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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Main Ingredient / Poultry / Cooking a Turkey Crown – the Complete Guide

Cooking a Turkey Crown – the Complete Guide

Published on September 18, 2020 by Helen 1 Comment
Last Updated on December 15, 2020

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A turkey crown is perfect for smaller Christmas and Thanksgiving gatherings. Here’s the complete guide to cooking a turkey crown perfectly, with our one simple secret for perfectly cooked, moist, juicy turkey every time.  

A golden brown roast turkey crown on a wooden board with parsley, roast orange and garlic.

Table of Contents

  • Cooking Turkey Crown
  • What is a Turkey Crown? 
  • How Many People Will a Turkey Crown Feed?
  • Cook to Temperature, Not Weight
  • Approximate Cooking Time for Turkey Crown By Weight
  • Why Does Roast Meat Need to Rest? 
  • Can I Stuff a Turkey Crown? 
  • Defrosting
  • How to Cook A Turkey Crown
  • How to Cook a Turkey Crown
    • Ingredients  
    • Instructions 

Cooking Turkey Crown

A turkey crown is the perfect centrepiece for a smaller celebration, be it Christmas or Thanksgiving.

A crown will cook much faster than a whole turkey and fits easily in normal sized ovens and roasting tins, so there’s no need for a disposable foil roasting tin. You’ll also have plenty of room left in the oven for roast potatoes. 

A turkey crown is ideal for smaller families and couples. You will be left with less meat after the main event, so you won’t be facing endless turkey sandwiches. I love leftovers, but there is a point where enough is enough. 

What is a Turkey Crown? 

Uncooked turkey crown, shown right way, and upside down

A turkey crown is the body of the bird with the legs, wings, and backbone removed. There’s no cavity; it is only breast meat. They range in size from about 1 kg up to over 4 kg. 

Cooking a turkey crown is a practical, less messy option and ideal for nervous cooks who are new to cooking Christmas dinner alone. 

How Many People Will a Turkey Crown Feed?

For turkey crowns with the bone, allow 300–400 g per person, but because a smaller bird has proportionally more bone, the more you will need per person.

  • So a 1.2 kg crown will feed 3.
  • A 2.5kg crown will feed 8.

I always recommend allowing a little more than you think you will need. If you have cooked a big roast, it is good to have some leftovers to see you through the week. 

top down view of a partially carved roast turkey crown

Cook to Temperature, Not Weight

We are all used to calculating the cooking time of a joint of meat, or a bird by weight. However, this is really only half the story. So much depends on your oven, the roasting tin you use, the temperature of the bird before it goes into the oven, what else is in the oven, and how many times you open the oven door.  

A probe meat thermometer is essential for the best results and to accurately know when the turkey is perfectly cooked.  

You can buy a digital probe thermometer for just a few pounds. We’ve been using one for years and as you get perfect results every time it is well worth the investment. (We also use ours every time we make jam!)

Pro Tip 

For a perfectly cooked turkey crown, cook to temperature, not weight. 

The turkey crown is cooked when the internal temperature has reached 74°C / 165°F. At this point, the meat will be moist and juicy. With my oven, I find that a turkey or chicken is nearly always ready before a cooking time calculated on weight. If you cook the meat for too long, it will dry out, which is a shame and an unnecessary waste of an expensive turkey. 

To check if your turkey crown is cooked, just check the temperature by inserting a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat. Take care not to touch the bone. At 74°C / 165°F, your turkey is done.   

Approximate Cooking Time for Turkey Crown By Weight

The cooking time for a turkey crown is easy to calculate. For a crown of less than 4.5 kg takes 20 minutes per kilo, plus 70 minutes. 4.5 kg and over, it’s 20 minutes per kilo plus 90 minutes. Once roasted, cover with foil, drape a towel over and let it rest for 20–30 minutes before carving.   

Weight Time (mins)
1 kg 90
1.5 kg 100
2 kg 110
2.5 kg 120
3 kg 130
3.5 kg 140
4 kg 150
4.5 kg 180
5 kg 190

Start by deciding at what time you want to eat, and work backwards when calculating your roasting times. Remember to include the resting time. This can be from 20 minutes up to 45 minutes. If your turkey crown has cooked faster than you calculated, don’t worry. There is plenty of time to finish your roast potatoes and sides while the turkey is resting.   

Why Does Roast Meat Need to Rest? 

When you roast a joint or a bird, the muscle tissues in the meat contract and moisture moves towards the surface. Some of that moisture evaporates and is lost, but some sits beneath the skin of the bird. 

