Kiss dry turkey goodbye!
Say goodbye to dry turkey this Christmas with Chef Maria Harte's expert tips and resources for a stress-free festive feast. From a comprehensive Christmas Dinner Planner to a Turkey Cooking Time Calculator, everything you need to ensure your turkey steals the show.
According to Safefood’s annual survey, 55% of people are worried about cooking their turkey correctly while a further 30% are worried about timing their turkey so that it’s ready with all the other dishes.
Safefood has tools to help home cooks make it a safe and tasty turkey for Christmas Day – the Christmas Dinner Food Planner can help reduce the stress of preparation and prevent food waste.
The Turkey Cooking Time Calculator helps cooks get everything ready on time. Simply enter the time you want to eat dinner, answer a couple of questions about the turkey weight and oven type, and it will calculate when you need to start cooking.
It is recommended to use a meat thermometer, which takes all the guesswork out of knowing when your turkey has reached the safe internal temperature of 75ºC. If you do not own a meat thermometer, you can check that there’s no pink meat, the juices run clear, and that the meat is piping hot when you cut into the thickest part.
Top Turkey Tips
Get your fridge ready
Ahead of the festive rush, give your fridge a good clean with warm soapy water and rearrange the shelves to make space for your turkey – you should store it on the bottom shelf.
How much turkey do you need?
Consider how many people you’re cooking for and whether you want any leftovers.
- 4-6 people: 3–4kg
- 6-8 people: 4–5kg
- 8-10 people: 5–6kg
Don’t wash your turkey
Do not wash your turkey as this can spread harmful bacteria to your sink and kitchen surfaces - proper cooking will kill any bacteria. Handle your turkey as little as possible and remember to wash your hands and any surfaces/utensils with hot, soapy water before you handle anything else.
Cooking perfectly every time
Use Safefood’s Turkey Cooking Time Calculator to schedule your preparation and cooking time.
For guaranteed results, use a meat thermometer:
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (between the breast and leg).
- Ensure it reaches 75°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, check that juices run clear and no pink meat remains.
Store and enjoy leftovers safely
Always cover leftovers and place in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Ensure that any meat is cooled as quickly as possible – cutting it into pieces will help. Once in the fridge, leftovers should be eaten within three days. When re-heating, ensure food is piping hot all the way through and only re-heated once. Check out Safefood's Christmas leftovers recipes