Servings
Font
Back
0 from 6 votes

Easy Peasy Christmas Turkey

A very easy peasy recipe for a 3kg turkey. The cooking may be simple but the result is delicious: crisp bronzed skin, moist and succulent meat and enough for 6 - 8 people, depending on appetite.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 406 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American , British

Ingredients

  • 3 kg whole fresh turkey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Remove your turkey from the fridge about an hour before you are going to cook it.
  2. Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan/ gas mark 4 / 350F about 15 minutes before you want to start cooking your turkey. It is really important that your oven is at the right temperature before you start.
  3. Next, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the turkey and add a pinch of salt and a good few twists of  black pepper. Rub the oil, salt and pepper all over the bird and place, breast side up in a roasting tray.
  4. Cover the turkey in foil and roast for 45 minutes. The foil will help keep the breast meat juicy and stop the skin browning too soon and burning before the meat is cooked.
  5. After 45 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil. Baste the turkey with the juices you find at the bottom of the tin. Put the turkey back in the oven, uncovered this time, for a further 45 minutes.
  6. After 45 minutes, turn the oven up to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F, remove the turkey from the oven and baste with the juices. Return the turkey back to the oven for a further 30 minutes. Cooking the turkey at a higher temperature will help the turkey skin to brown and crisp up. This is also the perfect temperature for roast potatoes, meaning you can start them now and they will be ready when the turkey has rested for 30 minutes.
  7. After 30 minutes (the turkey will have cooked for a total of 2 hours), remove the turkey from the oven and check it is done. Stick a small sharp knife in the fattest part of the turkey (between the breast and the thigh), and the juices should run clear and the meat should be white. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 70-75C.
  8. Transfer the turkey to a clean roasting tin (or similar). Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes, covered loosely in foil. It will not get cold and the meat will taste much nicer.
  9. Use the turkey roasting tray to make delicious turkey gravy.

Notes

  • Suitable for freezing.
  • Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Information

Calories 406kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 0g (0%) Protein 57g (114%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 191mg (64%) Sodium 298mg (12%) Potassium 596mg (17%) Sugar 0g (0%) Vitamin A 150IU (3%) Calcium 29mg (3%) Iron 2.3mg (13%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 406

% Daily Value*

Calories 406kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 0g 0%
Protein 57g 114%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 191mg 64%
Sodium 298mg 12%
Potassium 596mg 13%
Sugar 0g 0%
Vitamin A 150IU 3%
Calcium 29mg 3%
Iron 2.3mg 13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.