This delicious Pavochon (Puerto Rican Style Turkey) is marinated in lots of garlic and spices inspired by our island's famous lechón and pernil asado. It’s juicy, golden, and full of flavor! You will never season your turkey any other way again!
In Puerto Rican homes, Thanksgiving isn't Thanksgiving without pavochon! It’s the star of our Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) table, and the smell alone lets you know the holiday season has officially started. We always serve it with our classic side dishes, like arroz con gandules (pigeon peas and rice), ensalada de papa (potato salad), cazuela de batatas (sweet potato casserole), and ensalada de coditos (macaroni salad).
But pavochon is more than a Thanksgiving dish for us. It's family, tradition, and memories all wrapped up in the flavors we grew up loving.
Jump to:
- What is Pavochon?
- Pavochon Seasonings and Ingredients
- How to Season a Turkey Puerto Rican Style
- How to Cook Pavochon
- Carving and Serving Pavochon
- Handy Cooking Chart
- What to Serve with Pavochon
- Cathy’s Expert Tips for the Best Pavochon
- What to Make with Leftover Pavochon
- Other Puerto Rican Christmas Dishes You Will Love
- 📖 Recipe
What is Pavochon?
Pavochon is Puerto Rico's delicious twist on Thanksgiving turkey. The name comes from pavo (turkey) and lechón (roast pig), one of our island's most loved dishes. Lechón is a big part of Puerto Rican food culture. You'll find it roasting over hot coals at roadside kiosks year-round, especially on weekends when families get together to eat, hang out, and enjoy a good meal.
During the holidays, it's all about lechón or pernil (roast pork shoulder), seasoned with plenty of garlic, oregano, sazón, and other spices. Pavochon brings those same seasonings to our Thanksgiving turkey, giving it that delicious Puerto Rican flavor we love. Plus, it’s the perfect substitution for those who choose or cannot have pork. The skin gets nice and crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy. And if you’ve ever had pavochon with a garlicky mofongo stuffing, you know exactly how good that combination is! That’s why you will often find it stuffed with mofongo or served with it on the side.
Pavochon Seasonings and Ingredients
With just a few simple ingredients, you will learn how to season your turkey Puerto Rican style!
- garlic
- adobo
- oregano
- sazon
- vinegar
*See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
How to Season a Turkey Puerto Rican Style
If your turkey is frozen, make sure to give yourself enough time to thaw it completely in the refrigerator. Depending on its size, this can take several days. You’ll also want to allow at least one full day for marinating preferably two days. Trust me, the marinating time is really important because it’s what gives the turkey all that delicious garlic and seasoning in every bite!
Step 1: Add the garlic, oregano, crushed pepper, sazon, vinegar and oil to a mini food chopper or blender.
Step 2: Blend until a garlic paste forms.
Step 3: Remove the giblets from the cavity and set them aside. Rinse the turkey (inside and out) under cool water.
Using a sharp knife, make several 1-inch-deep slits in the wings, drumsticks, thighs, and back of the turkey.
Step 4: Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast with your fingers and rub some of the garlic paste underneath, spreading it over the meat.
Rub a few tablespoons of the paste inside the cavity, then spread the remaining paste all over the turkey, making sure to work it into every slit.
Sprinkle adobo generously over the entire turkey, including inside the cavity.
Don’t forget to season the giblets with some of the garlic paste and adobo too!
Note: Make sure to not only check the cavity for the giblets but also check the neck pouch for additional giblets.
How to Cook Pavochon
Step 5: Place the turkey and seasoned giblets in a roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours to marinate.
Step 6: When you're ready to roast, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it sit for about 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350°F. Pour two cups of water or chicken broth into the roasting pan.
Cover the turkey with foil and roast for 2 hours, basting it with the pan juices every 30-45 minutes. After 2 hours, remove the foil and continue roasting for about another hour, basting occasionally, until the skin is nicely browned and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and innermost part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. This gives the juices time to settle before you slice the meat. Carve the turkey to your liking, then return the pieces to the roasting pan so they can soak up all the delicious juices. Enjoy!
Carving and Serving Pavochon
- Gravy. If you're making gravy, start by setting aside about two cups of the broth and drippings from the roasting pan. That's liquid gold right there! Carefully transfer the turkey to a carving board, leaving the remaining juices in the pan to keep the meat moist and flavorful.
- Dark Meat. Start by removing the wings, thighs, and drumsticks, separating them at the joints. You can slice the meat off the bones or leave the thighs and drumsticks whole, whichever you prefer. Return the pieces to the roasting pan so they can soak in the delicious juices.
- Breast. Slice the breast meat into thin pieces and return them to the pan as well. Letting the slices sit in the juices helps keep the meat moist and gives them even more flavor!
- Serving. You can serve the pavochon straight from the roasting pan or arrange it on a serving platter and spoon some of the juices over the top. And of course, a little homemade gravy on the side never hurts! You’ll find my gravy recipe in the recipe card below.
Looking for a homemade cranberry sauce to go with your Thanksgiving turkey? Try our salsa de arándanos. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! You can also try our mermelada de arándanos (blueberry jam) for something a little different.
Handy Cooking Chart
Turkey Size
12 to 14 lbs.
14 to 18 lbs.
18 to 20 lbs.
20 to 24 lbs.
Unstuffed
3 to 3 ¾ hours
3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours
4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours
4 ½ to 5 hours
Stuffed
3 ½ to 4 hours
4 to 4 ¼ hours
4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hours
4 ¾ to 5 ¼ hours
What to Serve with Pavochon
When we make pavochon, we always serve it with our favorite Puerto Rican sides! Arroz con gandules (pigeon peas and rice), ensalada de papa, cazuela de batatas, ensalada de coditos and pasteles.
