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how to roast a turkey crown?

How to roast a turkey crown? It could not be any easier. Follow a few simple steps contained within this post to ensure soft and juicy meat every time.

Turkey is a delicious meat when cooked properly, a lovely rich and tasty roast. Follow a few simple instructions and we will have you cooking moist and succulent turkey time and again.

A table set for a festive roast turkey dinner complete with the turkey crown, stuffing balls, sprouts, roast potatoes, red cabbage and pigs in blankets.

Roast turkey is most often associated with Thanksgiving or Christmas lunch, where it takes centre stage on the dining room table. However, this bird is a delicious joint any time of the year and makes a great Sunday roast.

A turkey crown is a great joint to serve for smaller gatherings. A 2kg turkey crown will serve a minimum of 6 people. As well as being quick and simple to prepare, it will also fit easily into most ovens, with space leftover to roast potatoes and other vegetables.

Furthermore, with a turkey crown there is the added benefit of there not being quite so much in the way of leftovers!

How do you avoid dry turkey?

There are 3 steps to ensuring that you have moist and juicy slices of turkey, follow these and you will have delicious tasting meat every time.

  1. Turkey is a very lean meat with little fat so spread plenty butter (or olive oil if you prefer) over the turkey breast before cooking the bird. Baste the turkey with the cooking juices throughout the cook.
  2. Avoid overcooking the joint, cook only until cooked through and no longer. Overcooking will dry out this lean meat.
  3. Rest the joint for a minimum of 30-45 minutes to allow the juices to be absorbed back into the bird. This will give you juicy slices of meat once cut.

How to roast a turkey crown – recipe steps:

A fresh roast turkey crown with butter stuffed under the skin being prepped for cooking.
  • Preheat the oven to 190C/170CFan.
  • Remove the turkey crown from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking.
an image showing how to lift the skin of a turkey breast to allow space to stuff butter or herbs under it.
  • Using your fingers gently lift away the skin from the breast meat to form pockets to hold the butter.
A roast turkey crown prepared with butter under the skin, fresh Rosemary and sage and well seasoned with salt and pepper.
  • Gently push the butter up into the pockets between the skin and the flesh of the bird.
  • Season with salt and pepper and pack any herbs into the roasting tray.
  • Roast the turkey in the oven for the right amount of time, depending on the size of the bird (see table below).
  • Baste the turkey crown with the cooking juices throughout the cook.
  • Once cooked remove the crown from the oven and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

How long to roast a turkey crown?

Turkey crown should be cooked at 190C/170CFan with cooking times varying depending on the size of the crown you are roasting.

Turkey crown roasting time:

WEIGHTTOTAL COOKING TIME
1kg50 minutes
2kg1 hour 40 minutes
3kg2 hours 30 minutes
4kg3 hours 20 minues

Please note these are cooking times for a turkey crown and not a whole bird, which will vary!

How to check the turkey is cooked?

Roast turkey crown is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 74C. This is checked by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roasting joint in the centre of the bird.

However, if you don’t have a meat thermometer you can check is by inserting a knife into the centre of the turkey. Remove the knife and the turkey juices should run clear. If the juices are still pink, the turkey is not cooked and requires to be popped back in the oven for a little longer.

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Why do you rest turkey before slicing?

When cooking any joint of meat, it is important that you rest it before slicing and serving. When roasting a turkey crown you need to rest it for at least 30-45 minutes, however longer will do no harm at all.

Resting a turkey is essential if you want to ensure moist and tender meat. When rested, all the cooking juices will be absorbed back into the bird, leaving you with juicy slices of tender turkey breast.

What to serve with Roast Turkey Crown?

Our roast turkey crown taste amazing served with any vegetables, whether roasted, boiled or steamed. Although I confess that no roast dinner is quite complete without the addition of some roast potatoes.

Here are some recipe suggestions for serving alongside the turkey, along with those all important roast potatoes!

Roast turkey crown cooked and sliced to show the inside.

Recipe substitutions and variations:

  • Turkey crown is a great option for a smaller roasting joint and easier to prepare than a whole turkey. However, a whole bird can be cooked in exactly the same way, using the same additional ingredients. Just take care adapt the cooking times which differ greatly between a turkey crown and a whole bone-in bird.
  • Butter is smeared on the turkey breast, just under the skin to help keep the meat soft and succulent. Baste the turkey with the cooking pan juices throughout the cook to ensure deliciously tender and juicy meat.
  • Rosemary and sage leaves add lovely flavour to the turkey and elevates the flavour of any gravy made with the cooking juices. You could also add parsley or thyme leaves which would also add delicious flavour to the bird.
  • Garlic can also be added to the roasting tray for an added punch of flavour. Simply cut a bulb in half and pop it in.

