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Portuguese Piri Piri Turkey Churrasquinho

Portuguese Piri Piri Turkey Churrasquinho

Connie Desousa & John Jackson (@conniedesousa / @charcut)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 844 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole young turkey approx. 8 lbs
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 lemon juiced

Turkey Skewers

  • 1 tsp salt and pepper
  • 1 cup Portuguese pepper sauce Piri Piri
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 small white onion
  • 4 small sweet peppers
  • 4 large metal skewers heavy duty

Dish Accompaniments

  • 8 pita bread
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 bunch fresh dill chopped
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup pickled chilies

Instructions
 

For the turkeys

  • Remove neck and bag of offal’s from inside of turkey.
  • Using sharp kitchen shears, cut out the backbone from the turkey
  • With a sharp chef’s knife, cut through the turkey breast bone to separate the turkey into 2 halves. (note: steps 1-3 can be done by your local butcher upon request)
  • Combine all ingredients for the brine and cook to dissolve salt. Cool brine to refrigerator temperature. This can be done overnight.
  • Place both turkey halves in a deep dish or bowl and cover with brine. Allow turkey to brine overnight or min 8 hours.
  • Preheat your grill to 350°F
  • Remove turkey from brine and pat dry to remove all moisture.
  • Generously sprinkle salt all over turkey.
  • Pour pepper sauce all over turkey front and back.
  • Drizzle turkey with olive oil on front and back.
  • Cut onions in half and remove skin. Skewer ½ onion on skewer and push down to the handle. Skewer 1 pepper on the skewer and push down to meet the onion. Repeat with the other 3 skewers. Skewer half turkey with 1 metal skewers, inserting at the tip of the breast all the way through to the bottom of the leg. Repeat with another skewer 3 inches beside the other skewer. Test the stability of the bird by lifting both skewers simultaneously. Repeat with the other half of turkey
  • Place turkeys skin side up on the grill with skewer handles sticking out on front edge of grill. Close the lid. (if using a grill without a lid, cover the turkeys with heavy gauge aluminum foil)
  • After 1.5 hours, carefully flip turkeys to skin side down and cook turkeys for an additional 30 minutes to internal temperature 170°F.
  • Remove turkeys from the grill and place on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Rest turkeys for 30 minutes before carving.
  • Carve turkey into slices and place on a large platter with accompaniments.

For the Pita

  • Brush pitas with olive oil on both sides.
  • Grill pitas on both sides to golden brown.
  • Place grilled pitas on a large platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

For the yogurt dipping sauce and chilies

  • Combine lemon zest and juice, chopped dill and yogurt. Season to taste with salt.
  • Pour yogurt sauce into a serving bowl and place on platter with pitas.
  • Spoon prepared pickled chilies into a serving bowl and place on platter with pitas and yogurt.

Notes

Large metal skewers can be purchased at any specialty kitchen stores. Note: there will be leftover turkey for use in sandwiches for the next day. We recommend 100gr of carved turkey per pita.

Nutrition

Calories: 844kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 97gFat: 41gSodium: 1885mg
Keyword Get Grilling, Whole Turkey
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