Chile-Rubbed Thanksgiving Turkey

Every Thanksgiving presents the same question: how to transform a bland turkey into a flavorful show-stopping centerpiece. Well, this year, if you are looking for an amazing turkey recipe packed with flavor, this Mexican inspired chile-rubbed turkey is it! This rub is made from different dried chiles and best to be marinated overnight for maximum flavor, but even a marinade of a few hours will yield delicious turkey. This recipe makes plenty of marinade and you’ll have some left over for a smaller bird 10-13 pound bird. I hope you enjoy this one!

CHILE-RUBBED THANKSGIVING TURKEY

Ingredients:

• 6 guajillo chiles
• 4 ancho chiles
• 10 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Directions:

• The night before you roast the turkey, toast the chiles on a pan over medium high heat (being careful not to burn them). Once they’re pliable and fragrant transfer them to a bowl of hot water and soak for about 20 minutes. Remove the stems and seeds.
• Add the chiles to a blender. Add garlic, oregano, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, sugar and 1 tablespoon of salt and blend until it turns into a smooth puree.
• Season the turkey liberally with salt outside and inside the cavity. Rub the turkey outside and inside with the chile sauce liberally. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• 2 hours before roasting your bird, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and using a brush, brush some vegetable oil over the top of the turkey. Add about 1 cup of water to the pan and roast for 1/2 hour.
• Brush the turkey with a little more oil. You’ll brush off some of the marinade but that’s okay. Roast for another 1/2 hour.
• Lower to heat to 375 degrees and brush occasionally with the turkey drippings. Roast until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165 degrees.
• Allow the turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes uncovered. Carve and serve.

(images by HonestlyYUM)