Mom's Cuban Turkey!

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Tasty Treats By Michi Original

*Once again, this picture does not do the meal justice!  I didn't have time to take a picture of the turkey whole and this was right before we were digging in.* 

My mom makes the best turkey, hands down.  Everyone that has tried it always agrees! The turkey is never dry and always falls off the bone because it's so moist and delicious.  The best part is, it's incredibly easy to make and doesn't require you to wake up at the crack of dawn to get it done on time.  I use this same exact recipe to roast chickens as well, so you can enjoy this recipe year-round if you like!  


Ingredients: 

• 1 turkey, giblets & neck removed (skin removed as well if you are on the Swank diet)
• 1 bottle of Mojo Marinade (I use Goya since it doesn't have any MSG or mono & diglycerides) 
• Olive oil for brushing 
• 1 lemon, pierced  
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered  
• 1 head of garlic, top cut off to expose the cloves 
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• Kosher salt 
• Pepper 

Directions: 

The night before you want to cook the turkey, take out the neck and giblets, and pour about half the bottle of the mojo marinade on the outside of the turkey and inside the cavity. Cover the turkey with tin foil and put it in a roasting pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it the next day. 

The next day, begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.  After that, brush the entire outside of the turkey with olive oil.  Put salt and pepper all over the outside of the turkey and also inside the cavity. Then, put a pierced lemon inside the cavity, along with the head of garlic, about 3/4 of the bunch of thyme, and half of the yellow onion.  Also, put onion in the neck, and if it fits, some more garlic.  Finally, put a few sprigs of thyme under each arm of the turkey and some minced thyme and minced garlic sprinkled all over the outside of the turkey as well. 

Pour more mojo marinade over the turkey and inside the cavity, cover the turkey loosely with tinfoil and put it in the oven to bake. 

Use the table on the outside of the turkey bag in order to have an idea of how long the turkey will take to cook based on its weight.  I personally do not use a thermometer or any other tool to check if the turkey is done. Instead, I just check it every hour (at which time I baste it with some drippings or more mojo).  Once the legs are starting to fall out of the sockets and the juices are pretty much running clear, I uncover the turkey and cook it for about 20-30 more minutes so the outside can brown.  Check to make sure the turkey is cooked through (it should be since the legs were already falling out of the sockets before), cut it up, and serve it. 

That's it!  It's extremely easy and so delicious.  I have never had a dry turkey or chicken with this recipe and its very flavorful.  Enjoy!