Popeyes' Turkey Is Back for Thanksgiving 2024

With the busy Thanksgiving season just around the corner, Popeyes' Cajun turkey is here to lend a hand — or wing! Not only does Popeyes turkey save you time and trouble while creating your Thanksgiving feast, it also provides the perfect centerpiece for all your favorite side dishes.

How can you factor a Popeyes turkey into your holiday plans? What does preparing a Popeyes turkey entail and how does it set the tone for the other food on your menu? This guide to the re-emergence of Popeyes’ turkey for Thanksgiving 2024 is on hand to address your questions about adding the spicy flavor of Popeyes turkey to your holiday meal. 

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• Popeyes' Cajun Turkey Returns for Thanksgiving
• How to Order Popeyes' Turkey
• How To Prepare Popeyes' Cajun Turkey

Popeyes' Cajun Turkey Returns for Thanksgiving

For the third year in a row, Popeyes’ Cajun turkey is appearing on the holiday circuit just in time for the 2024 holiday season. Thanks to the popularity of this helpful offering in previous years, Popeyes will make its prepared turkeys available for purchase to help busy home cooks spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their friends and loved ones.

With its fiery bayou seasoning and ready-to-cook simplicity, Popeyes' holiday turkey has become a standard for Thanksgiving celebrations around the U.S. This year, it can become a tradition for you, too!

What Makes Popeyes' Turkey for Thanksgiving Special?

The magic of a Popeyes Thanksgiving turkey lies in the signature Cajun seasoning, a spicy blend the chain uses to elevate this holiday-only offering beyond the usual festive flavor profile. It’s a fun way to give your spread a special layer of warmth and promises to introduce a regional twist to the traditional turkey taste.

How to Order Popeyes' Turkey

If you’re gearing up for the holidays and think a Popeyes turkey might be a solution for your festivities, you can visit the Popeyes website and reserve one online. Since not every location will be carrying these turkeys, web orders are the only way you can guarantee a Popeyes Thanksgiving turkey for yourself.

If you’re interested in delivery, you can have your Popeyes turkey sent straight to your door, arriving between one and three business days after shipping. Turkeys are sent out Monday through Friday, so be sure to factor the weekend into your expected delivery. You can also arrange for onsite pick up at your preferred location. 

To make sure you receive the turkey in plenty of time for Thanksgiving, Popeyes advises placing your order the week of November 13. If you happen to make a mistake while ordering and need to change the information, you can make corrections within 24 hours of the original to update the order quantity, shipping address and any other details that need amending.

Popeyes' Cajun Turkey Price

Budget-conscious Thanksgiving cooks with an eye on their finances are sure to wonder, “How much is a Popeyes Cajun turkey?” Well, the price for a Popeyes turkey price is a cool $99.00, which may seem costly to some, considering the abundance of turkey sales that tend to crop up at grocery stores as the holiday draws closer.

However, that price will get you a ready-to-cook 11- to 13-pound Popeyes turkey that can feed between eight and 12 guests. You’ll save shopping time and prep work on a holiday that can feel daunting to even the most seasoned of chefs.

Beyond securing a Popeyes turkey to heat and serve your friends and family, the Popeyes turkey price tag also includes home delivery. Imagine Popeyes turkey arriving at your home, complete with all the seasoning required to make it flavorful, all for a single price. Ordering a Popeyes turkey takes the guesswork out of preparing the centerpiece for your meal and lets you focus on your specialty side dishes and delectable desserts for Thanksgiving food that merges beautifully.

How To Prepare Popeyes' Cajun Turkey

Preparing a Popeyes turkey is a simple process that anyone can handle, regardless of experience. Follow these steps to make sure your festive feast goes off without a hitch.

Since the turkey will arrive frozen, your first step will be to thaw it completely by letting it rest in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours before cooking. If you don’t have space to accommodate a turkey in your fridge, you can accomplish a thorough thaw by submerging it in water below 70°F and running water of the same temperature over the turkey until it thaws fully. Make sure the whole turkey remains below 40°F to ensure safe handling and consumption.

To cook your turkey, preheat your oven to 375°F and unwrap it, being careful to reserve the juices in the packaging. Put the turkey in a roasting pan and seal the top with aluminum foil. Place it on the lower rack and allow it to roast for 90 minutes. The thickest portion of the flesh (the breast region) and outer areas should all reach 140°F.

You’ll need to let your cooked turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving and arranging it on your platter. If you’re cooking in advance of your feast, be sure to cool the turkey from 140°F to 70°F within two hours. For further cooling, you can let it rest until it reaches 40°F within six hours.

Once the turkey is cooled and you’ve served what you’ll be eating, be sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy them within three days. To extend the life of your Popeyes Cajun turkey, you can freeze the cooked meat for future use.

If you’re looking for a full-service Thanksgiving meal beyond a Popeyes turkey, you can also order an arrangement of sides to make your work even easier. Some of the dishes on the Popeyes menu that make fantastic Thanksgiving essentials include mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, mac and cheese and biscuits.

If you’re intrigued by a less traditional arrangement and would rather try a full-fledged Louisiana-style set-up, you can also find red beans and rice, as well as Cajun fries to spice up your plans. 

Finally, if you want to add some heat to your side dishes, refer to the Popeyes secret menu and ask the staff for a stash of Cajun Sparkle seasoning. This special mix will help you add some zesty Cajun seasoning to your usual Thanksgiving palate, complementing your Popeyes turkey and taking your traditional Thanksgiving dinner in a new, delicious direction.

For home chefs who are dreading the daunting task of preparing their own turkey, Popeye’s turkey is an instant win. Not only will you have the guarantee of a delicious Cajun-style entrée for your holiday spread, you'll also have the familiarity of a beloved brand backing you up in the kitchen.

So, if your schedule is tight this year and the idea of cooking a whole suite of Thanksgiving dishes from scratch sounds like more work than you’re ready to take on, don't worry. Popeyes’ Thanksgiving turkey is here to help start a new holiday tradition for you and your family. 

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