Serves: 8–10
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours

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🧡 A Filipino Twist on the Holiday Table

If there’s one dish that feels like home, it’s adobo. Every Filipino family has their own adobo… creamy, sweet, saucy, dry, pork-only, chicken-only, a mix of both… and somehow every version is the best one. So the idea of taking the flavors we love most and wrapping them around the biggest, most intimidating bird of the year? It just made sense.

This Adobo Turkey is rich, tangy, deeply savory, and layered with flavor from both the turkey and two cuts of pork belly. It’s a showstopper that stays unbelievably juicy thanks to a short vinegar-soy soak, a low-and-slow roast, and a crown of pork belly on top that bastes the turkey as it cooks.

If you’ve ever looked at a Thanksgiving turkey and thought, “This needs more flavor” then this recipe is your answer.

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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Adobo Turkey

• All the classic adobo flavors — vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper — are accounted for and scaled up for a whole turkey.
  
• Features TWO pork belly components:
  ✓ thick slices to lay over the turkey
  ✓ cubes to stuff inside the cavity
  
• Incredibly juicy turkey thanks to a marinade that doubles as your basting liquid.
  
• No additional brining stress because the adobo marinade is the brine.
  
• Familiar Filipino flavors that blend seamlessly with a traditional or fusion holiday table.
  
• The soy sauce in the marinade caramelizes to a gorgeous golden brown.

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🛒 Ingredients

Turkey & Pork

• 1 whole 13–14 lb turkey, fully thawed
  
• 2 lb thick pork belly slices (skin on)
  
• ½ lb pork belly cubes (skin on or off)
  

Turkey Adobo Marinade

• 3 cups white vinegar
  
• 3 cups soy sauce
  
• 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
  
• 4 bay leaves
  
• 1 tsp black pepper
  

Pork Marinade

• 1 cups white vinegar
  
• 1 cups soy sauce
  
• 1 head garlic, peeled and smashed
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
• 1 tsp black pepper

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🧰 Equipment Needed

• Roaster with a lid (or heavy-duty foil)
  
• Roasting rack
  
• Large pot (for pork belly marinade)
  
• Kitchen thermometer
  
• Basting brush or ladle
  
• Tongs
  
• Cutting board & sharp knife
  

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📝 Instructions

1. Prep the Turkey

Remove the turkey from packaging. Take out giblets and remove any plastic pieces from the cavity.

2. Marinate the Turkey

In a roaster without the rack (or large basin), combine:

• 3 cups vinegar
  
• 3 cups soy sauce
  
• 1 head smashed garlic
  
• 4 bay leaves
  
• 1 teaspoon pepper
  

Slowly place the turkey breast-side down into the mixture. Pour some marinade into the cavity.
Let marinate 30 minutes.

3. Prep the Pork Belly Marinade

In a large pot, make a second full batch of the same marinade.
Add both the thick pork belly slices and pork cubes.
Marinate for 30 minutes. Take out the pork and set aside the marinade..

4. Flip the Turkey

After 30 minutes, gently flip the turkey and marinate the second side for another 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the Oven

Set oven to 350°F.

6. Set Up the Roaster

Pour the turkey’s marinade into the pork belly pot (unless you are marinating the turkey in a different pot or basin).
Place the rack inside the roaster and gently set the turkey on top.
Stuff the cavity with pork belly cubes, garlic, and bay leaves from the marinade.

Optional: sprinkle additional black pepper over the turkey.

7. Create the Pork Belly “Blanket”

Layer the thick slices of marinated pork belly on top of the turkey, covering the entire surface of the top, from the breast to the wings.

8. Start Roasting

Cover with the roaster lid (or heavy duty foil) and place in the oven.

Simmer the combined marinade on the stove for 10–15 minutes, then set aside. This is your basting liquid and your optional serving sauce.

9. Baste Every Hour

Open the oven once per hour and baste generously.

10. Finish Uncovered

For the last 45–60 minutes:

• Remove the lid
  
• Peel off the pork belly slices (save them!)
  
• Baste one last time
  
• Roast uncovered to brown the skin
  

11. Check for Doneness

Turkey is ready when it reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh (do not allow the thermometer to touch the bone).

12. Rest

Let rest 20–30 minutes before carving.
Remove pork belly stuffing if desired and set aside.

13. Serve

Serve turkey with the warm cooked marinade on the side as an optional dipping sauce. 

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🛍 Where to Shop (Have No Fear!)

• Pork belly: Some Costco locations and butchers carry it, but your local Asian market will always have it. Weee! is a great online option with ratings and reviews.
  
• White vinegar & soy sauce: Store brands work perfectly! Kikkoman is widely available at Costco and large supermarkets.
  
• Bay leaves: Dried is perfect.
  
• Turkey: Shop supermarket deals. This year (2025), I found mine at QFC for $0.59/lb! Pre-brined is ideal but not necessary. Just make sure it’s fully thawed.

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❄️ Thawing That Turkey (A Quick Guide)

• Fridge method: 24 hours per 4–5 pounds
  → 13–14 lb turkey = 3 full days
  
• Cold water method: Change water every 30 minutes
  → 13–14 lb turkey = 6–7 hours
  

Never marinate or cook a partially frozen turkey. The marinade will not penetrate properly.

