Best 7 Annatto Spiced Grilled Turkey Recipes

BUTTERFLIED TURKEY WITH YUCATAN RUB

Steps:

• For the turkey: The day before serving, heat 3 quarts of the water with salt and sugar in a large pan, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat, add remaining 1 quart cold water, and stir. Set brine aside to cool to room temperature.
• Put turkey in a large container and cover with the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. (If you want to brine the turkey overnight, use half the amount of salt and sugar.)
• For rub: Crumble annatto paste into a food processor and blend with the garlic, oregano, coriander, black pepper, salt, and allspice. Add the fruit juices and the olive oil and process to make a pasty sauce. Drain and pat the turkey very dry. Smear the rub all over the bird. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare an outdoor grill with a large medium-heat fire for direct and indirect grilling. Position a drip pan under the grate on indirect side of the grill.
• Place turkey, breast side up, over the drip pan and grill, covered, until meat is cooked about halfway through, about 50 minutes. Turn and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170 degrees F, about 50 minutes more. Move turkey to direct heat and rotate to evenly brown the skin in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a carving board, cover, and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
• Shopsmart: Annatto paste is a Mexican flavoring composed of ground annatto, or achiote, seeds mixed with herbs-usually oregano-and spices. The rust-color paste is then pressed into a compact brick. Look for it in the Hispanic section of your grocery.

SPICED & GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a stockpot, combine water, paprika, chili powder, crab boil in bag, brown sugar, half of the onions rosemary, thyme and half of the garlic. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cold water to cool the brine to room temperature., Place one oven roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey inside both bags; pour in cooled brine. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate 18-24 hours, turning occasionally., Remove turkey from brine, reserving brine in bag; rinse turkey and pat dry. Place remaining onion and garlic in turkey cavity. Drizzle oil over turkey. Mix rub ingredients; rub over skin., Prepare grill for indirect heat, placing a 13x9-in. disposable foil pan over coals. Carefully pour reserved brine into pan. Place turkey over pan on rack, breast side up. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 1 hour. Tent turkey with foil; grill until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170-175°, 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer. Cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving.

GRILLED CHIPOTLE TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Whisk the zest and juice of 1 orange, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 chopped chipotle in adobo sauce plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional). Season 2 turkey legs with salt; rub with the marinade, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Preheat a grill to medium-high on one side and place a drip pan under the cooler side. Place the turkey, skin-side up, on the cooler side of the grill; cover and grill until the meat is cooked halfway, 50 minutes. Turn and cook until the thigh reaches 170, 50 more minutes, moving the meat to direct heat during the last 10 minutes to brown the skin. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

BARBECUE SPICE-BRINED GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix paprika, savory, cumin, mustard powder, cayenne, and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small bowl. Transfer 3 Tbsp. spice mixture to a medium bowl; mix in salt and remaining 3 Tbsp. brown sugar. Set remaining mixture aside for the next day. Cover turkey with dry brine, packing on until you've used it all. Chill on a rimmed baking sheet uncovered 8-12 hours.
• Thoroughly rinse turkey to remove brine; pat dry. Rub with reserved spice mixture and let sit 2 hours to bring to room temperature.
• Prepare grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off) and lightly oil grates. If using wood chips: Scatter over coals, if using a charcoal grill; place in a disposable foil pan and set over lit burner, if using a gas grill.
• Place turkey, skin side up, over indirect heat, breast halves facing each other, with legs closest to direct heat. Place oven thermometer in center of indirect heat zone; cover. Grill 20 minutes, then rotate halves so neck end is closest to coals. Check temperature inside grill; thermometer should register 325ºF (open or close vents as needed). Continue to grill turkey, checking for doneness after 20 minutes, then again every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 150ºF, about 1 hour total.
• If desired, carefully move turkey over direct heat and turn skin side down. Grill to lightly char skin, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest at least 30 minutes before carving.

THE GREATEST GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.

TURKEY PASTRAMI

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the turkey breast under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Set aside while you prepare the spice rub.2. Coarsely crush the coriander seeds and pepper in a spice mill or under the edge of a cast-iron skillet. Combine the crushed spices in a bowl and whisk in the salt, sugar, paprika, mustard seeds, ginger, and garlic. Using your fingers, pat the mixture over the entire surface of the turkey breast and rub in thoroughly. Wrap the breast in plastic wrap or place in a large zip-lock plastic bag and let the turkey cure in the refrigerator for 24 hours.3. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium. 4. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss the wood chips on the coals. Unwrap the turkey and oil the grill grate. Place the turkey on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and cook the turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 180°F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour of cooking.5. Transfer the turkey pastrami to a rack to cool, then refrigerate, covered, until cold. To serve, cut the pastrami into thin slices across the grain.Serves 4 to 8

ANNATTO-SPICED GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• 1. Remove and discard the fat from just inside the body cavities of the turkey. Remove the package of giblets and set aside for another use. Rinse the turkey, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper cover and refrigerate while you prepare the marinade.2. Combine the cascabel chiles, annatto seeds, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until the chiles have softened and all liquid has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chiles and annatto seeds to a blender and add the marjoram, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a strainer set over a medium-size bowl and press it through with a wooden spoon. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary the mixture should be highly seasoned.3. If you wish to put some of the marinade between the skin and flesh of the turkey, follow the directions in the box on page 243 for loosening the skin.4. Spoon a few tablespoons of the marinade into the body cavity of the turkey and a tablespoon into the neck cavity. Brush the outside of the bird with additional marinade, liberally if you didn't put in under the skin, and a little oil. Place the turkey in a roasting pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 4 hours.5. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a large drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place as many of the wood chips as possible in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high then, when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium. 6. When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1 cup of the wood chips on the coals. Oil the grill grate. Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and place on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and cook until the juices run clear when the tip of a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh and the legs wiggle freely in the joint (see Note), about 3 hours (figuring on 15 to 20 minutes per pound). If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals and 1/2 cup wood chips per side every hour.7. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board or platter and let stand, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes before carving.Serves 10 to 12Note: An instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner muscle of a thigh, not touching the bone, should register 180°F.