Turkey Roasting Times
All cooking advice and recipes given by the British Turkey Information Service, whether over the telephone, on www.britishturkey.co.uk, by Live Chat or Text are guidelines only. Please be aware that all ovens vary and so the turkey should be tested to check if it is properly cooked before consuming with either a temperature probe (72 degrees C or above in the thickest part of the breast) or ensure the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part of the thigh with a clean skewer.
Cooking Turkey » Roasting Turkey » Roasting Times
A delicious roast turkey is not difficult to achieve but – especially at Christmas – there is often so much else going on that it's easy for the cook to become harassed.
The secret is in the cooking times – follow these new, simple guidelines, which have been meticulously tested by the British Turkey industry, and you can't go wrong. These guidelines are based on the weight of the turkey after stuffing:
Fresh turkey crowns or whole birds 1.00kg - 3.99kg
- Preheat oven to 190°C (Fan 180°C) / 375°F / Gas Mark 5
- Remove all packaging. Place bird or crown in a roasting tin and cover loosely with foil.
- Cook for 20 minutes per kg + 70 minutes
- Baste occasionally during cooking. Remove foil for the last 40 minutes of cooking to allow the top to brown.
- Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes covered loosely with foil before carving.
Fresh turkey crowns or whole birds above 4.00 kg
- Preheat oven to 190°C (Fan 180°C) / 375°F / Gas Mark 5
- Remove all packaging. Place bird in a roasting tin and cover loosely with foil.
- Cook for 20 minutes per kg + 90 minutes
- Baste occasionally during cooking. Remove foil for the last 40 minutes of cooking to allow the top to brown.
- Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes covered loosely with foil before carving.
It's as easy as that! Try our handy calculator – simply key in the exact weight of your turkey and you will get the cooking time needed – there's also a calculator for defrosting times.
If you're not sure what size bird to buy, click here for a guide.
Here are some examples of cooking times for popular size turkeys – and remember the times also work for turkey crowns and other joints:
| Turkey weight | Cooking time |
|---|---|
| 2kg (4lb 7oz) | 1hr 50mins |
| 2.5kg (5lb 8oz) | 2hrs |
| 3kg (6lb 10oz) | 2hrs 10mins |
| 3.5kg (7lb 11oz) | 2hrs 20mins |
| 4kg (8lb 13oz) | 2hrs 50mins |
| 4.5kg (9lb 15oz) | 3hrs |
| 5kg (11lb 0oz) | 3hrs 10mins |
| 5.5kg (12lb 2oz) | 3hrs 20mins |
| 6kg (13lb 4oz) | 3hrs 30mins |
| 6.5kg (14lb 5oz) | 3hrs 40mins |
| 7kg (15lb 7oz) | 3hrs 50mins |
| 7.5kg (16lb 9oz) | 4hrs |
| 8kg (17lb 10oz) | 4hrs 10mins |
| 8.5kg (18lb 12oz) | 4hrs 20mins |
| 9kg (19lb 13oz) | 4hrs 30mins |
| 9.5kg (20lb 15oz) | 4hrs 40mins |
| 10kg (22lb 1oz) | 4hrs 50mins |
Enjoy cooking and eating your British Turkey!