Turkey Roasting Times and Temperatures

A turkey is the biggest thing most people roast all year, and it often happens once a year, so nobody gets much practice. Here is everything you need to get it right, from the fridge to the table.

Thawing a Frozen Turkey

If your turkey is frozen, thaw it in the fridge, never on the bench. Allow about 24 hours for every 2 to 2.5kg. A 5kg bird needs around two days, so plan ahead. Keep it in a tray on the bottom shelf to catch any drips.

A fresh turkey can go straight from the fridge to the roasting tin.

Getting It Ready

• Take the turkey out of the fridge about an hour before roasting.
• Remove the giblets from the cavity. Keep the neck for the gravy.
• Pat the skin dry all over with paper towel.
• Rub the skin with soft butter or oil and season it well with salt and pepper.
• Put a halved lemon, an onion and some herbs inside the cavity for flavour.

We recommend cooking the stuffing separately in a dish. It cooks more evenly, it crisps on top, and the bird cooks faster. If you do stuff the bird, the stuffing must reach 75°C as well.

Roasting Times

Roast at 180°C. As a guide, allow about 35 to 40 minutes per kg for an unstuffed bird, with bigger birds closer to the lower end, and longer if it is stuffed:

• 4kg turkey: about 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes.
• 5kg turkey: about 3 hours to 3 hours 20 minutes.
• 6kg turkey: about 3½ to 4 hours.

These times are a starting point. Ovens vary, so start checking the temperature about an hour before you expect it to be done. If the breast is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.

How to Tell It Is Done

Use a meat thermometer. Push it into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. It must read 75°C. Check the thickest part of the breast too. The juices should run clear with no pink.

A turkey breast roast, or buffe, cooks faster than a whole bird. Go by the thermometer: 75°C in the thickest part.

Rest It

Rest the turkey, loosely covered with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. It will stay hot for a long time, which gives you the oven for the roast potatoes and time to make the gravy from the pan juices.

Carving

Take off the legs first, and separate the drumsticks and thighs at the joint. Then cut along the breastbone and lift each breast off whole, and slice it across into thick slices. It is far easier than carving thin slices from the bird, and every slice gets some skin. Our guide to carving a roast has more detail.

Leftovers

Get leftover turkey into the fridge within two hours. Take the meat off the bones, store it in shallow containers and use it within three to four days, or freeze it. Reheat it until steaming hot right through. Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce on Boxing Day are worth the whole effort.

Order your Christmas turkey on our Christmas page. For the ham, see how to glaze and carve a Christmas ham.