• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fantabulosity logo

  • All Recipes
  • Vintage Recipes
  • Holiday
  • Dinner Theme System
  • About
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Theme Night Dinner System
  • Dinner
  • Desserts
  • Holidays
  • Contact
  • About Jessica
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Creole Turkey

    By: Jessica · Posted: Nov 11, 2018 · Updated: Jan 12, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe 2 comments
    4.58 from 7 votes

    This Creole Turkey recipe is part of a family recipe that gives an oven-roasted turkey a flavor that will leave guests asking YOU for the recipe for their own Thanksgiving turkey!

    Roast Turkey - How to Cook a Turkey in the oven

     

    I can’t wait to show you this family recipe that my husband’s aunt and uncle so kindly shared with us this year, to share with you!

    Although they deep fry a turkey with this recipe in mind, I wanted to provide an oven baked recipe to fit more of the traditional approach!

    Cajun Turkey

    Oven Roasted Turkey Recipe

    LOOK at the crispy crunchy skin on that turkey! To snag the full recipe, you can see everything that you need and even print out the recipe card at the very end of this post.

    However, I’d love to walk you through with photos too in case you love getting a detailed look at how to make this recipe for your own family!

    How to cook a turkey in the oven

    Fresh and Frozen Turkey Prep

    If you’ve grabbed a fresh turkey this year, then you won’t have to worry about thawing.

    However, if you need to thaw your turkey, keep in mind that you will need to allow about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds of frozen turkey in the refrigerator. (If making this recipe I’m sharing below, pull the turkey out of the refrigerator and inject the marinade the night before baking if possible!)

    Once Thawed:

    • Cut off the plastic around the legs

    • Remove the neck, cut off the tail, and remove the giblet bag from the inside.

    How to prep a turkey

    PRO TIP: Allow turkey to become as close to room temperature before baking!

    Injected Marinade Tips

    Using ingredients like chicken broth (even my homemade chicken broth recipe), onion juice, garlic juice, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice, from the Creole Roast Turkey recipe below…creates a flavor that packs the inside of the turkey with a flavor, making it a step you don’t want to skip!

    What is onion juice and garlic juice?

    I had the same question when we took the first peek at the recipe from our family. Those juices are sold by the bottle in some areas, but if you struggle to find them, you can do what I did…

    For the onion juice, I grabbed a juicer to extract the juices. (You may also be able to use the liquid that jarred onions rest in.)

    For the garlic, I simply bought a jar of minced garlic and used the liquid that the garlic rests in, inside of the jar.

    Whole turkey marinade recipe

    Once the marinade ingredients are mixed together, they’re ready to inject into your turkey!

    How to inject a turkey

    How to Inject a Turkey

    To inject your turkey, you’ll want to inject multiple areas with the marinade, especially through the breast, thighs, thick part of the wings, and legs.

    Then, if injecting the night before, place your turkey back in the refrigerator the rest of the night and pull out to allow enough time for the turkey to become room temperature before baking.

    Inject a turkey with a marinade overnight - marinade recipe

    PRO TIP: Preheat oven to 475, and while preheating, you can mix up your rub!

    Creole Rub

    This is where the creole flavor comes in, and really gives a kick to your turkey!

    Before baking, mix together the creole seasoning and mustard in a bowl.

    Oven roasted turkey rub recipe

    “Rub” It On…

    When evenly mixed, coat the outside of the turkey with ½ of rub, apply about a ¼ under the skin around the neck, and then use the remaining rub to coat the inside walls of the turkey.

    Crispy skin recipe for whole turkey

    Turkey Cook Time and Temperature

    Once the turkey is injected and has the rub applied, place your turkey into a turkey roaster with a roasting rack.

    Bake at 475 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees. (This was about 3 hours for us, and for our bird. Yours can differ depending on size and oven temperature!)

    PRO TIP: Some turkeys come with a pop-up timer. But if you plan to use your own thermometer, make sure to insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, right where the thigh meets the breast, and push it in until you feel it slide into the thigh meat. (DON’T push it all the way into the bone.)

    How to bake a whole turkey in the oven

    Oven Roasted Turkey – Thanksgiving Table Worthy

    Now doesn’t that turkey look like something you’d be proud to put on your Thanksgiving table this year?

    Friends, if you’re intimidated by cooking a whole turkey this year, I encourage you to try this one.

    Or, if you’re planning a big meal, and need two turkeys, you can bake this one and also do a pellet grill smoked turkey.

    Thanksgiving turkey recipe

    My Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish

    Are you looking for side dishes to go along with your Creole Roasted Turkey?

