Recipe Lowan Park Whole Turkey

Achieve perfection with our festive cooking tips.

* Adding stuffing? Calculate cooking time using the combined weight of the turkey and stuffing. Allow approx. 45 minutes of cooking time per kilogram.

Prep Time

1 hour

Cooking Time

45 minutes per 1kg

Rest Time

15 - 25 minutes

Cooking Instructions

Remove the turkey from the fridge approx. 1 hour before cooking. Unwrap and pat the skin thoroughly dry. This will help the skin become beautifully golden and crisp during roasting.

Preheat oven to 220°C.

Season the cavity with salt and pepper and loosely fill with stuffing, if using (do not pack it too tightly as the stuffing will expand during cooking). Secure with a skewer or kitchen twine.

Rub the turkey with butter or olive oil and season well with salt and white pepper. Place breast side up on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan with a little water in the pan. Roast for 25–30 minutes, or until the skin begins to turn golden.

Reduce oven to 165°C, add 400ml chicken stock or white wine to the roasting pan and continue roasting, allowing approx. 45 minutes per kilogram in total. Baste every 45 minutes to help keep your turkey beautifully moist.

Begin checking 30–45 minutes before the estimated cooking time.

4kg Turkey: Begin checking after approx. 3 hours

5kg Turkey: Begin checking after approx. 3 hrs 45 mins

6kg Turkey: Begin checking after approx. 4 hrs 30 mins

The turkey is ready when the thickest part of the thigh near the breast and the centre of the stuffing reach 75°C, avoiding the bone.

*No thermometer? Insert a skewer into the centre of the stuffing; it should come out piping hot. Pierce the thickest part of the inner thigh, avoiding the bone. Juices should run clear.

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and rest for 15 to 25 minutes before carving.