Working out which turkey size to buy, and how many people your bird will need to feed, can be stressful, particularly when you've already got plenty of things on your plate in the run-up to the holiday season.
The turkey is the ultimate centrepiece at Christmas, so it’s important to get the right one to avoid any disappointment on the big day. Working out how big a bird you will need to cater for your gathering can be challenging. To remove any guess work and avoid any unnecessary stress, we’ve put together a handy guide with the help of a few turkey experts so you can calculate exactly what size turkey you will need to feed all your guests (with some leftovers for Boxing Day), and cook it to perfection.
How to work out how many people your turkey will feed
Turkey sizes can vary wildly, with whole birds ranging from 2-3kg / 4.4-6.6lb at the smaller end, going all the way up to a hefty 11kg / 24lb for the largest turkeys on the market. We spoke to three purveyors of award-winning turkeys to ask their advice on choosing the right size turkey this Christmas.
All of our experts recommended allowing about 500g / 1lb of raw turkey weight per person when calculating for a whole bird. While this may seem like a lot, it takes into account the moisture and fat lost when the bird is roasted, the carcass weight, and, of course, some tasty leftovers for Boxing Day.
Paul Kelly of famed Kelly Turkeys - winner of Best Turkey in this year’s woman and home Christmas Food Awards - strongly recommends always buying a whole bird as it will offer the best value for weight, and provide you with far superior gravy.
Abby Allen of award-winning online butcher Pipers Farm, added the brown meat from the legs and thighs makes the best leftovers and is far better than breast meat for turkey curry, pies, and any other leftover traditions you might have. Tony Hindhaugh, Co-founder of London-based artisan butchers Parsons Nose is also a fan of leftovers and suggests a more generous 680g / 1.5lb if, like us, you look forward to the leftovers just as much as the main meal.
If you're celebrating Christmas with a smaller group, or you know your loved ones always reach for the white meat, Abby Allen suggests a crown or boneless turkey breast might make more sense, taking up less space in the oven, while still offering a suitably festive centrepiece. While you should allow about 400g / 0.9lb uncooked turkey weight per person for a crown, for a boneless breast, Abby suggests about 250g / 0.5lb per person when calculating how much meat you will need.
If you do choose to go with a crown or breast instead of a whole bird, consider ordering some turkey wings from your butcher too, or even roasting off a few chicken wings alongside the joint to give your gravy an extra flavour boost.
What turkey size will I need?
Putting the topic of leftovers aside for a moment, there's a rough formula for calculating what bird size you need depending on how many adults you're feeding:
If you're feeding up to 9 people, then you want to allow about 40g (1lb) of turkey per person. If you're hosting 10 or more guests then you want to allow about 350g / 0.8lb. Listed below is the right turkey size to buy, depending on the number of people at your gathering.
- Turkey size for 3-4 people: A 1.5-1.75kg / 3-4lb bird
- Turkey size for 5-6 people: A 2-3kg / 5-6lb bird
- Turkey size for 7-9 people: A 3-3.5kg / 7-8lb bird
- Turkey size for 10-12 people: A 4-4.5kg / 9-10lb bird
- Turkey size for 13-15 people: A 4.5-5kg / 10-11lb bird
- Turkey size for 16-18 people: A 5.5-6.5kg / 12-14lb bird
- Turkey size for 20-24 people: A 6.75-7.75kg / 15-17lb
For a big gathering, Tony Hindhaugh from Parsons Nose suggests cooking two smaller birds rather than a single large one. While a big turkey makes a spectacular centrepiece, smaller birds will cook more evenly – avoiding the common issue of dry breast meat and undercooked legs – and are also easier to store and handle.
If you do choose to go for a large bird, check your oven size first to make sure it will fit. Turkeys between 4-7kg / 8-15lb will sit 15-20cm high, and those over 7kg / 15lb will be closer to 25cm high.
Also factor in the size of your roasting tray. While the width and length of turkeys will vary, most 7kg birds will fit comfortably in a 42x32cm roasting dish.
Avoid any food safety mishaps, and ensure your turkey is cooked to perfection this Christmas with our favourite digital probe thermometer. Durable, waterproof, and available in 11 colours, the Thermapen is designed and made in the UK, and comes with a five-year guarantee.
Delicious gravy is an essential part of any Christmas dinner, and this nifty gadget helps you make the most of all those flavoursome turkey roasting juices without having to skim the fat by hand. The top shield catches any solids, and the fat rises to the top thanks to the handy plug, allowing you to easily pour the rich juices into a pan, leaving the fat behind. No mess, no fuss.
This robust roasting tin is roomy enough for a large turkey while still fitting in a standard oven. We like the deep sides and sturdy handles - useful for lifting a heavy turkey out of the oven with ease. Heat resistant to 260C and dishwasher-safe, the roasting tin comes with a removable rack, and is also hob safe for easy gravy preparation.
How to calculate cooking times for a turkey
Your turkey will almost always come with suggested cooking times from the supplier. While these timings are useful, many factors can alter the cooking time including the temperature of the turkey and oven, air circulation in the oven, the fat content of the bird, and preparation techniques like brining or added stuffing.
For this reason, we suggest always using cooking times as a rough guide. If your turkey doesn’t come with cooking times, use our handy formula to calculate them for yourself.
