A 4-5kg bird will serve 6-7, a 5-6kg one will do 8-10 and a 6-7kg turkey will feed 10-12. If you’re catering for 6 or less, you might want to go for a crown joint rather than a whole bird – a 1.5-2kg turkey crown will serve 3-5, and a 2-2.5kg crown will feed 6-8. 2.

Then you can easily stretch a 3 pound boneless turkey breast to about 8 to 10 servings.

While 1 pound per person could feel like too little, and 1 1/2 pounds for each guest might be over-doing it, 1 1/4 pounds of turkey per mouth is the perfect balance.

Boned and rolled In an oven that is set at 180°C / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4, you should allow 20 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes.

Roasting Times for Whole Turkey:

Turkey Breast Joint Cooking Guide

1. 2kg Turkey Breast Joint : 1 hour 40 minutes.
2. 2.5kg Turkey Breast Joint : 2 hours.
3. 4.5kg Turkey Breast Joint : 3 hours 20 minutes.

How to cook a turkey crown

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Smear the butter all over the turkey crown and season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Put in a roasting tin, skin-side up, and roast for 70 mins plus 20 mins per kg, or until the internal temperature reaches 65-70C.
3. Remove the turkey from the oven and rest in a warm place for 20 mins.

Cover the turkey crown in foil and roast for 60 minutes. The foil will help keep the breast meat juicy and stop the skin browning too soon and burning before the meat is cooked. Cooking the turkey at a higher temperature will help the turkey skin to brown and crisp up.

Having some liquid in the bottom of your roasting tray, smearing with butter and draping over smoked bacon will all help to keep the crown moist during cooking and stop it from drying out. You can keep an eye on the internal temperature of your bird as you’re cooking if you have a temperature probe.

To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.

We do not recommend adding water to the bottom of the pan. Cooking a turkey with steam is a moist heat-cook method and is acceptable, sure, but is not the preferred method for cooking your turkey.” This will create spotty browning and may look underdone—even when the meat is fully cooked.

Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.

How Long to Roast a Turkey

1. For one 8- to 12-pound turkey, roast at 325°F for 2¾ to 3 hours.
2. For one 12- to 14-pound turkey, roast at 325°F for 3 to 3¾ hours.
3. For one 14- to 18-pound turkey, roast at 325°F for 3¾ to 4¼ hours.
4. For one 18- to 20-pound turkey, roast at 325°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours.

If your turkey weighs 18 to 20 pounds, roast it at: 425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours. 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours.

325°F

Good results can be had by roasting at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, but you can also achieve excellent results at 325 F. The rule of thumb is to select a lower temperature if you allow sufficient time in advance. The best temperature to remove the turkey for perfectly cooked white meat is 155-160 degrees breast temperature.

You can slow roast a turkey overnight without checking on it periodically. Roasting a turkey is so much easier when cooked overnight. Not just ok, your turkey will be moist and tender and ready for your finishing touches before you place it on the Thanksgiving turkey serving platter.

325 degrees Fahrenheit

While oven is heating, wash turkey in cold water, removing giblets, neck, tail and any pinfeathers. Rub oil over all sides of turkey. and place turkey in uncovered roasting pan in oven. Bake for 1 hours at 300 degrees to kill bacteria.

At 250 degrees F your turkey will take 25 to 30 minutes per pound. At 275 degrees F your turkey will take 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Keep the turkey cold while you brine it! It should be in the fridge or in a cooler, or at the very least in a tub of cold water.

15 minutes

Carve the breast and serve with the pan juices. Roasting times for a turkey breast cooked in a 325 degrees F oven: Unstuffed, a 2 to 3-pound turkey will cook from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Unstuffed, a 7 to 8-pound turkey will cook from 2 1/4 to 3 1/4 hours; if stuffed, it will cook in 3 to 4 hours.

First, Bring Your Bird to Room Temp Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you’re ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.

The amount of resting time depends on the size of the bird, but at least 20 minutes is needed. A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.

When you roast that turkey, it will retain more moisture, making for juicier, tastier meat. To dry brine a turkey, gently separate the skin from the breast meat, and rub kosher salt into the cavity in between, as well as all over the legs and back.

Serving Your Meat on a Cold Platter A cold or room temperature platter will cool off your food that much faster, so as a rule of thumb, just serve hot food on a hot plate and cold food on cold plates —that’s just one of the important restaurant secrets every home cook should know.

The answer: not in the least. Letting turkey rest is essential to allow its juices to redistribute so that the meat is juicier when you carve it.

If it’s done around an hour early, let it rest uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then cover your turkey with some foil and a thick towel or blanket to keep it warm. By letting it first rest you release the initial heat. That way it won’t overcook once it’s covered.