How to Make a Traditional
Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Day Dinner
BY Alicia Cruz
Editor-in-Chief
Día de Acción de Gracias or Thanksgiving Day for us puertoriqueñas is actually two celebrations in one. For us, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas season. On Thanksgiving Day, we begin putting up our tree and other decorations while we prepare our Thanksgiving meal. After dinner, we sit around and watch the lights on the tree and drink and eat more.
Even though Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families calling the States home began celebrating it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche.
Even though Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families calling the States home began celebrating it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche.
I serve a green bean casserole with my meal and for an appetizer I fry up some Platanos versus the Tostones. I season mine with garlic, black pepper and salt and serve them with Mojo Criollo.
I’m usually cooking enough food to feed at least five Marines so I get a 12-15 lb turkey and call it a day. My mom always taught me to begin prepping my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.
Two Days or One Day Before:
To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in it’s wrapping (DO NOT take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it’ll take to thaw. A big turkey like the ones I cook usually take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.
The Day Before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Gather your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.
THANKSGIVING MORNING:
I usually begin cooking my bird around 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by preparing your mofongo stuffing.
Mofongo Stuffing
You’ll need:
6 large green plantanos,
1/3 C of chicken broth
4 tsp. chopped garlic1 lb bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away fat.
3 sweet chili peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix bacon, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. Mash the platanos and olive oil mixture in your pilon. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix mofongo and broth and if mofongo isn’t moist enough, add more broth. Stuff the bird with the mofongo and cook. and follow instructions that came with your bird.
NOW FOR THE BIRD:
Heat your oven to 375º.
Rinse your turkey well. Rinse the inside once you remove the bag from the turkey’s cavity. Be sure to pull out the bag from your turkey BEFORE you begin cooking it!!! Muy Importante!
Put the bird in a deep and sturdy aluminum or tin foiled roaster. LINE it with aluminum foil first.
Place chunks of butter on top of and all around the turkey. Place an entire stick of butter inside of the turkey’s cavity. Be generous. You’ll have a juicy turkey in the end.
Now begin stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you’re a newbie cook, forget the mofongo and just whip out the Stove Top Stuffing and follow directions on the box. It’s okay. We’re all beginners at one time.
Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.
TURKEY SIZE & COOKING TIME:
4 to 6 pound turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.
6 to 8 pound turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.
8 to 12 pound turkey = 4 to 5 hours.
12 pound and beyond = 5½ to 6 hours.
Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapping for exact cooking time. Better to be safe than undercooked. Yuck! About 45 minutes before your bird is done, remove the foil on top and continue to cook uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.
12 Lb. turkey
Lots of Adobo
Paprika
2 tsp. of Black pepper
4 cloves of garlic (mash in a pilón)
2 tsp. of oregano (Leaf)
4 sticks of Butter
Making Your Arroz con Gandules:
YOU’LL NEED:
2 packs of Sazón
3 cans of Gandules
6 cups of water
4 cups of rice
I’m usually cooking enough food to feed at least five Marines so I get a 12-15 lb turkey and call it a day. My mom always taught me to begin prepping my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.
Two Days or One Day Before:
To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in it’s wrapping (DO NOT take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it’ll take to thaw. A big turkey like the ones I cook usually take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.
The Day Before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Gather your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.
THANKSGIVING MORNING:
I usually begin cooking my bird around 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by preparing your mofongo stuffing.
Mofongo Stuffing
You’ll need:
6 large green plantanos,
1/3 C of chicken broth
4 tsp. chopped garlic1 lb bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away fat.
3 sweet chili peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Mix bacon, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. Mash the platanos and olive oil mixture in your pilon. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix mofongo and broth and if mofongo isn’t moist enough, add more broth. Stuff the bird with the mofongo and cook. and follow instructions that came with your bird.
NOW FOR THE BIRD:
Heat your oven to 375º.
Rinse your turkey well. Rinse the inside once you remove the bag from the turkey’s cavity. Be sure to pull out the bag from your turkey BEFORE you begin cooking it!!! Muy Importante!
Put the bird in a deep and sturdy aluminum or tin foiled roaster. LINE it with aluminum foil first.
Place chunks of butter on top of and all around the turkey. Place an entire stick of butter inside of the turkey’s cavity. Be generous. You’ll have a juicy turkey in the end.
Now begin stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you’re a newbie cook, forget the mofongo and just whip out the Stove Top Stuffing and follow directions on the box. It’s okay. We’re all beginners at one time.
Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.
TURKEY SIZE & COOKING TIME:
4 to 6 pound turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.
6 to 8 pound turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.
8 to 12 pound turkey = 4 to 5 hours.
12 pound and beyond = 5½ to 6 hours.
Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapping for exact cooking time. Better to be safe than undercooked. Yuck! About 45 minutes before your bird is done, remove the foil on top and continue to cook uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.
12 Lb. turkey
Lots of Adobo
Paprika
2 tsp. of Black pepper
4 cloves of garlic (mash in a pilón)
2 tsp. of oregano (Leaf)
4 sticks of Butter
Making Your Arroz con Gandules:
YOU’LL NEED:
2 packs of Sazón
3 cans of Gandules
6 cups of water
4 cups of rice
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