 |
|
When you’ve gone to the effort of buying a beautiful British Quality Turkey, you’ll want to cook it to perfection. 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.
- Weigh your turkey after stuffing.
- Cover the breast with strips of bacon or smear with softened butter then cover loosely with foil.
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (180°C for fan assisted ovens), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.
- Less than 4kg weight? Cook for 20 minutes per kg then add another 70 minutes cooking time at the end.
- More than 4kg weight? Cook for 20 minutes per kg and add 90 minutes cooking time at the end.
- Remove the foil for the last 40 minutes to brown the top.
- Ovens vary, so always test your turkey to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Pierce the thickest part – this is usually the leg of a whole turkey - with a skewer or sharp pointed knife. Hold a spoon underneath to catch the juices as they run out. If they are clear the turkey is done. If they are pink it needs further cooking.
- Allow the turkey to stand for 15-20 minutes in a warm place – it won’t go cold and will be easier to carve.
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!