away the juices from the pan; use them to make gravy or soup broth!
In Mexico, Pavo Navideño is usually served with many sides that depend on family preferences. There are lots of tasty foods that go well with this holiday favorite, like salads, pasta, rice, and even tamales.
Is Pavo Navideño spicy?
This Mexican turkey is mildly spicy because of the guajillo chilies used to make the marinade sauce. However, as a reference, guajillo peppers are less spicy than jalapeños.
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