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🌡 About That Internal Temperature (The Lowdown)

The magic number is 165°F.
Check in:

• Thickest part of the breast
  
• Deepest part of the thigh
  
• Center of the stuffing (pork belly)
  

Remember that the thermometer must not touch the bone. If any part is under 165°F, keep roasting.

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💡 Tips & Tricks

• Marinate for the full half hour for maximum flavor, but no more than that — prolonged acidity can make the meat tough.
  
• When choosing pork belly slices for the blanket, choose thick cuts. Thin slices curl under heat and expose the turkey, causing it to dry out.
  
• Don’t skip the pork belly blanket — it bastes the breast and keeps it moist.
  
• Gently simmer the marinade before serving it at the table. Raw poultry marinade should always be cooked.
  
• Rest your turkey; cutting too early makes the juices spill out.
  
• Use a thermometer. Guessing is stressful and inaccurate.

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🔄 Variations

• Spicy Adobo Turkey: Add chili flakes to both marinades.
  
• Coconut Adobo Turkey: Add 1 part coconut milk to 2 parts soy sauce for added richness.
  
• Calamansi Twist: Replace ½ cup vinegar with calamansi juice. Remove seeds to avoid bitterness.
  
• Ketchup: Add ¼–½ cup ketchup (banana ketchup for Filipino flavor) to thicken and slightly sweeten the marinade.

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🧁 Storage

• Fridge: 3–4 days in airtight containers.
  
• Freezer: Up to 2 months in freezer bags. Marinade can also be frozen for future adobo batches.
  
• Reheat: Gentle oven reheat at 300°F for 10–12 minutes.

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🍽 Pairing Suggestions

• Mexican rice
  
• Mexican coleslaw — its acidity cleanses the palate
  
• Roasted vegetables (eat your rainbow!)
  
• Colorful roasted sweet potatoes to balance the savory flavors
  
• Chopped cilantro, tomatoes, and onions on the side — always!

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🔁 Substitutions

• Soy sauce: Use coconut aminos (reduce vinegar by ¼ cup per 1 cup aminos, or use rice vinegar/white wine vinegar instead).
  
• White vinegar: Rice vinegar is less acidic and sweeter; it’s more forgiving if you go over marinating time.
  

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♻️ What to Do With the Leftovers

One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is what happens the next day — and leftover Adobo Turkey might just be even better than the main event. The meat soaks deeper into the marinade overnight, the pork belly flavors settle in, and suddenly every container in your fridge tastes like a cozy Filipino feast.

Here are some delicious ways to reinvent those leftovers:

1. Give your turkey a Chinese makeover with Leftover Turkey Bao

It’s like eating Peking Duck, except it’s turkey! A package of premade lotus buns makes the prep a breeze.

2. Make use of those hard to strip bones with No Waste Turkey Noodle Soup

 Leftover turkey + pork belly +carrots + celery + napa cabbage+ egg noodles.
Ridiculously warming for a cold fall day.

3. Pair a fried egg (and possibly the best tofu ever) with Adobo Fried Rice

Use up all that basting marinade to power up your rice! 

4. Try our family favorite Double Adobo Sopes

The recipe tells you how to make the sopes, but you’ve been cooking all day on Thanksgiving! Buy them prepackaged and let someone else prep the super-easy fixings. 

5. Adobo Sliders with Banana BBQ Sauce

Not the easiest leftover idea, but perfect when you want something fun and you’ve had a chance to rest (a great freezer-leftovers project!).

Bonus Recipes: Perfect Sides for Your Adobo Turkey

Because Adobo Turkey is bold, savory, tangy, and full of personality, I wanted to pair it with sides that feel comforting, familiar, and equally flavorful without overpowering the star of the table. These two dishes are simple, budget-friendly, and make your spread feel extra special.

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Mexican Rice

Serves: 6–8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
  
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
  
• ½ white onion, minced
  
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  
• 4 cups chicken stock
  
• Avocado oil, for sautéing
  
• 1 ½ tbsp Sazonar
  
• Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
  

Instructions

1. Soak rice in water for 20 minutes, then drain well.
   
2. In a shallow pan, sauté garlic and onion in avocado oil until fragrant.
   
3. Add the rice and continue sautéing until the grains turn slightly translucent.
   
4. Stir in the chicken stock and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
   
5. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the residual steam finish cooking the rice — about 20 minutes.
   
6. Season with Sazonar and fold in chopped cilantro, if using.
   

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Mexican Coleslaw

Serves: 6
Active Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• ½ small cabbage, shredded
  
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
  
• 4 limes, juiced
  
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
  
• 1 tsp salt
  
• ½ tsp black pepper
  
• ½ tsp oregano
  
• 1 tsp Sazonar (optional)
  

Instructions

1. In a large salad bowl, whisk together lime juice, avocado oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and Sazonar (if using).
   
2. Add shredded cabbage and chopped onion; toss to coat thoroughly.
   
3. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to soften and brighten the vegetables.
   
4. Just before serving, mix in the chopped tomatoes.