Cathy’s Expert Tips for the Best Pavochon
- Give the turkey enough time to marinate. This is one of the most important steps! Let the garlic paste, oregano, and seasonings sit on the turkey for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator so the flavors have time to work their way into the meat.
- Don’t forget to season under the meat. Rub some of the garlic paste directly onto the breast meat underneath the skin. This helps season the meat itself, rather than just the outside of the turkey.
- Use a meat therometer if possible. If you happen to have a meat therometer, use it! Oven temperature, the turkey’s size, and whether it’s stuffed, all affect roasting times. It’s a good idea of course to have an estimated cooking time but having a therometer really takes the guessing game out as to when the turkey is truly cooked through!
What to Make with Leftover Pavochon
If you’re lucky enough to have some leftover pavochon, here are a few delicious ways to use it up into more yummy meals.
- Empanadillas de pavo: Use our empanadillas de carne recipe and swap the ground beef for shredded leftover turkey.
- Asopao de pavo: Turn your leftover turkey into a delicious Puerto Rican rice stew. Our asopao de gandules is a great recipe to use for inspiration.
- Arroz de pavo: Make a pot of Puerto Rican rice with cubed or shredded turkey, sofrito and sazon.
- Croquetas de pavo: Use our Cuban croquetas recipe for inspiration, just swap the meat.
Other Puerto Rican Christmas Dishes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Pavochon (Puerto Rican Style Turkey)
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan for turkey
Ingredients
- 14 pound turkey thawed
- adobo generously sprinkled
- 2 cups water, chicken broth or beer
Garlic Mojo Marinade
- 26 cloves garlic peeled
- 2½ tablespoons oregano
- 1 packet Sazon
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 8 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil
Gravy (Optional)
- cooked giblets from turkey
- 2 cups broth and drippings from turkey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1+ tablespoons cornstarch to thicken
Instructions
Garlic Mojo Marinade
- Add the garlic, oregano, crushed pepper, sazon, vinegar and oil to a mini food chopper or blender. Blend until a garlic paste forms.
Turkey and Giblets
- Remove the giblets from the cavity and set them aside. Rinse the turkey (inside and out) under cool water.Note: Make sure to not only check the cavity for the giblets but also check the neck pouch for additional giblets.
- Using a sharp knife, make several 1-inch-deep slits in the wings, drumsticks, thighs, and back of the turkey.
Season Turkey
- Gently loosen the skin over the turkey breast with your fingers and rub some of the garlic paste underneath, spreading it over the breast meat.
- Rub a few tablespoons of the paste inside the cavity, then spread the remaining paste all over the turkey, making sure to work it into every slit.
- Sprinkle adobo generously over the entire turkey, including inside the cavity.Don't forget to season the giblets with some of the garlic paste and adobo too!
- Place the turkey and seasoned giblets in a roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours to marinate.
Cooking
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Pour two cups of water, chicken broth or light beer into the roasting pan.
- Cover the turkey with foil and roast for 2 hours, basting it with the pan juices every 30-45 minutes.
- After 2 hours, remove the foil and continue roasting for about another hour, basting occasionally, until the skin is nicely browned. When a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast and innermost part of the thigh reaches 165°F, the turkey is done.
- Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Carving and Serving Turkey
- If you're making gravy, set aside two cups of the broth and drippings from the pan, set aside.
- Cut and remove the dark meat by separating the wings, thighs, and drumsticks at the joints. You can slice the dark meat thinly or keep the drumsticks and thighs whole. Add the pieces back into the roasting pan to soak up all the juices.
- Slice the breast into thin pieces and return them to the pan too.
- Serve the Pavochon straight from the pan or place on a serving platter and drizzle the juices over the top.
Gravy (Optional)
- Add the reserved broth and giblets to a sauce pan and heat over medium low heat for a few minutes. *If you do not have enough broth, add a cup of water to pot.
- After broth has heated through, remove giblets and strain.
- Return broth back to saucepan and season with salt and pepper if needed. *The broth is already so flavorful, you really don't need much.
- Add a tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk into broth until all lumps are gone. Add more cornstarch until your desired consistency is reached.Gravy is ready.
Notes
- Empanadillas de pavo: Use our empanadillas de carne recipe and swap the ground beef for shredded leftover turkey.
- Asopao de pavo: Turn your leftover turkey into a delicious Puerto Rican rice stew. Our asopao de gandules is a great recipe to use for inspiration.
- Arroz de pavo: Make a pot of Puerto Rican rice with cubed or shredded turkey, sofrito and sazon.
- Croquetas de pavo: Use our Cuban croquetas recipe for inspiration, just swap the meat.
James Wilson says
I haven’t made yet, but the ingredients should make it turn out wonderful. I’d like to brine it /“Coke” it, what seasoning in the brine would compliment the adobe and garlic. “Coking” a bird is putting it in a Coca-cola bath overnight. Sweetens and moisturizes the meat while tenderizing.
I could utilize the Mojo ingredients in the brine…
Catherine Arena says
I’ve never coked a turkey before but have a whole chicken. I see no reason why it wouldn’t be just as yummy adding the mojo ingredients to the brine. After brining this way, I would proceed with seasoning the full turkey again with the mojo just as described in the recipe and marinating for at least 24 hours or a full 48 hours. It will be amazing! Think, I will coke my turkey this year too! 🙂
Ruth L Thompson-Herfurth says
I loved this recipe my 16lb turkey was very moist and the flavor was delicious, my family loved it, the only thing I would change would be to get a bigger bird so I can have a little leftover turkey.
Catherine Arena says
Aww that’s wonderful Ruth! So happy to hear everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for trying it and taking the time to comment and rate! Appreciate you! 🙂