For a great many British Muslim families, the last week of December is a rare thing: the whole household at home, the schools shut, the offices quiet, and cousins down from Bradford or up from London. You do not need to mark Christmas to want a proper feast at the centre of the festive season, and for a lot of people that feast is a whole turkey.
The problem has always been finding one. Supermarket turkeys are not halal, and halal butchers who sell whole fresh turkeys are few and book up fast. This guide covers what size to order, when to order it, and how to roast it so it comes out juicy rather than dry, which is the turkey’s great failing.
Why a fresh halal turkey, not frozen, makes the difference
Most turkeys sold in Britain at Christmas are frozen. A frozen bird needs time to defrost slowly in the fridge, which for a large turkey takes three to four days, and if it is not fully thawed in the centre it will not cook safely or evenly. Even after a careful defrost, a frozen bird loses moisture as the ice crystals melt, and turkey breast has very little moisture to spare.
A fresh turkey skips all of that. There is nothing to defrost: it goes straight from the fridge to the oven and starts with all of its juices intact. That is the quality difference you notice on the plate, a plump, moist bird rather than a dry one. THB’s festive turkeys are prepared fresh, never frozen, certified halal and hand-slaughtered in accordance with Islamic principles, and delivered chilled to your door. Fresh poultry is highly perishable, so keep it refrigerated right up until it goes in the oven.
What size whole turkey do you need?
The rule of thumb is about half a kilo of whole bird per person, per serving, which allows for the weight of the bones and carcass and leaves enough for second helpings. If you want generous leftovers for Boxing Day, allow 750g per person. Use the table below to calculate the right weight for your table.
| Number of people | Turkey weight (no leftovers) | Turkey weight (with leftovers) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 | 3kg | 4kg |
| 6 to 8 | 4kg | 5.5kg |
| 8 to 10 | 5kg | 7kg |
| 10 to 12 | 6kg | 8kg+ |
A whole turkey rather than a crown gives you both breast and leg meat, plus the carcass for stock, which is why it remains the centrepiece of choice for a family feed.
Before you order, check your oven. A 7kg turkey in its roasting tin is wider than many standard domestic ovens. Measure the inside of your oven and your largest tin. If space is tight, two smaller birds or a turkey plus a second joint is the better plan.
When to order
Fresh halal turkeys are a limited, seasonal product, and the best sizes go first. THB takes pre-orders on the festive turkey page, and the sensible approach is to reserve your bird in November rather than waiting for December.
When you order, choose a delivery date as close to your meal as possible. A fresh turkey keeps well in the fridge for a few days, but there is no benefit in having it sit there any longer than it needs to.
Storing your turkey on arrival
Unpack it as soon as it arrives. Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge, below 5°C, on the bottom shelf on a tray or plate so nothing can drip onto other food. If your fridge is full of Christmas shopping, a clean cool box with ice packs in a cold garage or porch will do for a night, but check the temperature.
How to roast a halal turkey
Before it goes in
Take the turkey out of the fridge an hour before cooking so it is not stone cold in the middle. Remove any packaging and giblets from the cavity (keep the neck and giblets for the gravy). Pat the skin dry with kitchen roll; dry skin crisps, wet skin steams.
Do not stuff the main cavity. Stuffing packed inside the bird slows the cooking of the centre and is a common reason for undercooked turkey. Instead, put a halved lemon, an onion, a few garlic cloves and some herbs in the cavity for flavour, and cook your stuffing separately in a dish.
Butter under the skin
The turkey breast is the leanest part of the bird and the first to dry out, so this is the single best thing you can do for it. Mash 150g of soft butter with chopped thyme, sage, the zest of a lemon, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Gently loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers, working from the neck end, and push the butter underneath, spreading it as evenly as you can over the breast meat. Rub any left over on the outside.
The butter bastes the breast from the inside as it melts, which is exactly where turkey needs the help to keep the meat moist. For a glossier finish, brush the skin with a little honey for the last 20 minutes, watching that it does not catch.
Turkey cooking time
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan). Sit the turkey on a trivet of thickly sliced onions and carrots in a large roasting tin and pour 300ml of water or stock into the tin. Cover the breast loosely with foil.
