How To Cook a Turkey New Orleans-Style

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Let’s say you have no plans to go to your favorite New Orleans restaurant for Thanksgiving. That means cooking a turkey at home is the way to go.

In this article, we’ll show you a simple way to cook a turkey at home. Following these steps, your bird will be done in no time.

Because we’re in New Orleans, we’re going to cook a New Orleans-style turkey, which means we’ll season it with Joe’s Stuff Original Seasoning, one of our favorites.

Turkey can be cooked in a variety of ways, making it a versatile ingredient for many dishes. It can be roasted, grilled, smoked, or braised. It can also be used in salads, sandwiches, and soups.

How To Cook a Turkey: New Orleans-Style Recipe

When cooking turkey, your goal is to achieve a heat that gives you a texture that is both tender and juicy. White meat, which is found on the breast, is lower in fat and therefore more prone to drying out. Dark meat, which is found on the legs and thighs, has more fat and is therefore more moist and flavorful.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to cook a turkey:

Ingredients:

1 turkey, thawed and patted dry
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 bunch of fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, and rosemary

Equipment:

Roasting pan
Roasting rack
Meat thermometer
Baster
Aluminum foil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey cavity and discard.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
Rub the turkey with softened butter.
Rub the turkey down with Joe’s Stuff Original Seasoning.
Season the turkey with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Stuff the turkey cavity with the onion, lemon, and herbs.
Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 3 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).
Baste the turkey with pan juices every 30 minutes.
Cover the turkey with aluminum foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking to prevent it from drying out.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Enjoy your delicious roast turkey!

Final Word

Cooking a turkey can seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually quite simple, and sort of like making gumbo. When cooked properly, turkey can be a very delicious and flavorful meat.

Make sure you enhance the turkey’s flavor by adding your choice of herbs and spices. Common seasonings for turkey include salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, thyme, and garlic.

Looking for more food content about Nola? Here Are Some Top Desserts To Order In New Orleans.

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Keisha Smith

Keisha Smith is a Contributing Writer who attended college at Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge. She is currently writing a book on south Louisiana culture.