Best 7 Annatto Spiced Grilled Turkey Recipes

GRILLED TURKEY LEGS WITH SPICED MARINADE

Steps:

• In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and spices (paprika, basil, salt, garlic, mustard powder, cinnamon, cayenne, onion powder, and turmeric).
• Place turkey legs in a plastic bag. Pour marinade into bag, and seal it tightly. Shake bag until turkey legs are coated in marinade. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
• Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 350°F)
• Remove turkey legs from bag and place on grill. Close grill and cook about 10-15 minutes (or until they have nice grill marks on them). Turn legs over, close grill and allow to cook an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Move turkey legs to indirect heat (a place on the grill where they are not directly over the fire). Close grill and allow them to cook an additional 10-15 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperate of 165°F.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

GRILLED PHEASANT LEGS

Steps:

• 1. Partially bone the pheasant legs by cutting out each thigh bone, working from the inside of the top of the leg. Prepare the stuffing as described, then stuff the pheasant legs with the stuffing and tie or sew the openings shut, or pin shut with toothpicks. Wrap each pheasant leg in 2 strips of pancetta with a sprig of rosemary underneath. Tie the pancetta in place with butcher's string.2. Preheat the grill to medium-high.3. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Arrange the pheasant legs on the hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until the skin is nicely browned and the tip of a skewer or sharp knife comes out very hot, 8 to 12 minutes per side. Move the legs as needed to avoid flare-ups from the dripping pancetta fat. Untruss the legs before serving.Serves 2