Use this turkey cooking time calculation, based on the weight of the bird and recommended by British turkey producers:
- Under 4.5kg: 20 minutes per kilo, plus 70 minutes
- Over 4.5kg: 20 minutes per kilo, plus 90 minutes
| Turkey weight | Approximate roasting time at 190°C (170°C fan) |
|---|---|
| 3kg | 2 hours 10 minutes |
| 4kg | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| 5kg | 3 hours 10 minutes |
| 6kg | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| 7kg | 3 hours 50 minutes |
Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes so the skin can brown. Baste with the juices from the tin two or three times during cooking.
Fan ovens vary, so start checking 30 minutes before the time is up.
How to tell it is cooked
The only reliable test is a meat thermometer. Push it into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone. The turkey is cooked when it reads 74°C. At that point the breast will be around 65°C to 70°C and will rise a few degrees as it rests.
Without a thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. The juices should run completely clear, with no pink, and the leg joint should move easily when wiggled.
Resting: the secret to the perfect turkey
Rest the turkey for at least 45 minutes, and up to 90 minutes for a large bird, covered loosely with foil and a couple of clean tea towels. It will stay hot. Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat and is the difference between a moist carve and a dry one. It also frees your oven for the roast potatoes.
The gravy
While the turkey roasts, simmer the neck and giblets in a litre of water with an onion, a carrot and a bay leaf for an hour to make a stock.
When the turkey is resting, tip most of the fat out of the roasting tin, leaving the juices and the roasted vegetables. Put the tin on the hob over a medium heat, stir in 2 tablespoons of plain flour and cook for a minute, scraping up all the browned bits. Gradually whisk in the giblet stock and any juices from the resting turkey. Simmer for 10 minutes, mash the vegetables into it, then strain into a pan. Season and keep warm.
Turkey alternatives and sides
Not everyone wants turkey, and many families prefer a choice of two meats. A roast leg of lamb is the most popular alternative on halal festive tables; the guide to roasting leg of lamb covers it in full. For a smaller gathering, a whole chicken or a free range corn fed chicken roasted the same way is just as festive, and chicken cooks in a fraction of the time.
For the trimmings, crisp halal beef rashers wrapped around chipolata-style chicken sausages make a halal version of pigs in blankets that nobody will complain about. THB’s Roasting Box covers the other joints if you are feeding a crowd over several days.
Hosting a bigger spread? THB Mag’s guide to the perfect halal dinner party covers planning, timing and portions.
Leftovers
Strip the meat from the carcass within two hours of the meal and refrigerate. Cooked turkey keeps for three days; if you will not be eating it within that time, freeze it. Turn it into turkey biryani, a creamy turkey and leek pie, turkey tikka wraps or a spicy turkey curry. For more leftover recipes, the carcass makes an excellent stock for soup.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy a halal turkey in the UK?
Fresh halal turkeys are sold by specialist halal butchers, usually as a seasonal pre-order. THB delivers fresh, never frozen, certified halal turkeys nationwide; pre-order on the festive turkey page.
How long does a turkey take to cook?
At 190°C (170°C fan), allow 20 minutes per kilo plus 70 minutes for a bird under 4.5kg, or plus 90 minutes over 4.5kg. A 5kg turkey takes about 3 hours 10 minutes. Check with a thermometer: 74°C in the thickest part of the thigh.
What size turkey do I need for 8 people?
About 4kg to 5kg, or 6kg if you want leftovers.
Should I cover my turkey with foil?
Yes, loosely over the breast for most of the cooking time, then remove it for the last 45 minutes to brown the skin.
How long should a turkey rest?
At least 45 minutes, and up to 90 minutes for a large bird. Cover it with foil and tea towels and it will stay hot.
How long does a fresh turkey keep in the fridge?
Check the use-by date on the packaging. Keep it below 5°C and cook it by that date.
Is THB turkey halal?
Yes. THB’s festive turkeys are certified halal and hand-slaughtered in accordance with Islamic principles.
Reserve your halal turkey
A fresh, properly roasted turkey is one of the great centrepieces of the British winter, and there is no reason a halal household should go without one. THB’s festive turkeys are limited and taken on pre-order, so do not leave it until December. Pre-order your festive halal turkey today and it will arrive fresh and chilled, ready for the oven.