Useful hints and tips:

  1. Take the turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking as allowing meat to come to room temperature results in your joint cooking more evenly.
  2. If using a frozen turkey breast take it out of the freezer the day before and defrost thoroughly before cooking.
  3. Once cooked, turkey meat will remain fresh if stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  4. Once cooked and cooled, leftover turkey can be frozen and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  5. Leftover turkey is delicious used up along with any leftover gravy and roast vegetables in our Leftover Turkey Pie.
  6. For those with dairy allergies or following a dairy free diet, replace the butter with vegetable oil and drizzle over the skin of the turkey instead.
  7. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions:

If you like this recipe then try some of our other great recipes for a Sunday roast:

A table set for a festive roast turkey dinner complete with the turkey crown, stuffing balls, sprouts, roast potatoes, red cabbage and pigs in blankets.

Roast Turkey Crown

How to roast a turkey crown? It could not be any easier, follow a few simple steps in this post and ensure soft and juicy meat every time.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 394kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 kg turkey crown
  • 50 g butter (softened)
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 5 sage leaves
  • salt & pepper (to season)

Instructions

  • Remove the turkey crown from the fridge an hour before cooking to allow the meat to come to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 190C/170CFan.
  • Start by gently lifting the skin from the turkey breast, taking care not to tear the skin too much. Run a finger under the skin, pulling it away from the turkey flesh and forming a pocket.
  • After making pockets on both sides of the turkey breast, gently push the the butter under the skin and work it so that it covers as much of the turkey breast as possible.
  • Place the turkey crown in a roasting tray and season the skin well with salt and black pepper. Add the rosemary and sage leaves to the roasting dish to flavour the bird when basting.
  • Cover loosely with a large piece of kitchen foil as this will stop the skin from browning too quickly before the meat is properly cooked.
  • Place the tray in the oven preheated and roast for an hour with the foil on top. After one hour, remove the foil (place the foil aside for later), baste the turkey by spooning over the cooking juices from the base of the roasting tray and return to the oven.
  • Continue to cook the turkey according the times calculated detailed in the post above or notes section in this recipe card. Cooking times depend on the size of the turkey crown. For a 2kg crown as above, continue to roast for 40-50 minutes. Baste the turkey crown again half ways through to keep the meat tender.
  • The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear. Ideally check the internal temperature has reached 74C.
  • Remove they turkey from the oven, cover loosely with the foil and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving.
  • After resting, carve the turkey into slices and serve.

Notes

Turkey Crown Total Cooking Times:
1kg Crown – 50 minutes
2kg Crown – 1hr 40 minutes
3kg Crown – 2hrs 20 minutes
4kg Crown – 3hrs 20 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Roast Turkey Crown
Amount Per Serving
Calories 394 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Trans Fat 1g
Cholesterol 188mg63%
Sodium 325mg14%
Potassium 533mg15%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 51g102%
Vitamin A 342IU7%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 28mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Main Course
Cuisine : British
Keyword : Christmas, Christmas Roast, easy roast turkey crown, Festive, How to roast a turkey crown, roast dinner, Sunday Dinner, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Roast
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Recipe Rating




Jo Keohane

Thursday 28th of October 2021

Would you believe I've never done a turkey crown. This might be the year now. Thanks for a great recipe and simple explanation.

Lesley

Thursday 28th of October 2021

Thank you Jo. A whole turkey can be daunting if you've never cooked one before, but cooking a turkey crown is a great stepping stone.

Cat

Wednesday 27th of October 2021

What a great guide to cooking a delicious turkey crown. It looks so moist with tasty looking skin. Yum!

Lesley

Thursday 28th of October 2021

Thank you Cat, the skin has always to be crispy.

Marita

Wednesday 27th of October 2021

Oh, this looks delicious. I never dared to roast a turkey but your instructions look so simple, that I will have to give it a try.

Lesley

Thursday 28th of October 2021

Thank you Marita, if you've never cooked a whole bird before then a good place to start is a turkey crown.