This gluten free Achiote Butter Basted Turkey is the star of my Southwestern inspired turkey dinner. The ancho chile gravy and cornbread-sausage stuffing are all stand out gluten free recipes worth repeating year after year. A 100% gluten free turkey dinner is worth striving for.
I rub the entire turkey with a mixture of butter and achiote paste which gives it a bright orange hue. If you want to know what it tastes like without the turkey, try this Spatchcock chicken with the exact same achiote butter rub or my Grilled Achiote Chicken recipe that uses achiote paste in the marinade.
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Ingredients
Buy achiote paste is box and mix it with butter to create this rub with a unique, earthy flavour popular in Mexican and Latin American recipes.
- turkey
- achiote paste (also called annatto paste)
- butter
- onions
- carrots
- celery
- gluten free chicken stock
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions
From my sister: You can never overcook a turkey!
You probably can over cook a turkey but there's nothing worse than a crowd at the table with an under cooked turkey. Just keep this advice in mind as you plan times for cooking, resting and carving the turkey.
Opposite Day
If you've got kids you know about Opposite Day so here's my idea is for Opposite Thanksgiving. Holidays have a lot of tradition and can be challenging for anyone on a special diet. Here's a way to avoid the stress and enjoy a turkey dinner (or chicken dinner) with friends.
If you're in the United States host a Canadian Thanksgiving in October. For Canadians do the opposite, host an American Thanksgiving in November. It doesn't have to be on the exact day but it can be.
Menu Ideas for a Gluten Free Turkey Dinner
Click here to see my whole Turkey Dinner menu. It took a few years to perfect but we now want every single dish, no substitutions allowed. We are open to adding new dishes, but no deleting anything.
No matter what you're interested in here are some ideas to create your perfect menu.
- Make Cornbread Sausage Stuffing Balls with any stuffing recipe, I did it with the one from my menu.
- I like mashed Potatoes with Ancho Chile Gravy but some people I know have added this Scalloped White and Sweet Potatoes to their holiday dinner.
- Roasted Root Vegetables is a good make ahead vegetable dish but some families like raw veggies. Be sure to make a fancy tray like this Easy Vegetable and Dip Christmas Tree for the party.
- Anything goes for dessert; Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Frozen Pumpkin Mousse or a Holiday Pavlova.
Is Naming Your Turkey a Tradition
Naming our turkey is a fun tradition that our family has been doing for years. This turkey was Frieda and of course there's a story that goes with that.
I got the idea from someone beside me at a store who was looking for a gift that started with the letter F. They used the format of following the alphabet for their annual family gift exchange.
We took that idea and started our gift exchange with gifts beginning with the letter A. We also decided to name all of our turkeys (Thanksgiving and Christmas) with the same letter. We've been doing this ever since and have lots of fun with it.
Best Kitchen Tools for Cooking Turkey
Cooking a turkey dinner is a lot of work and it requires some equipment. You can make a point of using these items throughout the year but you definitely want them when you're hosting a turkey dinner.
- This moderately priced turkey roasting pan that has lasted me almost ten years.
- A high end turkey roasting pan would be good for serious turkey families.
- A stainless steel turkey baster will last a lifetime
- I use this gravy separator and actually saved the instructions to refer to because I use it so rarely.
- My mom always says you can't overcook a turkey, but you definitely need an instant read meat thermometer so you don't undercook it.
Top Tip
If you want to cook a completely gluten free turkey dinner for the first time consider trying it out in stages without the pressure of the typical family event. New Year's Day, Easter, a January birthday and Christmas in July are all opportunities to cook a turkey (or chicken) dinner. Make it a big deal or make it casual. Whether it's a potluck or you're cooking the whole thing because you want to, be sure to make it fun.
Gluten Free Achiote Butter Basted Turkey
Ingredients
- 15-20 lb turkey
- 3 tablespoon achiote paste
- ¾ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2 carrots, cut in half
- 2 celery stalks, cut in half
- 4-6 cups gluten free chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Mix butter and achiote paste together. This can be done the night before and left at room temperature.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge for 1-2 hours before starting. Wearing gloves, rub the achiote butter over the entire turkey. The butter will quickly harden on the cold turkey so microwave the remaining butter for 10 seconds if needed. You can also put the turkey in the oven for 5-10 minutes after the butter is on it, uncovered, to help the butter melt. Remove the turkey from the oven and finish spreading the butter with your hands or a silicone brush.
- Place turkey on a rack in a turkey roasting pan. Tuck wings under the turkey. Using kitchen string tie the legs together to help hold its' shape.
- Pour 2 cups of chicken stock in the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan.
- Cover with foil and roast in preheated oven until it reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer. A general guide is 15-20 minutes per pound.
- Check the turkey every hour and baste it with the juices in the bottom of the roaster. Add the more chicken stock as needed.
- If not nicely browned remove the foil for the last hour of the cooking time.
- Transfer turkey from roasting pan to large baking tray with an edge to contain the juices. Cover well with foil and then a towel, let rest for 45-60 minutes before carving.
- Meanwhile make Ancho Chile Gravy using the juices from the roasting pan.
- Carve turkey, arrange on a platter and serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro and whole cranberries just before serving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Achiote paste is made from the hard red seeds of the annatto tree. The seeds are crushed into a powder then made into a paste by adding vinegar, herbs and spices. It can be used as both a seasoning or a marinade and gives food a unique, earthy flavour common in Latin American cuisine.
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