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Cajun Butter Roasted Turkey Recipe

The most moist and flavorful turkey you’ll ever eat! No brining necessary. The perfect blend of Cajun spices, fresh, and dry herbs combine to render a turkey that you’ll want to include in your holiday spread every year!
Prep Time 1 day
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 day 1 hour
Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Turkey:

  • 10-14 lb turkey fresh or thawed
  • Lemon juice for washing
  • 16 oz Cajun Butter injectable marinade*
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1/2 bell pepper
  • 1 orange
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 TBS Herbes de Provence
  • Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • Olive oil

Herb Butter:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 sprig fresh chopped rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme removed from stem
  • 1 tsp salt

Homemade Marinade (ONLY use if you can’t find the injectable marinade above)

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbs Cajun or Creole seasoning
  • 1 Tbs onion powder
  • 1 Tbs garlic powder
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp Accent seasoning optional
  • 2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Herb Butter:

  1. Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

Turkey:

  1. Remove all contents of the turkey cavity (save it for gravy)
  2. Rinse the turkey with lemon juice and water
  3. Pat dry very well.
  4. Inject the every part of the turkey with the marinade
  5. Cover with foil or place in a large marinating bag and refrigerate for 24 hrs.
  6. Preheat oven to 325°F
  7. Place the turkey in a roasting pan
  8. Pat dry again with paper towels
  9. Rub olive oil all over the skin of the turkey
  10. Gently push the herb butter until the skin of the breasts.
  11. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt into the turkey’s cavity
  12. Stuff the onion, bell pepper, orange, garlic, celery, rosemary, and thyme into the cavity.
  13. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of Cajun or Creole seasoning all over the skin of the turkey
  14. Do the same with the Herbs de Provence seasoning
  15. Tuck the wings behind and under the turkey
  16. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine or dental floss
  17. Cover the ends of the legs with foil and lay a piece of foil over the breasts to prevent early browning and burning
  18. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan under the turkey.
  19. Place the turkey in the center of the oven and roasted according to the instructions on the turkey packaging. (Approx: 13 mins per pound)
  20. Halfway through the roasting time, carefully remove the turkey and baste it with the turkey drippings.
  21. Place it back into the oven, but rotate it in the opposite direction from the last time you placed it into the oven. (See tutorial for a visual.)
  22. When there is about 30 minutes left in the roasting time, remove the turkey from the oven , baste again, and remove the foil from the breast.
  23. Continue roasting until a meat thermometer stuck between the leg and the breast registers 165°F. To ensure an accurate read, be careful not to poke bones with the thermometer.
  24. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for at least 1 hour before carving.
  25. Enjoy!

Homemade Marinade:

  1. Melt the butter
  2. Add the remaining ingredients
  3. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Strain the marinade using a mesh strainer
  5. Allow marinade to cool completely before injecting.