A Christmas turkey is actually surprisingly easy to make. The garlic, herb butter seasoning of the skin, the juiciness of the roast turkey meat, the flavourful stuffing - and did I mention, THE BEST GRAVY - all add to make this the easiest, luxurious roast turkey recipe you will find.
Growing up in Queensland, Australia, we never had a Christmas turkey dinner because it was too hot. Our Christmas meals were mainly seafood based because it helped cool us down on one of the hottest days of the year. So to gain the knowledge I needed to make roast turkey for the first time, I asked my Canadian partner and we ended up calling his Grandmother over in Canada who has made hundreds of turkeys!
Best decision ever. She provided me with all the tips and tricks to make THE BEST turkey you will ever eat in your life. And, I successfully did it on my first try! This is coming from someone who, 10 years ago, burnt a roast chicken that my mother asked me to keep an eye on.
Now, I always knew they were big. What springs to mind is the Thanksgiving episode on FRIENDS where Monica brings out the Turkey for Joey and compares it to Chandlers chicken, or where she puts the turkey on her head.
Jump to:
Preparing your Christmas turkey
It all comes down to the prep. You want to thaw your turkey and season it just right to make sure it comes out extra delicious and juicy.
Thawing the turkey
Turkeys are HUGE. And they normally come frozen. So how do you thaw it?
First, you need to be prepared. You will have little chance of purchasing and cooking a turkey on the same day. I would recommend at least 2-3 days before wanting to cook to purchase your turkey.
Fridge thaw. approx. 24 hours per 2kg.
Water thaw. approx. 30 minutes per 500g (make sure you change the water every 30 minutes).
Before getting a move on to cook your turkey, you also need it to come to room temperature. This can take several hours (depending on the size of the bird). I would allow at least 2-3 hours.
Seasoning Christmas turkey
I use this seasoning recipe for my roast chicken as well and it is an absolute winner. Every. Single. Time. Combining butter, garlic and some dried herbs - it's literally like having garlic bread on the skin. And when it's cooking in the oven, it smells amazing!
As turkeys take quite a while to cook (remember, THEY'RE HUGE!), I like to coat the skin of the turkey initially with about ¼ of the seasoning/baste, and then re-apply every 30 minutes to give help the flavour really sink in.
Roast turkey stuffing
I'm a fan of simple, flavourful stuffing that amplifies the flavour of the roast turkey rather than overpowers it. I'm also a fan of using up scraps that I have lying around so I limit my waste. Especially over Christmas!
- Chop and cook vegetables
I have used a variety of vegetables for the stuffing of a turkey or a chicken. It depends what I have leftover in my fridge. My going favourites include:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Capsicum
- Onion
You'll want about a cup of whatever vegetable you choose. Cook on a small pan until tender.
- Breadcrumbs
Take about a cup of your favourite breadcrumbs with some butter or oil and brown these off in a pan with the vegetables. You could also use nuts if you have some spare.
- Flavour
Now the fun part. Most of my recipes use very simple ingredients, but I LOVE FLAVOUR! In the stuffing, you'll want to add some crushed fresh garlic, Salt and Pepper, and some fresh herbs (oregano and rosemary are my favourite).
- STUFF IT
Then you just sort of add all the ingredients together and stuff it into the butt of the turkey. It doesn't sound appetising, but once it's cooked, you'll be thankful you made it!
Cooking your roast turkey
- Season and stuff
After seasoning and stuffing your Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey, you want to cook it using a pan with a roasting rack that comes with a lid. If you don't have a lid, you can use aluminium foil.
Add half a cup of water to the bottom of the pan and 4-6 cloves of garlic (or as many as you want, measure that with your heart). - Cook
Cook uncovered (breast side up) for the first 30 minutes @200C. This allows the skin to crisp up. After the 30 minutes, reapply the seasoning, lower the heat to 170C and put the lid on for the next hour. It can then be cooked with the lid off (although, you may want to wrap the wings and legs in aluminium foil if they look like they're cooking faster than the rest of the turkey).
You want to reapply the seasoning every 30 minutes with a basting brush to allow the flavours to really sink in. The cooking time after this 30 minutes will vary depending on how big your bird is. But typically allow about 20-40 minutes per kilogram (depending on oven, whether the turkey is stuffed etc.)
- Check internal temperature
The turkey is cooked when it has reached an internal temperature of 75C / 165F. This is the FSANZ recommendation.
To take the temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey (the breast). Insert about halfway into the flesh.
When this temperature is reached, let the turkey rest for 30 minutes. This helps the flesh tenderise and relax. I've let the turkey rest for up to 1.5 hours and it was still hot inside so don't rush this process. - Roast turkey gravy
Speaking of not wanting to waste anything, make your turkey from the juices at the bottom of the cooked turkey pan!
Make a roux (combine flour and melted butter), then add your juices and your stock. I have been told that this is the best gravy ever!
Christmas sides with turkey
What to do with leftover turkey
Turkeys are absolutely massive you are a likely to have some leftover. There's lots you can do with turkey, but of course my favourite is to meal prep!
The first time I made a turkey, I not only had friends over to help us eat it, but I also managed to meal prep 10 meals using the turkey. These included a turkey Christmas salad and the Turkey Roast with gravy and cranberry sauce.
Christmas turkey alternatives
If you're not a fan of turkey, then there are many other alternatives for your Thanksgiving meal or Christmas table. Check out some of my favourites below!
