Cooking Your Turkey

Check the instructions to see if you need to remove any packaging, then simply cook as the instructions on the pack suggest.

See the instructions on the pack for anything that is relevant to your roast. Otherwise, roast at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes per kg – then add 70 minutes to the cooking time – 90 minutes if the joint weighs over 4kg. Cook the turkey skin side up, rub well with butter or olive oil and optionally season it with salt and pepper and herbs. Don’t forget to baste the turkey as it’s cooking – if the skin is getting too brown, cover loosely with tin foil.

If using a meat thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the breast and if it shows 65°C, the bird is cooked. You could also pierce the thickest part of the thigh, and the temperature should read 70°C.  

If you haven’t got a thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer – if the juices run clear then the bird is cooked – if there is any pink in the juices, simply return the bird to the oven and cook another 20 minutes – then re-test.

Basting the turkey during cooking helps to keep the bird moist. Halfway through the cooking time, pour over 500ml chicken stock, dry sherry or white wine, basting every 20 minutes.

Once the bird is cooked, cover loosely with some tin foil and allow to rest. Timings will depend on the size of your bird so check packaging for specific rest time. Resting will allow the juices to settle, keeping the turkey moist and easier to carve.

Yes – however, you can only reheat the turkey when sliced and not whole.

Cook the turkey and allow to cool completely, then on Christmas Day – carve the turkey and put into a roasting dish. Cover with some chicken stock then top with tin foil. Reheat at 180°C/Gas Mark 6 for 20 minutes, checking that the slices are heated through before serving.

Yes – it will be very moist cooked this way. Most slow cookers can’t accommodate a whole turkey, so the best cuts to use in a slow cooker are turkey breast or thighs. Refer to the cooking instructions on your cooker or follow a recipe.

It is best to check your turkey packaging for specific guidelines but as a general guide, preheat the oven to between 180-190°C (gas mark 4/5) then cook for 20 mins per kg plus extra time depending on the size and weight of your turkey (see packaging guidance).

Defrosting times will vary by the size and cut of turkey you buy so it is best to refer to the on-pack instructions.

As a rough guide, it takes 24 hours for every 2kg of turkey to defrost, so a 6kg bird will take 3 full days to defrost.

The best way to defrost a turkey is at the bottom of the fridge, making sure to use the turkey within 24 hours of defrosting. Never defrost in a warm room.

When defrosting, ensure the turkey is fully thawed, no ice is present in the body cavity and the legs are flexible. Do not refreeze once defrosted.

Here’s the cooking times for our chilled turkey crowns:

Small Chilled Crown 0.9-1.99kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 95 minutes

Medium Chilled Crown 2-2.99kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 95 minutes

Large Chilled Crown 3-4.5kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 105 minutes

Note this may be different for stuffed, bacon topped or bronze turkey crowns and different suppliers will have different validations.

And here’s the guidance for our frozen turkey crowns:

Small Frozen Crown 1.5 - 1.9kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes

Medium Frozen Crown 2 - 2.3kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes

Large Frozen Crown 2.4 - 2.8kg - 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes

To make sure your turkey is cooked properly, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. It should reach 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part of the meat.

Let your turkey crown rest for approximately 20-30 minutes after cooking to let the juices evenly distribute for moist and tender meat. Loosely cover your turkey with foil to keep warm while it rests.

Covering the turkey with foil for most of the cooking time helps to prevent it from drying out. It locks in moisture, especially for the breast meat, which can dry out faster than the legs. Remove the foil for the last 30-40 minutes to let the skin crisp up and turn golden brown.

Although, if you prefer a crispier skin all over, you can roast it uncovered the entire time.

Just keep an eye on it—if it starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil to avoid it burning.