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hawaiian kalua turkey

(1 rating)
LyndawithaY avatar
Recipe by
Lynda Hayes
@LyndawithaY
Port Saint Lucie, FL

Aloha! My husband got this recipe when he lived in Hawaii. It started with Kalua Pig and later was used on Turkey. It's cooked long and slow in a pit in the ground. Ed wanted to take and dig a hole in the lawn, but I wouldn't let him (LOL) so we cooked it in our oven. Moist and tender, unbeleivably succulent! Mahalo!

(1 rating)
yield 10 -12
prep time 20 Min
cook time 6 Hr

Ingredients For hawaiian kalua turkey

  • 1
    16-20 lb turkey, cleaned
  • 1 bottle
    liquid smoke, mesquite
  • 2
    hawaiian salt, handfuls (or sea salt)
  • 3 Tbsp
    black pepper
  • 8 md
    ti leaves (or banana leafs)
  • 1 stick
    butter, melted

How To Make hawaiian kalua turkey

  • 1
    Remove neck and organs from turkey cavity. Rinse well and pat with paper towel. Melt 1 stick of butter and add liquid smoke. Pour some inside turkey cavities and the rest all over outside of turkey. Use 2 handfuls of Hawaiian Salt(or sea salt) and 3 T of black pepper and mix together. Season inside and outside of turkey well with mix.
  • 2
    In a large roasting pan, take a 3-4 ft section of aluminum foil and lay in pan lengthwise. Take another 3-4 section and lay in opposite direction (see pic). Take 4-5 of Ti Leafs that have been washed and lay in bottom of roasting pan. Insert turkey into pan. Lay remaining Ti Leafs on top of turkey.
  • 3
    Take lengthwise ends of tinfoil to meet together and roll downwards toward the turkey. Now take other two ends of tinfoil and do same (see pic).
  • 4
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When heated, place turkey in oven. Cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees, then turn oven down to 250 degrees for the remaining 4 hours. Remove Turkey. Remove aluminum foil and allow steam to release. Remove Ti leafs.
  • 5
    Take 2 large bowls and start to shred meat from Turkey with Forks. Use one bowl for bones and other for shredded meat. Pour pan juices in a gravy bowl. Serve with white rice just as they do in Hawaii. Mahalo!
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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