Turkey Cooking Time Calculator
Calculate turkey cooking time by weight for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Covers stuffed and unstuffed turkey. Free turkey calculator with temperature guide.
Cooking Time at 180°C
3h 40 mins – 4h 8 mins
Rest Time
30 mins
Safe Temp
75°C
Christmas Timing Planner
At 180°C. Cover breast with bacon or foil for the first two-thirds of cooking. Remove covering for the final third to brown the skin. Baste every 45 minutes. A 5kg turkey takes approximately 3h 20min–3h 45min.
Turkey Weight Reference
At 180°C (Gas Mark 4). Click any row to use that weight.
How to use this tool
Choose stuffed or unstuffed
Stuffed turkeys take 30–40 minutes longer as the stuffing must also reach 75°C. Many cooks recommend stuffing separately for food safety and easier timing.
Enter the turkey weight
Type the weight in kg or click any reference table row (3kg to 8kg in 500g steps). The cooking time range updates instantly.
Use the Christmas timing planner
Enter your desired serving time. The planner works backwards to show when to take the turkey from the fridge, preheat the oven, put it in, and take it out.
Tips
Take turkey out of the fridge 1–2 hours before cooking. Cold turkey from the fridge takes significantly longer and cooks unevenly.
Cover the breast with bacon rashers or buttered foil for the first two-thirds of cooking to prevent it drying out.
Baste every 45 minutes with pan juices for a moist bird and rich, flavourful gravy material.
If the skin is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil but don't seal it — steam will stop the skin crisping.
Rest at least 30 minutes — up to 1.5 hours — under foil. Use this time for high-heat roasted vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
Always use a meat thermometer. A 5kg turkey is a lot of food to risk on guesswork.
About this turkey cooking time tool
Turkey cooking time is the most critical calculation for Christmas dinner. Get it wrong and the whole meal is delayed — or worse, it arrives at the table undercooked. The standard formula is 40–45 minutes per kg at 180°C (Gas Mark 4) for an unstuffed bird, or 45–50 minutes for stuffed. A 5kg turkey needs approximately 3 hours 20 minutes to 3 hours 45 minutes of cooking, plus a mandatory 30–45 minute rest.
The key food safety requirement is an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the thigh. This is the point at which all harmful bacteria including Salmonella are destroyed. A meat thermometer is not optional for turkey — the size and irregular shape make it impossible to judge doneness by time alone. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the inner thigh, as far from the bone as possible.
Timing the turkey is the most stressful part of Christmas cooking. The trick is to work backwards from your desired serving time. If you want to eat at 1pm and the turkey is 5kg: cooking time ≈ 3h 40min, resting ≈ 45min, oven preheating ≈ 20min. So the turkey needs to go in the oven by 8:15am. Use the Christmas timing planner above to calculate your exact schedule.
Allowing the turkey to rest fully is the most commonly skipped step. A large turkey that rests for 45 minutes under a foil tent will remain piping hot and will carve much more easily and juicily than one carved immediately. The resting window also frees up the oven for roast potatoes, parsnips, and pigs in blankets at maximum temperature — one of the great practical benefits of the rest period.
Frequently asked questions
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