Turkey cooking times: the ultimate guide 2023
The turkey is the ultimate showstopper on Christmas Day, so it’s important to get it right.
Follow this ultimate guide to produce the best centrepiece on the day, prevent a dry turkey and ensure that it’s cooked in a way that eliminates any health risks.
Spend as much as you can afford on your turkey, and ensure it's free-range, and you will be rewarded with a flavoursome bird.
The size of your turkey
Use our chart to work out what size bird you need:
Approx number of servings/ Oven ready weight (at room temp)
4-6 / 2-2.5kg
6-8 / 3-3.5kg
8-10 / 4-4.5kg
10-12 / 5-5.5kg
12-15 / 6-6.5kg
15-17 / 7-7.5kg
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Defrosting your turkey
It's best to defrost a frozen turkey in the fridge (at a temperature of 4°C) allowing 8-12hr per kg. If you need, defrost in a cool room (10-15°C) and allow 3-4hr per kg. Before defrosting, remove all the packaging, take out giblets and store seperately. Store turkey, lightly covered, on a deep plate or dish at the base of fridge, whilst it defrosts. Before cooking, make sure there aren't any ice crystals in the birds cavity. Cook within 24hr. Remember never to refreeze defrosted meat.
Timings:
Oven ready weight (at room temp) / Approx defrosting time
2-2.5kg / 20-24hr
3-3.5kg / 24-28hr
4-4.5kg / 32-36hr
5-5.5kg / 40-44hr
6-6.5kg / 48-52hr
7-7.5kg / 56-60hr
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Stuffing your turkey
We would recommend not stuffing the cavity as this will prevent hot air circulating and you might end up with uncooked meat. Instead, if you want a stuffed bird, loosely stuff under the skin at the neck end only, using enough stuffing, so as not to break the skin of the neck cavity. Secure the neck skin with skewers or cocktail sticks.
Cooking your turkey
Weigh your (stuffed) turkey before cooking to calculate timings. Coat it with butter, season and loosely cover in foil. Allow 30-35min per kg. See our chart below to work out timings (or follow the instructions for your chosen recipe).
Timings, calculated for an oven temperature of 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5:
Oven ready weight (at room temp) / Cooking time
2.5kg / 1hr 15min-1hr 30min
3.5kg / 1hr 45min-2hr
4.5k / 2hr 15min-2hr 40min
5.5kg / 2hr 45min-3hr 10min
6.5kg / 3hr 15min-3hr 50min
Aim for it to be ready at least half an hour before you plan to eat, so it can rest. For golden skin, remove the foil about 1hr before the end of cooking time, basting regularly.
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To make sure your turkey is cooked properly
Pierce the thickest part of the breast and leg with a skewer or fork. The juices should run golden and clear with no trace of pink. If there is any red tinge to the juice, return the bird to the oven and keep checking every 10min. Alternatively, use a meat thermometer- the temperature needs to read at least 72°C when inserted into the thickest part of the breast and leg and left for 2min. Once the turkey is ready, cover with foil and keep in a warm place for up to an hour until you’re ready to carve.
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Carving your turkey
Follow our top tips for carving the perfect slices. Click here for our handy guide.
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Which turkey recipe?
Good Housekeeping has many turkey recipes for you to choose from. Browse our turkey recipes here.
If you don't want to cook a whole bird, then we have plenty of cheaper turkey options too.
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If you have turkey worries
The British Turkey Hotline, 0800 783 9994, is there should you have any turkey concerns! It is open from 9am-5pm weekdays, right up to Christmas Eve. If you like, you can also text the word 'turkey', followed by the weight of your bird in kilos, to 64446 and you'll get an instant answer on the cooking time and how many it will feed.
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