    For our Thanksgiving dinner, we ALWAYS have a salad, and when I’m assigned to bring a salad, you can almost bet that I’ll be bringing along the BEST Side Salad there is! It has a secret that makes it the best, and you’ll more than likely never go back to just dumping some lettuce in a bowl!

    Recipe

    How to bake a turkey in the oven

    Creole Turkey Recipe

    Jessica Burgess
    This Creole Roasted Turkey recipe is part of a family recipe that gives an oven roasted turkey a flavor that will leave guests asking YOU for the recipe for their own Thanksgiving turkey!
    4.58 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 3 hours hrs
    Resting Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 people
    Calories 317 kcal

    Ingredients

    Turkey

    • 1 Whole Turkey 12-14 lbs

    Injected Marinade

    • 14.5 oz can chicken broth
    • 4 oz onion juice bottled or homemade
    • 2 tablespoon garlic juice
    • 2 tablespoon liquid smoke
    • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • juice from 1 lemon

    Rub

    • ⅓ cup creole seasoning
    • 4 tablespoon yellow mustard the condiment, not the dried spice

    Instructions
     

    • In medium-size bowl, mix together all ingredients for marinade.
    • Preferably the night before baking, inject completely thawed turkey with the marinade mixture and let sit overnight. 
    • When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.
    • While pre-heating, mix together “rub” (mustard and creole seasoning) in a small bowl. 
    • Coat outside of turkey with ½ of rub, apply about a ¼ under the skin around the neck, and then use the remaining rub to coat the inside walls of the turkey.
    • Place turkey on rack and roasting pan and bake in 475 degree oven for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
    •  Bake until internal temperature of turkey reaches the proper food and safety requirements of at least 165 degrees. (See notes in blog post for recommended thermometer placement to receive accurate temperature readings.)

    Notes

    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 456mg | Potassium: 561mg | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2.2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords how to bake a turkey, thankgiving turkey, whole turkey recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Easy Dinner Recipes

    • Chicken salad with grapes and apples, sitting on bread.
      Chicken Salad with Grapes and Apples
    • Crispy panko chicken breasts sliced on plate, with lemon wedges sitting beside them.
      Crispy Panko Chicken Recipe (Baked or Fried)
    • Mussels cooked in white wine and garlic sauce, stacked on plate, next to toasts.
      Mussels in White Wine Sauce
    • Close up of Boom Boom Shrimp on a white plate, sitting next to sauce.
      Boom Boom Shrimp
    Subscription Form

    Get 5 Days of Delicious & Easy Dinner Recipes!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.58 from 7 votes (6 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Sammy says

      November 05, 2023 at 7:05 am

      5 stars
      Jessica, thanks for the yummy receipe. Carole seasoning? Do you make your own or use Zatarain’s, Creole Seasoning? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Jessica says

        November 05, 2023 at 7:13 am

        You’re so welcome! Oh great question. You can make your own but I tend to use this Creole seasoning when making this turkey! I hope that helps!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jessica Burgess of Fantabulosity, slicing an avocado.

    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

    I’m here to teach you how to make quick and easy recipes, using simple ingredients, that your family will love.

    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Close-up of pinwheel sandwiches stacked on top of one another.
      Pinwheel Sandwiches
    • Chicken macaroni salad in a bowl.
      The BEST Chicken Macaroni Salad
    • Chicken salad with grapes and apples, sitting on bread.
      Chicken Salad with Grapes and Apples
    • Serving of banana pudding on small plate.
      Quick & Easy Banana Pudding

    Popular Recipes

    • bread pudding in baking dish
      Bread Pudding Recipe: Easy Old Fashioned Recipe (With Video!)
    • Burger baked in the oven, steamed in aluminum foil, and placed on white plate.
      Burgers in the Oven
    • Oven Baked Steak with Butter and a side of potatoes
      How to Cook Steak in the Oven
    • Strawberry brownies on white marble cutting board.
      Strawberry Brownies Recipe
    • Cheeseburger Sliders
      Cheeseburger Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
    • Baked BBQ Pork Steaks on white plate
      Pork Steaks in the Oven

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Featured In

    About

    • About Jessica
    • Contact
    • Collaborate
    • 5 Days of Delicious Dinners

    Easy Recipes

    • All Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts

    How to Cook

    • Oven-Baked
    • Stove-Top
    • No Bake
    • Slow Cooker

    Privacy Policy |Accessibility Copyright © 2025 Fantabulosity | Terms & Conditions | FTC

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.