Pavochón, Puerto Rican Style Turkey at Home
Pavochón is a Puerto Rican style roasted turkey seasoned in the same way that a lechón (roasted pork) is seasoned.
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-20 1x
- Category: Poultry
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Ingredients
Scale
- 12lb turkey (if you go larger/smaller) adjust your seasonings properly
- Marinade:
- 3/4 Cup of Olive Oil
- 2–3 tbsp of dry oregano
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sazón/adobo
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 sticks of butter, cut into pats
- Onions, Carrots, and Celery
- 1 bottle of dark beer (room temperature)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F
- Mix all the marinade ingredients. The measurements are up to you. Use more or less of each ingredient depending on your taste. I personally love a very garlicky turkey.
- Chop the vegetables into 2-inch pieces
- Pat dry the turkey. Make sure it’s fully thawed and dry.
- With a spoon, loosen the skin from the breast.
- With the spoon, spread the marinade between the skin and breast.
- With a spoon or silicone brush, brush the marinade all over the turkey. Make sure to add seasoning to the cavity.
- Add the pats of butter in between the loosened skin and breast.
- Insert the cut vegetables inside the cavity. Make sure they fit in loosely. Don’t overstuff.
- Place turkey breast side up on a roasting pan. I make mine in a roasting pan, but a pan loosely covered with aluminum foil will do.
- Cover and place in the oven. Set the timer for two hours. (if your turkey is larger, this will take a bit longer)
- At the two hour mark, check for progress with a thermometer. If the turkey is less than 130 F, let it cook for another 30-45 minutes covered until it reaches this temperature.
- At 130 F, uncover the turkey, use a baster or a spoon to pour the juices over the turkey to keep moist. Pour a bottle of beer over the turkey. Baste every 15 minutes to keep the turkey moist until it is done. For a 12 lb turkey, it should take 60-90 minutes.
- Use your thermometer to check the turkey between the breast and thigh. It should be 165-170 degrees.
- Once it’s done, let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
- Enjoy!
