TURKEY COOKING TIPS

IMPORTANT NOTES BEFORE YOU START…

1. First time cooking a turkey? It’s worthwhile spending some time reading through different recipe & cooking guides first. Like with most things, opinions vary and there’s always different ways of doing things. In our experience, it’s essential to brine your turkey (dry or wet brine – watch this video for a good demo of both) & always allow a decent amount of resting time to ensure the turkey remains moist. 

2. Make sure you know what weight your turkey is. This will help to determine the cooking time required.

3. Choose a roasting dish that’s large enough to hold the turkey with enough room around the bird to fit some vegetables. We recommend making a trivet of root vegetables & onions underneath and around the turkey. This will greatly enhance the flavour of the gravy you can make.

4. Remove your turkey from the fridge 20/30 minutes before placing in the oven to remove some of the chill. In a Summer Christmas in the Queensland heat you need to be extremely careful with raw poultry.

5. Cover your turkey loosely with foil while cooking & remove it for the last hour to allow the skin to brown.

6. The secret to knowing how to tell if the turkey is cooked enough is by using a digital cooking thermometer. The recommended internal temperature for cooked poultry is 75°C. You can remove the turkey from the oven around 70°C as it will keep rising for some time while resting.

Always double-check by sticking the probe in several different spots within the thigh or breast, to find the lowest reading. If returning to the oven, allow 10-15 minutes, then test again until the correct temperature is reached.

7. Without a thermometer, the classic way to test is to push a spoon under the turkey leg so that it pierces the skin (or use a skewer), and inspect the juices that collect in the spoon. The juices should be pale gold and clear; if there are traces of blood, return to the oven as above.

COOKING WHOLE TURKEY

Preheat your oven to 170/180°C.
Remove turkey from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
Allow a cooking time of approximately 35 minutes per kg of turkey.
Cover turkey with foil while cooking and remove for final 30 minutes.
Allow 1 hour minimum resting time.

For example…
4kg x 35 mins = 140 minutes / 2.3 hours
6kg x 35 mins = 210 minutes / 3.5 hours
8kg x 35 mins = 280 minutes / 4.6 hours

OR UNTIL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE READS 70°C | 165°F
WE RECOMMEND USING A DIGITAL THERMOMETER TO AVOID OVER OR UNDER COOKING!
(or until the juices run clear from the thigh if you pierce it with a knife or a skewer).

RESTING TIME
It is essential to rest your turkey for at least an hour before carving (the temperature will continue to rise). Put the bird in a warm place, tented with foil. It won’t get cold – but it will become juicier, and easier to carve.

WHOLE TURKEY SIZE GUIDE

Wondering what size turkey you need?
Use our turkey size guide to help you choose the best turkey size option for you.
Looking for a smaller alternative to a whole turkey? One of our rolled turkey breasts would be perfect (see below)

These are approximations only and based on no other protein being served.

WHOLE FREE RANGE TURKEY (fresh or frozen)

A whole, free range turkey will feed plenty of people and will both look and taste amazing at your Christmas or Thanksgiving feast.

4kg – Serves 8-10
5kg – Serves 10-12
6kg – Serves 12-15
7kg – Serves 15-20
8kg – Serves 20-25

PLEASE NOTE:
All turkey sizes are available to order in stores.
4kg & 6kg turkeys are available to order online for Home Delivery or Click & Collect.

PRE MADE STUFFING OPTION
Save yourself time & bother using our home made Cranberry, Almond & Thyme Stuffing. Just add stock and melted butter. GLUTEN FREE.

TURKEY BREAST – COOKING & SIZE GUIDE

FREE RANGE TURKEY BREAST
A roasted rolled turkey breast is a great centre piece for your Christmas or Thanksgiving table. They’re very manageable in terms of size compared to a whole turkey (a small whole turkey starts at 4kg). A turkey breast roast won’t take up loads of space in your fridge & oven either. Another bonus – there’s less wastage as they’re much easier to carve & portion (no bones – all meat).

Our free range turkey breast is available as the following;
Single or double breast.
Stuffed or plain.
The turkey breast is rolled, skin on and then netted – ready to roast.

SEASONAL (available Nov & Dec only) 
Our free range rolled turkey breast roasts are also available stuffed with our own home made Cranberry, Almond & Thyme Stuffing.

SIZE GUIDE
Single Breast (1.5kg) – Serves 6
Double Breast (3kg) – Serves 12

COOKING GUIDE

1. Preheat your oven to 170/180°C.

2. Rub turkey breast with butter or oil & season.

3. Allow around 20 mins cooking time for every 500g of turkey breast. The total cooking time will depend on your oven of course. Remove foil for final 20 mins to allow the skin to brown. 

Ultimately the best way to know if your stuffed turkey breast is ready is to insert a meat thermometer approximately 4cm into the turkey meat and measure the temperature. We recommend these digital Fire Slap ones because they’re fast and accurate.

Poultry needs to cooked to at least 75°C. When it’s cooked, remove and place the turkey onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil to rest for 10-15 mins.