Ready for a fun twist on a traditional meal?

It’s Cuban turkey grilled with mojo and I promise- once you taste this delicious creation, you won’t go back to your old ways!

We’ve been making it for years, even when it’s NOT Thanksgiving… 

And now we’ve updated the recipe!

Seriously… who knew a GREAT thing could become even better!

This turkey recipe is so easy you won’t believe it. 

It’s our Thanksgiving Day tradition!

Begin by creating a bed of citrusy HEAVEN – sliced limes, oranges and onions –  in a heavy-duty roasting pan like this one. (Remove the roasting rack- you want the turkey absorbing all the layers of onion and citrus flavors.)

Cut one of the onions into quarters and stuff it into the turkey cavity. I always call for organic onions because I can taste the sharp difference.

It’s not absolutely necessary to use string or twine to hold the turkey together, but I like to because when it’s cooked it looks so much better! 

You can buy the twine alone or even a kit to help you string and baste.

Then you salt. My favorite salt is pink Himalayan. I use this so much I buy it in bulk and refill my shaker.

Then comes the good stuff that’s going to make your house smell so good.

GARLIC GALORE! You will spread as much or as little garlic as you want covering every inch of your turkey! 

I use this organic garlic.

Slice up your stick of butter into 12 pats and lay them over the garlic.  I use organic salted butter.

And then drizzle olive oil over your whole creation. 

This will keep the foil from sticking to the turkey plus your high quality extra virgin olive oil will put the final touches on this amazing flavor!

Next you will build a tent around the roasting pan by using two pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil on each half of the pan, creating a tent that can be opened at the center.

Place this baby on the grill!

And then the real work begins! 

Here’s my husband, Bob, ready to take over for the next few hours.

The job: opening up the aluminum foil tent and squeezing fresh orange and lime juice over the turkey every 45 minutes or so!

I’m just going to say he’s VERY GOOD at this job! Especially when it’s cold and I don’t want to step foot outside!

I love that he spritzes with a smile on his face! LOL!

Of course for extra flavor every time you open up the tent you can use a turkey baster to drench the mojo in the bottom of the pan over the turkey.

Other turkey accessories you might want to consider:

You don’t have to spend much on a digital meat thermometer. I use this inexpensive one. If you prefer you can get the waterproof version of it.

Use turkey lifter forks to place the fully cooked turkey onto a carving block.

I love this bamboo carving board because it’s large and inexpensive. But you can go all out and get a reversible cutting board with juice grooves if you prefer.

After all that work you want your turkey sliced beautifully, and I can only do that with an electric carving knife. There are so many choices out there but this is the one I’ve been using for years. 

Wishing you and yours a tremendous meal!

I leave you with links to some of my favorite side dishes.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Pepper and Pecorino 

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash with Roasted Garlic 

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Pistachios  

Cheesy Cauliflower Rice

Shaved Broccoli with Toasted Walnuts & Garlic

World Famous Corn Casserole 

cuban turkey grilled with mojo

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Category

Entree

Servings

One serving equals about 1 pound of turkey weight including bones. For leftovers calculate 1 ½ pounds per person

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

6 hours

It’s Thanksgiving turkey with a Cuban twist! We’ve taken the unique flavors of Cuba and created a traditional garlic mojo for the turkey. Basting it with this delicious mixture of orange, lime juice and garlic keeps it moist and juicy from top to bottom and helps to brown the skin. You won't even think about making gravy!

Ingredients

• 16-20 lbs highest quality turkey, giblets and neck removed

• 1 bag of oranges (approx 12)

• 1 bag limes (approximately 12)

• 3 organic onions, red, yellow, white or a mixture

• 1 large jar minced garlic

• 1 stick of butter

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Use half a bag of oranges, two onions and half a bag of limes, all sliced, to create a thick layer on the bottom of roasting pan. Stuff turkey with one onion and arrange it over the layers. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

2. Spread a thick layer of minced garlic all over the turkey. Spread the pats of butter over the turkey skin and drizzle with olive oil. The idea here is to prevent the foil from sticking to he skin.

3. Cut the remaining oranges and limes in half. Wrap aluminum foil covering the turkey and place it loosely over the pan, creating a tent over it. Place the pan with the covered turkey on the grill over medium indirect heat.

4. Every half hour to forty five minutes remove the aluminum “tent” and squeeze a couple of orange and lime pieces over the turkey and cover again. Cook the turkey for about 6 hours or until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear. Transfer the turkey to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Recipe Video

Recipe Note

We used to be food bloggers on our website, Suso's Fork.  We grew and grew we until a hobby turned into a full fledged business, Savvy Planet.

Take a look at this video from back in the day (a few months ago- LOL) when Bob and I prepared Cuban turkey for Suso's Fork. A quick preparation by me... and 6 hours of spritzing by Bob!