Tamarind Glazed and Spiced Turkey Recipe
Tamarind Glazed and Spiced Turkey, a delicious and flavorful turkey dinner to celebrate the holidays with your loved ones.
Thanksgiving is approaching, and you are freaking about finding a new recipe for roasted turkey. Not this time! My Roast Turkey recipe might save the day. Soaked overnight in a well-spiced brine, seasoned again with a mixture of flavorful herbs and spices, and then roasted to perfection.
This dish is not your traditional turkey recipe, so hold the butter. The secret ingredients for this unique recipe are Noubess Original Hot and Spicy Sauce and Tamarind pulp. Two main ingredients to make a delicious turkey that you’ll be proud to carve and serve at your Thanksgiving table.
Why Brine Your Turkey?
Turkey is a relatively lean bird and needs tons of flavor. It is can also become dry while roasting if you don’t follow the proper cooking methods. I am referring to brining.
A brine is a basic solution of water, salt, sugar, and spices that give the bird a bit more moisture. During brining, the bird absorbs the mixture which in turn will help it stay moist and juicy. The bird is seasoned inside and out and ready for the final touches for a perfectly golden roasted turkey.
After brining, you can cook your turkey as you normally would. You may create a buttery and herbs mixture, or use plain butter to give the bird a good rub. You can also use a mix of herbs and spices to season the turkey inside and out. This type of mixture is usually prepared with olive oil. Or, stuff the turkey with fresh herbs, lemon wedges and give it a good butter rub. Your options are endless.
Adding more flavors
Although you might think that brining will take care of seasoning the bird, you may still want to add more flavors. Adding a Tamarind Glaze for example not only helps the birds with the taste it also helps get a nice brownish and golden color. There’s no chance of seeing a white or slightly tan roasted turkey here.
The glazed is prepared with tamarind pulp, honey, garlic, and Noubess Hot and Spicy Original with Herbs Blend. Tamarind pulp is sold mostly in ethnic stores, but if you can find it at your local store that’s one trip less for food shopping.
The Tamarind pulp is sold usually in block form. These blocks of tamarind are the fruit pods stripped of the outer husk, compressed tightly, and then packaged. Because the pods are compressed, and the pulp is very fibrous, they need a good soaking with boiling water to soften. Once thoroughly soft, straining in a fine-mesh strainer is easy.
After separating the pulp from the fibers, we are then ready to create our glaze. To prepare the glaze, honey, garlic, and Noubess Hot and Spicy Original with Herbs Blend are all you need. The mixture is rubbed all over the bird and then roasted.
Extra notes and tips
Adding additional fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, and thyme would make the turkey even more flavorful.
When seasoning the turkey with your spices and herbs mixture, take time to loosen up the skin gently. Adding a thin layer of seasoning under the skin of the breast will help in flavoring the breast.
Don’t be afraid to overcook your turkey. As long as you have a good roasting pan, the bird is covered in the first couple of hours of cooking; it will stay moist.
No need to flip the bird. Baste the turkey several times while roasting in the oven. This process will not only add more flavor but color.
For this recipe, you can roast the bird in your oven or a crockpot. Same basting cooking, seasoning, and basting methods apply.
Make this spiced turkey recipe for Thanksgiving or any other holiday if you prefer. Don’t forget to let us know what you think.
If your turkey is frozen, allow 2 to 3 days for it to defrost on the lower shelf of your refrigerator thoroughly. Remove innards and save for later. Prepare brine and soak your turkey at least 1-2 days ahead of roasting the turkey so it can absorb all the flavors.
Tamarind Glazed and Spiced Turkey
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 12 to 15-pound turkey
For the brine:
- 2 gallons water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup kosher salt or 1 cup Lawry’s seasoning or any seasoning salt
- 2 lemons or limes sliced
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- Small handful cloves
For the seasoning
- 8 oz. “wet” tamarind pulp roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon Noubess Hot and Spicy Original with Herbs Blend
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean your turkey to your preference. Or alternatively, rinse the turkey under running water and placed in brine.
- Combine all brine ingredients in a container or pot large enough to hold the turkey. Make sure all the sugar and salt/seasoning salt have been fully dissolved. Add the turkey and refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight.
- In a small bowl, cover the tamarind pulp with 1?2 cup boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes to soften. Using your fingers, break the tamarind apart and then let stand for another 5 minutes. Pour the tamarind through a fine sieve set over a medium bowl and, using a rubber spatula or spoon, press the tamarind through the sieve, discarding the solids. Add the honey, Noubess sauce, garlic, and black pepper to the tamarind liquid and stir into a smooth glaze.
Use a crockpot
- Place about 2 to 3 medium size carrots or celery on the bottom of the pan. Place the turkey on top of the veggie, season inside and out with the seasoning mixture, baste with some of the tamarind glaze and cook on high for about 2 hours. Reduce to low and continue cooking until the turkey is completely cooked and basting occasionally with the tamarind glaze.
Use a roaster
- If using a roaster, place turkey on the roasting grill. season inside and out with the seasoning mixture, baste with some of the tamarind glaze and cook on high (450 degrees F) for about 2 hours. Reduce to low or 350 degrees F and continue cooking until the turkey is completely cooked and basting occasionally with the tamarind glaze.
Use an oven
- If roasting in the oven, use a roasting pan large enough to hold the bird. Make sure you are able to cover the turkey in the first couple of hours of cooking. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan and season the cavity and outside liberally with the seasoning mixture. Baste the turkey with some of the tamarind glaze. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, cover the turkey with foil, and roast until almost cooked through, 1 hour more. Uncover the turkey and roast, basting with the remaining tamarind glaze every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh of the turkey reads 160°, about 30 minutes more.
- Remove turkey from oven, crockpot or roasted. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes covered. Alternatively, leave in roaster or crockpot for 20 minutes to cook down a bit.
- Pour the pan juices into a small saucepan, add sliced onion and additional seasoning. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes. Serve as a sauce for the turkey.
- If additional liquid is needed, add either hot water to the sauce or red wine. Add more seasoning if needed.
- Remove turkey from oven, crockpot or roasted. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes covered. Alternatively, leave in roaster or crockpot for 20 minutes to cook down a bit.
Notes
Adapted and updated from Saveur Magazine. https://www.saveur.com/tamarind-glazed-roast-turkey-recipe
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
Brine Turkey in Brine Soaking Tamarind Pulp Removing seeds Seeds removed Tamarind liquid Tamarind Pulp liquid Preparing seasoning Tamarind Glazed Turkey ready for roasting Turkey Baste Fully cooked Tamarind Glazed and Spiced Turkey Tamarind Glazed and Spiced Turkey
