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a big turkey made in a Puerto Rican style called pavochon with a thyme stick on the side.
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Puerto Rican Turkey (Pavochon)

If you want to make your turkey super flavorful, make it in a Pavochon style. You'll have a very juicy turkey that will be delicious.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Servings: 8
Calories: 742kcal
Author: Stephenie

Ingredients

  • 12 pounds whole turkey
  • 1 stick salted butter (4oz) soften
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon adobo
  • 4 ½ teaspoons sazon 3 packs
  • ¾ teaspoon ground thyme
  • ¾ teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste

Instructions

  • First step is to make sure to thaw your turkey before prepping. Preheat oven to 425℉.
  • Remove the turkey from its packaging. Make sure to do this in a sink or a tray because it will have some liquid. Remove the plastic piece holding the turkey's legs, neck, and giblets from the inside of the bird.
  • Pat the turkey dry with paper towels until it is completely dry (this is necessary for the seasoning to stick better).
  • In a small bowl, make the seasoned butter. Add the butter, salt, adobo, sazon, thyme, oregano, and garlic paste. Mix until everything is combined well.
  • With the aid of a spoon or your fingers, gently lift the skin of the breast area of the turkey. With a spoon, add about 2 tablespoons of the butter seasoning per turkey breast. Then gently press on top of the skin of the bird to spread all the butter that is under the skin. Spread the rest of the butter all over the bird.
  • Set the turkey on a roasting pan with a rack, breast side down. Cover the pan with a lid or foil. Place the turkey in the middle rack of the oven. Roast at 425℉ for 1 hour (more or less depending on weight, see notes).
  • After the first hour has passed, lower your oven temperature to 350℉. Remove the turkey from the oven. Remove the foil and carefully flip the turkey over. It should be breast up.
  • Place the turkey back in the oven and finish cooking for 2 hours.
  • Rest the turkey for 20 minutes covered with foil. Carve the bird and save or serve. Buen provecho!

Notes

  • Thawing turkey. You should thaw the turkey at least 48 hours in the fridge before cooking. Make sure to place the turkey at room temperature at least 1 hour before cooking.
  • Marinate. You can season the turkey before time, but there is no need to marinate before cooking unless you are brining.
  • Cooking time per pound. I like to cook the turkey for 15 minutes per pound. The internal temperature has to reach at least 165℉.
  • Serving. Great sides for pavochon are arroz con gandules and guineitos en escabeche.

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 105g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 363mg | Sodium: 2048mg | Potassium: 1099mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg
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