Mexican Christmas turkey: what it is, stuffing and marinade

What is it?

The Mexican Christmas turkey is one of the central dishes of the Christmas Eve dinner on 24 December, especially in homes that maintain the tradition of the formal Western banquet adapted to the national flavour. It consists of a whole turkey (guajolote, native to Mexico) marinated for 24 hours in a mixture of orange juice, spices, ground ancho or guajillo chillies, garlic and herbs, and stuffed with a picadillo of minced meat (pork, beef or a mix) with dried fruits (raisins, prunes), nuts, almonds, apple, plantain, and sometimes soaked bread. It is roasted for several hours at a moderate temperature until golden, basting frequently with the marinade. Its flavour combines the juiciness of the marinated meat, the complexity of the sweet-savoury picadillo and the spiced notes of the Mexican cooking.

Origin and history

The turkey, also called guajolote (from the Nahuatl huexolotl), is a bird endemic to Mexico, domesticated by the Mesoamerican peoples at least since 800 BC. Bernardino de Sahagún documented its ritual and food importance to the Mexica in the Florentine Codex. The Spanish called it 'hen of the Indies' and took it to Europe, where it became popular as a Christmas banquet bird. The Mexican Christmas turkey is therefore a re-importation: the tradition of eating it on Christmas Eve came from the European (especially Anglo-Saxon) banquet, but the bird is originally Mexican. Larousse Cocina notes that the Mexican-style stuffed turkey is a synthesis of traditions: the pre-Hispanic guajolote, the European stuffing technique and the mestizo seasoning with chillies, spices and fruit. México Desconocido records that the Christmas turkey became widely popular in Mexico during the 20th century, especially with the spread of 'turkey Mexican-style' recipes in family cookery magazines of the 1950s and 1960s. Today it competes with salt cod for the role of star dish of Christmas Eve.

Characteristic ingredients

The preparation of the Mexican Christmas turkey begins 1-2 days beforehand with the marinade or 'macerado': bitter orange juice or orange with lime, ground garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, ancho and guajillo chillies ground with a little chipotle for smoky depth, and sometimes white wine or tequila. The turkey (4-7 kg) is coated with the marinade inside and out and refrigerated. The traditional stuffing combines minced meat fried with tomato, onion, garlic, diced apple, raisins, chopped prunes, whole almonds, diced plantain, green olives, capers, bread soaked in milk or stock, bay leaves and spices. The turkey is stuffed just before roasting and closed with cocktail sticks or sewn. It is roasted in a large tray at 160-180 °C for 4-6 hours according to weight, covered with foil for the first 3 hours, basting it with its juices. Variants include turkey with mole in place of the stuffing, or with a dark-beer marinade.

Cultural significance

The Christmas turkey is one of the strongest symbols of the Christmas Eve dinner on 24 December in urban and upper-middle-class Mexican homes, an alternative to the traditional salt cod Biscay-style. Its preparation is a long and festive process: the family buys the turkey days beforehand (sometimes live in traditional markets as before), cleans it, marinates it, stuffs it and roasts it throughout the afternoon of the 24th, filling the house with unmistakable aromas that evoke Christmas. The turkey is presented whole at the table with sides (mashed potato, roasted apple, Christmas Eve salad), carved in front of the diners as a ritual act. The Mexican turkey economy has its annual peak in December. Traditional Mexican cuisine was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, and the guajolote (the native national bird) is part of that heritage. The Christmas turkey represents the crossing of traditions: Mesoamerican bird, European banquet, national mestizo seasoning.

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