The Internet Is Unimpressed With This Hot Cheetos Thanksgiving Turkey Hack
At some point, Flamin' Hot Cheetos crept beyond the snack shelf and made their way onto our spice racks, serving as a spicy, scarlet-red ingredient for all kinds of things. We stopped batting an eye as people created one recipe after another using the spice-coated corn crunchies. Fans have used Hot Cheetos to stuff burritos and coat cheese balls. Sprinkles once scarred netizens with a Hot Cheeto cupcake with white cheddar frosting, and 2021 even saw a Marble Slab x Hot Cheetos ice cream collab.
So, it's an unsurprising turn of events that Flamin' Hot Cheetos have also made their way to the Thanksgiving dinner table — thanks to a red-hot turkey recipe by Reynolds, the brand behind the aluminum foil or plastic wrap in your kitchen. At first glance, the bird has an appetizing red hue and a crust suggesting delightful crispiness. If you have an unconditional love for the fan-favorite American snack and don't mind raising some eyebrows around the Thanksgiving table, this turkey recipe just might pique your interest. However, not everyone is a fan.
Critics say the Cheetos flavor doesn't come through in this recipe
The Flamin' Hot Cheetos turkey recipe appears to be a promo for Reynolds' Turkey Oven Bags ahead of Thanksgiving, as the bird is roasted in the brand's BPA-free oven bag to keep the meat moist and the crust from burning. What goes into the crust? Pure Hot Cheetos, crushed in the food processor or in a bag and adhered to the turkey with butter or oil.
A writer from BroBible tried the recipe and said they couldn't taste the chips and were "offended by the disservice it does to one of the greatest treats to ever grace convenience store shelves." One Redditor who tried the recipe liked it, but not because of the chips: "It was delicious because you couldn't even taste the Cheeto due to it being brined for 3 days." Other netizens couldn't have been more candid about their feelings. "No thanks were to be given this day," Redditor u/oogiemgtach wrote, while u/CatFoodBeerAndGlue commented, "Poor turkey is wishing it could be killed again."
The internet has spoken, and it sounds like your Hot Cheetos are better off in a bowl. If you want to try a turkey with heat you can really taste, try this try this Cajun-spiced turkey leg recipe instead.