Cajun Turkey Recipe

This Cajun Spiced Roasted Turkey uses a dry rub brine for crispy skin with a spicy kick! It’s also injected with butter and herbs to keep the bird tender, moist, and loaded with flavor.

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Thanksgiving turkey gets a bad rep. To be honest, rightfully so! Sometimes I’ve shown up for the holiday meal and the turkey was bland and way too dry! Luckily there are methods to combat both of these. 

This one is served using a dry Cajun rub. If you aren’t a fan of spicy, try using a Creole seasoning or whatever you love to use to season poultry. 

Key Ingredients

• Turkey
• Cajun Seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Butter Injection Marinade (Optional)
• Broth or Water

How Big a Turkey Do You Need/How to Plan

The general rule of thumb is 1 pound of turkey per guest. If you have a small party you can even consider a turkey breast. This recipe breaks down the ingredient servings based on the size and weight of the turkey, 12 pounds in this case.

That will make it easy to scale down or scale up the servings you will need of each ingredient, by taking into account the weight of the turkey you are using.

How to Thaw a Turkey

I recommend thawing in the refrigerator or in cold water.

If using the refrigerator, keep the turkey in it’s original packaging and place a sheet pan underneath to catch any juices that may leak out.

Here is the safety chart for thawing in the fridge or in cold water according to the USDA:
4-12 pounds: 1 to 3 days
12-16 pounds: 3 to 4 days
16-20 pounds 4 to 5 days
20-24 pounds 5 to 6 days

Here is the safety chart for thawing in cold water according to the USDA:

4-12 pounds: 2 to 6 hours
12-16 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
16-20 pounds 8 to 10 hours
20-24 pounds 10 to 12 hours

Once thawed, it can stay in the fridge, safely, up to 2 days.

How to Make Cajun Turkey

Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Pat turkey dry. Remove all of the contents from the inner cavity.
2. Pour the broth into the bottom of a roasting pan and place the turkey on top.
3. Inject the turkey with the marinade. Focus on areas throughout the entire turkey, the breasts, legs, etc.
4. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil.
5. Season the entire turkey and rub the spices into the skin.
6. Bake.

What Does Cajun Turkey Taste Like

Cajun Seasoning is often spicy with an emphasis on peppers, white pepper, black peppers, cayenne pepper, and bell peppers. It also has hints of paprika and garlic.

If you are looking for an option that’s less spicy Creole Seasoning may work better for you than Cajun.

Creole Seasoning has more emphasis on herbs such as basil, oregano and thyme. It is milder than Cajun Seasoning. If you want to substitute Creole Seasoning, and you still want the added heat, add in a teaspoon or more of red cayenne pepper.

You will also love our Cajun Chicken and Sausage Skillet, Cajun Shrimp Pasta, Cajun Dirty Rice
Smothered Okra, and Cajun New Orleans Shrimp and Grits.

What’s the Best Way to Season It

You will need to remove the contents of the inner cavity. Giblets are typically inside. Giblets are the little bundle of parts and usually includes the neck, the gizzard, which is a muscle that grinds up food before it enters the digestive system, the heart, and the liver.

Some people save these and cook them up or make gravy. You can discard if you wish.

Dry the turkey with paper towels. I like the spritz the turkey with olive oil using this spray bottle from Amazon. This will allows the spices to adhere. You can also drizzle it on and rub it in.

If you are injecting the bird with butter, you don’t need a ton of olive oil, unless you want it! Getting the skin nice and moist with oil will help produce crispy skin on the turkey.

Then add your spices. I use the following:

• Cajun Seasoning
• Dried or Ground Thyme
• Dried or Ground Oregano
• Paprika (I prefer Smoked Paprika)
• Salt and Pepper

Once you have your olive oil on the skin, combine your spices and rub them in all over the bird front and back.

Next, I inject the turkey. I like to use a combination of Tony Chachere’s Butter Injection Marinade and Tony Chachere’s Garlic and Herb Injection Marinade. I like to use both of them because I like the combination of the butter and herbs for flavor. The butter is necessary if you don’t want a dry turkey.

Their kit comes with an injector that you press right into the bird. Per the instructions, you should inject 1 ounce of the marinade per pound of turkey you have. This turkey was 12 pounds so I used 6 ounces of the butter and 6 ounces of the garlic and herb marinade. You don’t have to combine two. You can do whatever you wish.

