Tequila, Guajillo & Matriarca Jam-Glazed Turkey

for your holiday season
4 hrs
12
hard

Happy Holiday Season!

Every year around the holiday season, my inbox explodes with the same question:

“Marcela… where is that turkey recipe?”

This chile–tequila turkey has been one of the most popular, most requested recipes I have ever created. It’s the one that ends up on hundreds of holiday tables, printed, screenshot, forwarded, and passed down through families.

And this year, I wanted to give it its moment again — but with a Matriarca glow-up. The same juicy, chile-rubbed, tequila-kissed turkey you love, now made even more delicious with the clean, deeply flavorful ingredients we’ve built together.

Here is the adjusted recipe for...

Tequila, Guajillo & “Apricot” Glazed Turkey, now updated with Matriarca Jam, Colima Salt, Hot Agave, and our beloved mirepoix powders.

Preparation

Ingredients

  • 16 pound turkey
  • 5 California (dried Anaheim) chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 3/4 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons tequila
  • Matriarca Colima Salt, to taste
  • 1 (14-pound) turkey, giblets removed and reserved
  • 1/3 cup apricot jam or Matriarca mango, turmeric, Chile Jam
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Matriarca Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Matriarca Celery Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Matriarca Carrot Powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1–2 teaspoons Matriarca Hot Agave (optional)
  • Dried apricots, dried chiles & fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the chiles and 2 cups of the chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit 5–10 minutes to soften.
  2. In a small heatproof bowl, mix 3/4 cup broth, melted butter, tequila, and a generous pinch of Matriarca Colima Salt. Using a flavor injector, inject the mixture into the thighs, breasts, and legs of the turkey. If the butter solidifies, warm the mixture gently until fluid.
  3. Place the turkey on a rack inside a large roasting pan. Tuck the wing tips under the body and tie the legs with kitchen twine. Place the giblets in the pan.
  4. Transfer the softened chiles and their liquid to a blender. Add the Matriarca Jam, oregano, garlic, onion powder, celery powder, carrot powder, and a pinch of Colima Salt. Blend until completely smooth. Add freshly ground black pepper and, if you want a touch more heat and sweetness, a bit of Matriarca Hot Agave.
  5. Transfer the purée to a medium saucepan. Rub about 1 cup of the chile purée all over the turkey, including under the breast skin. Season the turkey generously with Colima Salt and pepper. Pour 1 cup broth into the roasting pan. Roast for 45 minutes.
  6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting, basting every 20 minutes with the pan drippings, for about 2 more hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. If the turkey browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
  7. Transfer the turkey to a platter and let it rest. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan, discarding solids. Skim off excess fat. Add the remaining chile purée and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with Colima Salt and pepper.
  8. Garnish with dried apricots, dried chiles, and fresh cilantro. Serve the chile sauce alongside.

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