This Cuban-inspired recipe features turkey legs marinated in a tangy garlic-citrus mojo marinade, slow-roasted until tender, and then crisped to perfection. The result is juicy, flavorful turkey with crispy skin, infused with the bold flavors of Cuban cuisine.
I got the original idea from Jamie Silva at a sassy spoon, which can be found here.
Ingredients
For the Mojo Marinade:
- 1 head of garlic (8-10 large cloves)
- 1 ½ cups sour orange juice (or 1 cup navel orange juice, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup lime juice)
- ⅓ cup minced white onion
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Turkey:
- 4 turkey legs (approximately 2.5–3kg total)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin]
- 2 chillies
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups prepared mojo marinade (see above)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 bay leaves
Instructions
1. Prepare the Mojo Marinade:
- Make the garlic paste: In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves with ¼ tsp of salt until smooth.
- Combine juices: If you don’t have sour orange juice, mix 1 cup of fresh navel orange juice, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, and ¼ cup fresh lime juice.
- In a large jar or bowl, mix the garlic paste, onion, sour orange juice (or juice mixture), dried oregano, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Shake or stir well until combined. Adjust seasoning as needed.
2. Marinate the Turkey:
- In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic cloves, salt, peppercorns, onion powder, oregano, chillies and cumin with ¼ cup olive oil until you get a smooth paste.
- Place the turkey legs in a large roasting pan.
- Using a knife, make small slits into the turkey legs and rub the garlic paste all over the legs, getting into the slits.
- Pour 2 cups of the mojo marinade over the turkey legs, making sure they’re well coated. Cover the roasting pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight (the longer, the better).
3. Roast the Turkey:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Remove the turkey legs from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Roast the turkey legs covered with aluminum foil for about 2 to 2½ hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 75°C. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
4. Crisp the Skin:
- Increase the oven temperature to 220°C.
- Remove the foil and roast the turkey legs uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
5. Serve:
- Drizzle any reserved mojo marinade or juices from the roasting pan over the turkey legs before serving.
- Serve with traditional sides like arroz congri (black beans and rice) or yuca (cassava) for a classic Cuban meal or as we did here with roasted potatoes,
The mojo marinade is so good I am adding it to my Back to Basics page here.