To create your own injection, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to broth. The amount of broth you will need is 1 ounce per pounds of turkey. From there, you can add whatever seasoning and spices you wish. You can use this injector from Amazon.

How to Make Homemade Cajun Seasoning

You can make your own Cajun Seasoning using the following:

• 1 tablespoon paprika (I prefer smoked)
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/4 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1/4 tablespoon red cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme

How to Get Crispy Skin

After the turkey is drizzled in oil and seasoned, place it in the oven on 425 degrees for 30 minutes. You will lower the heat afterward, but this gets the skin crisp.

What Type of Pan to Use

You will want to use a roaster, and be sure to check the size to ensure it will fit your turkey and the dimensions of your oven.

Here are great guidelines on How to Choose the Right Size Roasting Pan You Need here.

Turkey Size	Minimum Roasting Pan Size
Up to 12 pounds	14 x 10 x 2-3/4 inches
Up to 16 pounds	15-3/4 x 12 x 3 inches
Up to 20 pounds	16 x 13 x 3 inches

How Long to Cook it/How to Know When it’s Done

The total time to cook will vary based on the size of your turkey. This 12 pound bird took close to 3 hours. You will need to use a meat thermometer for accuracy. It will need to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

According to the USDA’s Food Safety Guidelines, here are example timetables for roasting. You will still need to use a meat thermometer to avoid slicing into a turkey that isn’t done.

8 -12 pounds 2½ to 3½ hours
12-14 pounds 3 to 3¾ hours
14-18 pounds 3¾ to 4¼ hours
18-20 pounds 4¼ to 4½ hours
20-24 pounds 4½ to 5 hours

How to Prevent it From Drying Out

A few things can lead to a dry turkey. One cause is constant basting. It sounds like that should help, right? If you’re constantly opening the oven door to baste the turkey, you are letting heat out the oven. This means you will need to cook it longer, which will dry it out.

If you inject the turkey with a marinade prepared with something like butter, this helps add moisture directly to the bird. Some people like to stuff butter directly under the skin of the turkey. If you use an injector, you don’t need to. You can read more about How to Put Butter Under Turkey Skin here.

Sometimes turkeys are dry because they are huge. It’s really difficult to cook a 20+ pound turkey evenly where the entire turkey cooks at the same speed. If you have a huge turkey, some parts may turn out drier than others.

Carving the turkey BEFORE you cook it is another solution to ensure the entire bird cooks at the same speed and temperature.

Do You Have to Stuff it?

I say no. The stuffing will usually cook a lot faster and will end up overcooked before it’s said and done. If you add it after you have started the roasting process, you will probably end up with a dry turkey. I recommend pairing this with my dressing recipe noted below.

Let the Turkey Rest Before Slicing

Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily. You will also wind up with dry turkey if you slice too soon.

Reheating

Reheat on 325 degrees in the oven until warm. You can also place it in broth to keep it juicy while it bakes.

More Thanksgiving Main Dishes

Baked Turkey Wings
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Smothered Turkey Wings
Southern Baked Ham With Pineapple
Baked Crab Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Wings
Air Fryer Turkey Legs
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Slow Cooker Crockpot Turkey Breast
Instant Pot Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Baked Ham
Instant Pot Brisket
Air Fryer Ribs
Lobster Mac and Cheese
Seafood Mac and Cheese
Stuffed Turkey Legs
Slow Cooker Turkey Legs
Air Fryer Spatchcock Chicken

Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Pair

Soul Food Baked Mac and Cheese
Southern Mustard Greens
Southern Cornbread Dressing
Southern Homemade Classic Cornbread
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Southern Peach Cobbler
Southern Sweet Potato Pie
How to Make a Charcuterie Cheese Board
Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs
Homemade Blueberry Cornbread
Pumpkin Cornbread
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Homemade Creamed Corn
Scalloped Corn
Cornbread Casserole
Southern Black Eyed Peas
Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
Southern Cooked Cabbage

Leftover Turkey Recipes

Leftover Turkey Rice Soup
Leftover Turkey Chili
Leftover Turkey Nachos
Turkey and Cheese Sliders

Check out a full list of Soul Food Thanksgiving Recipes here. Pair these with our Turkey Graving From Drippings recipe. Watch step by step video instructions on how to make this recipe on Youtube.