Leading up to Thanksgiving here in the States, Deli Market News ran an article in our newsletter that mentioned that Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen was running a Thanksgiving Turkey this year. I guess I have been living under a rock to not notice this was a thing until now. I was determined to give it a go this year. There was a little trepidation, since I was planning on having this replace my turkey this year for Thanksgiving so, if it didn’t pan out, I’d have to quickly find a replacement. A little spoiler, I didn’t have to find a new turkey on Thanksgiving.
The next day I went down to a local Popeyes to place my order; it turned out to be $39.99 plus the usual tax. Being as it was about two weeks away from Thanksgiving, I had to make sure to reserve mine before they sold out; I like to be cautious when I can be—but at this time, it didn’t seem to be a concern as they still had some. After I paid for the turkey, the cashier went to the back of the restaurant, leaving me puzzled since they asked me to hold on. When they returned, they had the frozen turkey in hand. I thought I was coming back to pick it up the day of or a few days before, similar to how Kentucky Fried Chicken did theirs last year. Turns out, you could pick it up on the spot as soon as it was paid for.
When it came to cooking the turkey, it came fully cooked, so after thawing it out, all you had to do was heat it for two hours. With that, I was able to get it out right after noon, start it heating in time for Thanksgiving Dinner, and begin preparing the rest of the sides. The turkey actually came out really well. The spices were spread across the skin and really baked into it. The meat was a lot more juicy and tender than I had expected getting from a fast-food chain. The Cajun spices used were enough to give me a nice kick with the spice. The rub tasted a lot like the kind used in Popeyes’ other signature chicken breading and tasted really good on a turkey.
Final ruling—it was definitely worth the buy and the experience. If I don’t plan on using my own rubs or sauces on my own turkey next year, I would consider getting another if they continue to offer the turkey. It really helped out being able to just heat it for two hours after thawing it out so I could focus on getting the other dishes and sides ready for dinner. It was a nice time saver with the addition of already having the rub applied. So if you’re not afraid of a little heat on your turkey, I’d suggest giving this one a try at least once, even if it isn’t during Thanksgiving and is available.