- <4kg turkey: Cook for 20 mins per kg, plus 35 mins
- >4kg turkey: Cook for 20 mins per kg, plus 45 mins
Tony Hindhaugh suggests the following rough timings based on the size of your turkey:
- 4-5kg – cook 2¼ to 2½ hours
- 5-6kg – cook 2½ to 3 hours
- 6-7kg – cook 3 hours to 3½ hours
- 7-8kg – cook 3½ to 4 hours
- 8-9kg – cook 4 to 4¼ hours
- 9-10kg – cook 4¼ to 4½ hours
How to cook the perfect turkey
Bring the turkey to room temperature
To make sure the turkey cooks evenly throughout, it’s important that it isn’t fridge cold. Remove from packaging and put on the bench at least 1-2 hours before you plan on cooking it, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Weigh your turkey
Weigh the raw turkey and use our guide above to calculate the cooking time. Remember this will only be a guide. If you are brining the turkey before cooking it, do this before weighing the turkey, but add additions to the cavity, like lemons and garlic after weighing. We don’t recommend cooking the turkey with stuffing in, as this will alter the cooking times, but if you want to do this, follow the cooking instructions in your recipe.
Preheat the oven
Oven temperature will vary according to the recipe, but for a basic roast turkey, our experts agree you want to preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan which will allow the turkey to cook evenly, with crispy, golden skin.
Use a meat thermometer
While timings are handy, always use a meat thermometer to test that your turkey is cooked through. To test, push a digital probe thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, between the breast and the thigh. You are aiming for a temperature of 65C. Any higher and the breast will be over cooked after resting. Any lower than 60 and the legs will not be cooked through. Some artisan suppliers will suggest slightly lower temperatures, but for a commercially reared bird, we think it’s best to err on the side of caution.
Rest the turkey
This step is key for tender, juicy and flavoursome meat, so don’t be tempted to rush it! Rest the turkey for at least 30 mins, but ideally 1 hr in a warm part of the kitchen. This allows the meat to relax and the juices to redistribute. During the resting time, the internal temperature will continue to rise. Paul Kelly of Kelly Turkeys says not to cover the turkey while it rests, as this will lead to overcooked meat. Instead, keep the turkey uncovered in a warm part of the kitchen. A large turkey will stay warm for a good 2-3 hrs after cooking.
How to choose the best turkey
As a general rule, our experts always advise buying the best quality turkey you can afford, but with so many options on the market, it can get confusing. We spoke to Paul Kelly of Kelly Turkeys Tony Hindhaugh of Parsons Nose, and Abby Allen of Pipers Farm o get their advice on how to choose the perfect turkey for your table this Christmas:
What should you look for when choosing a turkey for Christmas?
Paul Kelly: “It’s pretty much impossible to choose your bird by looking at it in the bag. The right questions to ask are ‘was it a slow grown strain?’ and ‘was it dry plucked and dry aged?’ if the answer to both these questions is yes, you’re pretty safe in getting a great bird.”
Abby Allen: “Look out for ‘Bronze’ Turkeys, this is the breed that is designed to grow slowly. It is significantly more delicious than the more common White Turkey. The use of homegrown feed such as wheat, oats and peas will also make for better eating than a bird simply fed conventional poultry food.”
Tony Hindhaugh: “Heritage breeds often have a richer, gamier taste compared to commercial turkeys. A good turkey should have a nice layer of fat, especially around the breast. This helps keep the meat moist and adds flavour. Fresh turkeys with a pale, creamy skin and a little yellow tint often have good fat content.”
Is a frozen turkey as good as a fresh one?
Tony Hindhaugh: “Fresh turkeys generally have better flavour and texture, especially if you’re buying from a local farm or butcher. However, you need to order early because they sell fast and need refrigeration within a few days of Christmas.
Frozen turkeys are cost-effective, but require extra time to thaw (a full day in the fridge for every 4-5lb). Be sure to check that it’s thoroughly thawed before cooking to avoid uneven cooking.”
Where is the best place to buy a Christmas turkey?
Paul Kelly: “Find your local turkey farmer and order directly from the farm or butcher. The reason cheap turkey has a reputation for being dry is because they are harvested at such a young age they have not developed all the muscle and have not laid down any fat. These cheap young turkeys need all the help they can get with brining, basting, covering with tin foil, bacon and butter covering etc.”
Abby Allen: “The attention to detail that a small scale farm can offer is in a different league to the mass production of birds found on a supermarket shelf. There are so many incredible small-scale British Christmas poultry farmers who pride themselves on producing the most wonderful festive feast for your table, do seek them out as your support at this time of year makes a genuine difference to them.”
What’s your number one piece of advice when cooking a turkey?
Tony Hindhaugh: “Always bring a bird to room temperature, and never cook it straight from the fridge. Avoid putting stuffing inside the bird as this will mess with the cooking times, but you could add a halved onion and a halved lemon. Always use a thermometer to test if the bird is cooked, and rest the turkey before serving.”
Abby Allen: “Your best weapon for cooking a bird to perfection is a meat thermometer. They start from as little as £6, [but] I like to use my trusty Thermapen. For a whole turkey you are aiming for 60C-65C in the thickest part of the breast. 70C would take you over and into dry turkey territory. Please allow your whole bird to rest for 30 mins before carving. This will give you flavourful, juicy, perfect turkey! It really is as important as cooking the bird correctly.”
Paul Kelly: “Use a meat thermometer. Because of all the intramuscular fat, a mature turkey will cook quicker than a cheap lean turkey. Time is merely a guideline and the temperature of your fridge, the turkey, ambient temperature and air circulation in the oven can easily make 45 mins difference in cooking time.
When the turkey is at temperature and cooked, take it out of the oven and DO NOT cover it with blankets, tin foil or a sleeping bag! Covering it creates another oven and the bird will overcook. This frees your oven up to do all the veg etc. It will take three hours for the turkey to cool off so just relax.”
