How long to cook a turkey: the best advisor

4-6 servings/Oven ready weight (at room temperature): 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

Use our chart to work out what size bird you need:

It's recommended to defrost a frozen turkey in the refrigerator (8–12 hours per kg) at a temperature of 4°C. If necessary, thaw for 3–4 hours per kg in a cool area (10–15°C). Remove all the packing before defrosting, remove the giblets, and store them separately.

Defrosting your turkey

While the turkey is defrosting, place it on a deep plate or dish at the bottom of the refrigerator, lightly covered. Make sure there are no ice crystals in the bird's cavity before cooking. Within 24 hours, cook. Never refreeze meat that has been defrosted.

Defrosting your turkey

Oven ready weight (at room temperature) / about 2-2.5 kg / 20–24 hours 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

Defrosting your turkey

We advise against packing the cavity because doing so will stop hot air from circulating and could result in undercooked meat. If you want a stuffed bird, only loosely stuff the neck end with enough stuffing to avoid damaging the skin of the neck cavity. Use cocktail sticks or skewers to hold the neck skin in place.

Stuffing your turkey

To determine timings, weigh your (stuffed) turkey before cooking. Butter it, season it, and cover it loosely with foil. Aim for 30-35 minutes per kg. See our table below to determine timings (or follow the instructions for your chosen recipe).

Cooking your turkey

Cooking time/oven ready weight (at room temperature) 2.5 kg / 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 1 hour, 30 minutes 3.5 kg / 1:45–2:00 4.5k / 2 hours and 40 minutes 5.50 kg / 2.45–3.10 hours 6.5 kg / 3 h 15 - 3 h 50

Cooking your turkey

Use a skewer or fork to pierce the thickest section of the breast and leg. Juices should be clear and golden in color, with no indication of pink. Return the bird to the oven and continue monitoring every 10 minutes if the juice has any red tint to it

To make sure your turkey is cooked properly

Alternately, use a meat thermometer; it must register a temperature of at least 72°C after being put into the thickest section of the breast and leg for 2 minutes. When the turkey is prepared, wrap it in foil and store it somewhere warm for up to an hour before carving.

To make sure your turkey is cooked properly

You can contact the British Turkey Hotline at 0800 783 9994 if you have any questions about turkeys. From Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, it is open until Christmas Eve.

If you have turkey worries

If you'd like, you may also text the phrase "turkey" to 64446 along with the weight of your bird in kilos, and you'll immediately learn how long it will take to cook and how many people it will serve.

If you have turkey worries

If you'd like, you may also text the phrase "turkey" to 64446 along with the weight of your bird in kilos, and you'll immediately learn how long it will take to cook and how many people it will serve.

If you have turkey worries

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