An Aussie Christmas lunch means a hot kitchen, a full fridge and seafood that has to stay cold. Here are the turkey numbers to plan around.
Thawing and roasting times per kg
| Turkey weight | Thaw in the fridge (about 24 h per 2 kg) | Roasting time at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 kg | about 48 hours (2 days) | 2h 40m to 3h |
| 5 kg | about 60 hours (3 days) | 3h 20m to 3h 45m |
| 6 kg | about 72 hours (3 days) | 4h to 4h 30m |
| 7 kg | about 84 hours (4 days) | 4h 40m to 5h 15m |
| 8 kg | about 96 hours (4 days) | 5h 20m to 6h |
Thaw in the fridge, allowing roughly 24 hours per 2 kg. Roast at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for about 40–45 minutes per kg, per Australian turkey producer guidance.
Safe temperature
The Food Safety Information Council says the thickest part should reach 75°C on a meat thermometer. You can't tell by looking. Cook the stuffing separately, and don't wash the turkey; that just spreads bacteria around the kitchen.
Keep the seafood cold
On a hot Christmas Day, take prawns and the seafood platter out of the fridge just before serving. Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 days and reheat them to 75°C.
Example
A 6 kg turkey for a 1:00 pm lunch: it roasts for 4–4½ hours plus a 20-minute rest, so it goes in at about 8:10 am. Move it to the fridge by 22 December.
Plan it in minutes
Type your turkey's weight and lunch time, and the Christmas Lunch Planner Australia works out the thaw day, oven time and a clock time for the ham, roast veg, seafood and pavlova.
See the Christmas Lunch Planner Australia →