How long to cook a turkey? Times per kg & tips

Cooking times for whole turkeys and crowns by weight, how to tell it's done, and why resting matters. Everything you need for a stress-free Christmas dinner.

"How long do I cook my turkey?" is one of the most searched cooking questions of the whole year. Here's the simple answer, and what to do with the time either side of it.

Turkey cooking times

A widely used rule (the British Turkey guideline) for a whole bird in an oven at 190°C (170°C fan, gas mark 5):

Under 4kg: 20 minutes per kg, plus 70 minutes
Over 4kg: 20 minutes per kg, plus 90 minutes

Weight	Roughly serves	Cooking time
3kg	5–6	2 hrs 10 mins
3.5kg	6–7	2 hrs 20 mins
4.5kg	8–9	3 hrs
5kg	9–10	3 hrs 10 mins
6kg	11–12	3 hrs 30 mins
7kg	13–14	3 hrs 50 mins

Weigh your bird after stuffing, if you're stuffing the neck. Ovens vary, so treat these times as a guide and check the bird is cooked (below) before you take it out.

Turkey crowns cook faster because there are no legs. As a guide, allow around 35–40 minutes per kg at 190°C (170°C fan). Check the label or ask us when you collect.

How to tell it's cooked

The safest way is a meat thermometer. Push it into the thickest part of the bird, between the breast and thigh, without touching the bone.

UK food safety guidance is a core temperature of at least 70°C for 2 minutes, or equivalent.
Many cooks take the turkey out at around 72–75°C in the thickest part, as it keeps cooking as it rests.

No thermometer? Pierce the thickest part of the thigh: the juices should run clear, with no pink, and the meat should be steaming hot all the way through.

Before it goes in

Fresh bird: keep it in the fridge until the day. Take it out about 30 minutes before cooking.
Frozen bird: defrost it fully in the fridge first, which can take several days for a large turkey. One of the advantages of a fresh butcher's bird is that you don't need to.
Pat it dry, season well, and spread soft butter over the breast (under the skin too, if you like). Lay bacon over the top to keep the breast moist.
Stuffing: cook it in a separate dish, or stuff only the neck cavity. Stuffing the main cavity slows cooking and makes it harder to cook the bird through safely.

While it cooks

Cover the bird loosely with foil for most of the cooking time, then remove it for the last 30–45 minutes to brown the skin.
Baste every hour or so with the juices in the tin.
If the breast browns too fast, cover it again.

Rest it. Really.

Resting is the step people skip, and it's the one that makes the meat juicy. Lift the turkey onto a board, cover it loosely with foil and a couple of clean tea towels, and leave it for at least 30 minutes, and up to 90 minutes for a big bird. It stays hot, the juices settle back into the meat, and it's far easier to carve.

That resting time is also when your oven is free for the roast potatoes and pigs in blankets.

Sample timings for 1pm dinner (5kg bird)

Time	Job
9:00	Take the turkey out of the fridge
9:30	Into the oven (3 hrs 10 mins)
12:40	Check it's cooked, then rest
12:40	Potatoes, pigs in blankets and stuffing into the hot oven
13:30	Carve and serve