Do you want more Christmas Recipes?
I have put together a Christmas Recipes E-Book with over 35 recipes and guides on cooking specifically focused on Christmas to help you put your best entertaining food forward.
It's your one-stop-shop for mains, sides and desserts
You can download this my Christmas Recipe E-Book to have the recipes on hand at all times!!
Ready to put your best entertaining foot forward? Check out more here!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze Christmas turkey. To do this properly and ensure it remains tasty and safe to consume, wrap the turkey in plastic wrap then place it in a freezer bag, or add it to a food saver vacuum bag. Be sure remove all of the air from the bag before sealing it. You can also freeze turkey parts, such as the breasts, thighs, and wings.
To thaw a frozen turkey, place it in the refrigerator overnight or do a quick thaw in a cold water bath.
The internal cooked temperature of a roast turkey is 70-75C / 165F. This is the FSANZ recommendation.
To take the temperature, remove the turkey from the oven and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey (normally between the breast and the leg). Insert about halfway into the flesh.
The cooking time for turkey can vary depending on a number of factors.
Size. A general rule of thumb is 12-17 minutes per pound, or 20-40 minutes per kg.
Pre-cooking temperature. If the turkey is cold before roasting and hasn't come to room temperature, it will take longer to roast.
Stuffing. If you've added stuffing, this will typically add a bit of time to the overall cooking time of the turkey.
Oven. Ovens can vary dramatically which is why I recommend checking the turkey frequently.
Here are some approximate times:
5kg (10 pounds): 2 hours 30 minutes
6kg (12 pounds): 2 hours 45 minutes
7kg (14 pounds): 3 hours
8kg (16 pounds): 3 hours 15 minutes
9kg (18 pounds): 3 hours 30 minutes
10kg (20 pounds): 4 hours
Check regularly (I cannot say this enough). Insert your meat thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey (normally around the leg/breast) and it should read between 70-75C.
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Recipe
Easy Roast Turkey Recipe
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Equipment
- Large Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 5 kg (11 lb) whole turkey , defrosted, see note 3
- 4 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
Turkey Stuffing (optional)
- 150 g (5 ½ oz) onion, approx.1
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) carrot, approx.1
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, (See Note 1)
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano , (See Note 1)
- 1 bunch parsley , (See Note 1)
- 2 spring onion, (See Note 1)
- 100 g (1 cups) breadcrumbs
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter
- ½ lemon
Turkey coating
- 60 g (¼ cups) butter
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried rosemary
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried oregano
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) paprika , (optional) (See Note 2)
- salt and pepper , to taste
Gravy
- 500 ml (2 cups) stock, vegetable or chicken stock
- 15 g (2 tablespoon) flour
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter
- turkey juices , leftover from bottom of pan
Instructions
Prepare Turkey
- Allow the 5 kg (11 lb) whole turkey to thaw (See Note 3) and come to room temperature (See Note 4).
- Pat the skin of the turkey dry with paper towels and clean off any excess feathers. Place in a roasting pan with a rack and lid, breast side up. Add 4 cloves garlic to the bottom and ¼ cup water.
- Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
Stuffing (optional)
- Dice: 150 g (5 ½ oz) onion, 100 g (3 ½ oz) carrot, 4 cloves garlic, 2 spring onionRemove leaves and throw away stalk: 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh oregano , 1 bunch parsley
- Add 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter to a pan over medium heat, slowly melt. Add 150 g (5 ½ oz) onion, 100 g (3 ½ oz) carrot, 4 cloves garlic and cook for approx. 2 minutes.
- Add 100 g (1 cups) breadcrumbs and 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh oregano , 1 bunch parsley , 2 spring onion mix well.
- Open legs of the turkey and add mixture to the inside. Cover the hole with ½ lemon and tie the legs together.
Seasoning
- Melt 60 g (¼ cups) butter in the microwave on 10 second intervals until half melted. Stir until fully melted. Add 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried rosemary , 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried oregano, 10 g (2 tablespoon) paprika salt and pepper and mix until combined.
- Using a basting brush, coat the entire skin of the turkey using ¼ of the mixture (the rest will be used throughout the cook to continue basting).
Cook turkey
- Place turkey, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove, the turkey, reapply with more of the seasoning and cover.
- Remove the turkey. Reapply with another coat of the seasoning then cover and cook for another hour. Repeat again after the hour.
- Continue to reapply seasoning every 30 minutes until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 70°C (160°F) (See Note 5).The time will depend on how large your turkey is.
- Once reached its internal temperature, allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes (See Note 6)
Gravy
- While the turkey is resting, carefully pour turkey juices from roasting pan into small measuring cup. Rest for 5 minutes to allow fat to rise above juices, then remove the fat with a spoon.
- Add the remaining liquid to a pot with the 500 ml (2 cups) stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, strain using a sieve (making sure to keep the liquid) and discard the solids.
- Add the empty pan back to the heat then add 30 g (2 tablespoon) butter and swirl to melt. Add 15 g (2 tablespoon) flour and stir for a couple of minutes until combined with the butter. Whisk in stock mixture and bring to a simmer or until gravy thickens slightly. Season with salt & pepper.
- Serve turkey with the gravy.
Notes
- Fridge thaw. approx. 24 hours per 2kg.
- Water thaw. approx. 30 minutes per 500g (make sure you change the water every 30 minutes).
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