If you cut into the meat when it first comes out of the oven, that moisture will be lost and your meat may be dry. To avoid this, allow the turkey to rest and cool very slightly. As long as you have not overcooked your turkey crown, resting it will allow the moisture to be redistributed and reabsorbed back into the meat. 

Your turkey will cool very slowly and will remain hot enough if covered properly. Heating the plates before serving will help to make sure it doesn’t cool too quickly once carved. 

Partially carved roast turkey crown wit a green plate with slices of roast turkey

Can I Stuff a Turkey Crown? 

A turkey crown has no body cavity, so no, it can’t be stuffed. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to go without your favourite stuffing. Simply cook it in an ovenproof dish alongside the turkey. 

Defrosting

Defrost your turkey crown slowly in the fridge for about 12 hours per kilo. Make sure it’s fully defrosted before cooking.

If you need to defrost in a cool room, it takes about half that time – 6 hours a kilo, depending on the temperature of the room. Halve the time again (2 hrs/kg) for defrosting at room temperature (20°C). The best way is in the fridge. 

How to Cook A Turkey Crown

First, decide when you want to eat and work out when you need to start cooking. 

A raw turkey crown on a roasting tray, with butter,

Step one – Heat oven to 170°C (fan) / 340°F (fan) / Gas Mark 5. Then place the turkey on a rack in a roasting tray. Rub the skin with butter, and season with salt and pepper. 

A turkey crown on a roasting tray, covered with foil.

Step two – Cover with foil, tucking down around the edge, and place the turkey in the oven. 

Half cooked turkey crown on a rack, in a roasting tray.

Step three – Forty five minutes before the approximate roasting time is over, check the temperature. If the turkey is approaching 70°C / 165°F, remove the foil and turn the oven up to 200°C (fan) / 400°F (fan) /Gas Mark 6, so that the turkey will brown. Otherwise, give it another 15 minutes before you uncover it and turn the oven up. 

Roast turkey crown on a rack, in a roasting tin, cooked and ready to serve.

Step four – Ten minutes before roasting time is over, check the thickest part of the breast with a meat thermometer. Avoid touching the bone. The turkey crown is perfectly cooked when the temperature reaches 74°C / 165°F. 

A meat thermometer in turkey crown, showing 74C. The meat is on a wooden board, ready to serve.

Step five – Remove your turkey crown from the oven. Loosely cover with the foil and let the meat rest for 20–45 minutes, while all the sides finish cooking. Then carve, serve and enjoy! 
Turkey crown on wooden board

How to Cook a Turkey Crown

Helen Best-Shaw
A turkey crown is perfect for smaller Christmas and Thanksgiving gatherings. Here's the complete guide to cooking a turkey crown perfectly. Cooking to temperature, not time will ensure a perfectly moist and juicy roast.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Resting Time 30 mins
Course Main
Cuisine Traditional British

Ingredients
  

  • 1 turkey crown
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 170°C (fan) / 340°F (fan) / Gas Mark 5. 
  • Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting tray. Rub the skin with butter, and season with salt and pepper. 
  • Cover the roasting tin with foil, tucking it in round the sides.
  • Place in the oven to cook.
    If under 4.5kg, roast for 20 min per kg, plus an extra 70 minutes. If 4.5 kg or over, roast for 20 mins per kg plus an extra 90 minutes.
    Remember that roasting times are an approximation. We are going to cook to temperature, not weight.
  • 45 minutes before your approximate roasting time is over, check the temperature using a probe thermometer. If the turkey is approaching 70°C / 165°F, remove the foil and turn the oven up to 200°C (fan) / 400°F (fan) /Gas Mark 6.
    Otherwise, give it another 15 minutes before you uncover it and turn the oven up. 
  • 15 minutes after you have turned the oven up, check the internal temperature by inserting the probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, taking care not to touch the bone.
    The turkey crown is cooked when the temperature is 74°C / 165°F.
  • Remove from the oven, and loosely cover with foil. Allow to rest for 20–40 minutes, while you finish cooking the rest of the meal.
  • Carve and enjoy!
Keyword Roast turkey crown
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Filed Under: Christmas, Main Meal, Poultry, Recipes Ingredients: Butter, Turkey, Turkey Crown

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  1. Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing, this Turkey looks great :)

    Reply

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Headshot of Helen Best-Shaw, Food Blogger at Fuss Free Flavours I'm Helen, full time freelance food writer, photographer and blogger. On this site you will find my fuss-free recipes, travel and reviews. Learn more here
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