Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe - Made with All Purpose

Cluck & Squeal ALL PURPOSE Seasoning and BBQ Rub  Turkey Recipe is the ultimate solution for a flavourful, super tender turkey. Cluck & Squeal All Purpose enhances the natural flavours of turkey while ensuring juicy results every time. Whether you're roasting, grilling, or smoking, Cluck & Squeal makes it easy to achieve a delicious turkey that will be talked about every year. 

Recipe by Marc Cardinali. From Cluck & Squeal.

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 3 hr
Rest: 20 min
Serves: 10–12 (12–14 lb turkey)
Cook temp: 350°F / 180°C
Method: Oven, smoker or grill

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey, thawed (weigh it to plan your roasting time)

The Smear

• ½ lb unsalted butter
• 1 large sweet onion, minced
• 12–14 thin slices smoked Black Forest ham, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5½ tbsp Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shot bourbon (or whiskey or cognac)
• ¼ cup water

The Injection

• ½ lb unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups apple cider beer, such as Strongbow
• 1 large roasted garlic clove, mashed into a paste
• 3 tbsp minced sweet onion
• 2 tbsp Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp bourbon (or whiskey or cognac)
• 1 tbsp molasses or 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp hot sauce or paste (optional)

For Roasting

• 375 ml white wine
• Aromatics such as quartered lemons and apples, fresh thyme, rosemary and bay leaf

Directions

1. Make the Smear

Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and onion. Once the oil is absorbed, turn the heat to high, add the ¼ cup water to help them soften, and sauté until golden.

Add the shot of bourbon and stir until the liquid reduces and the bourbon flavour sets in. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Cut the ½ lb butter into pieces and mix it thoroughly with the 5½ tbsp Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub. Once smooth, add the cooled onion and garlic and the minced ham, and mix until the paste is consistent.

C&S Tip! Let the Smear stand for 30 minutes so the flavours fuse.

2. Make the Injection

Warm the 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the roasted garlic paste and minced onion over medium-high heat until the onion is soft.

Turn the heat to high and add the apple cider beer and bourbon. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining injection ingredients. When the butter has fully melted, keep it at a low simmer for 10 minutes, adjusting the heat so the butter doesn't burn.

Stir until everything has dissolved, then remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. When you're ready to inject, strain it through a fine strainer to remove the onion, stir, and load your injector.

C&S Tip! Never inject hot liquid. Use the injection cool or at room temperature.

3. Apply the Smear

Work the Smear under the skin, then finish with a light coating over the entire surface of the turkey, followed by a light sprinkle of Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub.

Set the turkey in the roasting pan and cover it loosely with plastic wrap. You'll need the wrap for the next step.

4. Inject the Turkey

Poke the loaded injector through the plastic wrap into the breast; the wrap protects both you and your ceiling from any bloopers. Keep about 1–1½ inches from the cavity and inject roughly 1 oz at a time in every direction, reusing each entry point to go in different directions so you make fewer holes.

Once the breasts are done, inject the thighs and legs.

C&S Tip! Inject the legs in the same direction as the bone and close to it. Slowly pull back as you inject, stopping before the needle leaves the meat. A little injection dripping into the pan is fine; it becomes basting liquid.

Roast the smeared and injected turkey the same day, or cover and refrigerate it overnight.

5. Prep the Pan & Ice the Breasts

Preheat the oven or cooker to 350°F / 180°C. Fill the cavity with aromatics such as quartered lemons and apples plus fresh thyme, rosemary and bay leaf, and scatter the same aromatics around the pan without crowding the turkey. Carrots, celery and onion are welcome too.

For the ICE method, cover the breasts with plastic wrap and drape a large zip-top bag filled with ice over them for 25–30 minutes. Chilling the breasts gives the dark meat a head start, so the breast meat doesn't overcook while the thighs and legs catch up.

6. Roast, Baste & Rest

Remove the ice and plastic wrap and pour the 375 ml white wine into the roasting pan. Roast, basting every 30 minutes with the pan drippings and any leftover injection.

Plan on roughly 12–15 minutes per pound (10–12 minutes for an organic turkey), but go by temperature: the turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads at least 165°F / 74°C.

Tent the turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and let it rest 15–20 minutes before carving so the juices settle back into the meat.

Tips & variations

Know your turkey's weight. Roasting takes roughly 12–15 minutes per pound, or 10–12 minutes per pound for an organic turkey. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer.

Make ahead. The Smear and the injection can both be made the day before and refrigerated. Let the Smear soften enough to spread, and gently rewarm the injection just until fluid; never inject it hot.

Deep frying? Skip the Smear and apply Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub under and on top of the skin instead.

No bourbon? Whiskey or cognac are a welcome replacement.

Want a little Heat? Add 1/2 tsp Tasty Hot to your injection.

More recipe notes

This recipe is worth the work!

Cluck & Squeal's All Purpose Turkey Recipe is the ultimate solution for a flavourful, super tender turkey. Cluck & Squeal All Purpose Seasoning & BBQ Rub enhances the natural flavours of turkey while ensuring juicy results every time.

A savoury butter Smear under the skin, a beer butter bourbon injection and our ICE method for juicy breast meat. Whether you're roasting, grilling or smoking, it's a turkey that will be talked about every year.