How long before Christmas should you buy your turkey?

Pre-order your Christmas turkey as soon as possible or as soon as supermarkets or independent producers allow. Turkeys do tend to sell out nearer the festive period. The ones that are on sale in-store at the last minute can be much too big or small. If you do this try to get a delivery slot that is as close to Christmas Day as possible. This will ensure the bird is very fresh. It will also stop the risk of it going off or taking up too much space in your fridge in the run-up to Christmas. However, if you do not get around to this and you are left to collect a turkey in-store at the last minute make sure you check the use-by date - this seems obvious but it is easy to assume all will be fine by Christmas Day but this is not always the case.

Is it better to buy a fresh or frozen turkey?

A fresh turkey tends to be a lot moister than a frozen one as you can lose moisture when defrosting it - and when cooking it too, so keep in mind the correct Christmas turkey cooking times at this stage. The deep meaty flavour of the meat can also be a little affected by the freezing process so overall a fresh bird will taste a bit better. However, there is nothing wrong with getting a frozen turkey. They are often cheaper and you can get your bird ahead of time so you have one less thing to worry about. You could also defrost it in a flavoured brine to try and get some of the moisture back into it.

How much turkey per person?

We would suggest serving 170g of cooked turkey per person. If you are buying a whole turkey a small 3kg whole turkey will serve 4-6. While a 6-7kg turkey like the Large Organic KellyBronze® Turkey would serve 12-14. For a smaller gathering, the Jewelled Stuffed Bronze Turkey Crown from Waitrose will serve 4-6.

What’s the difference between a turkey and a turkey crown?

A turkey crown is the turkey breast on the bone with the legs removed. It’s a great option for feeding fewer people or for those who favour white meat. People often opt for a whole turkey if feeding a large amount of people in one go. Turkey crown is much smaller, quicker, and easier (if you’re limited on oven space) to cook than a whole turkey.

Can you leave turkey out overnight before cooking?

Although it’s advised to bring a turkey to room temperature before cooking it so it cooks faster and more evenly, it’s not necessary to leave the turkey out the night before cooking it. We would suggest taking a whole turkey out of the fridge 2 hrs before cooking it and 1 hr for a turkey crown of breast. Keep it covered during this time. If your turkey is frozen defrost it in the fridge for two days.

Best turkey 2023: Where to buy a turkey for Christmas

Christmas roast turkey close up stuffed and served with fruit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By Rose Fooks

last updated 6 December 2023

Not sure where to buy your Christmas turkey this year? We've rounded up the best on the market all tried and tested by our team of food experts for 2023.

Turkey is the classic Christmas centerpiece, and certainly one of the most popular Christmas foods, but so often it gets a bad rep for being dry and overcooked. If you’re unsure of how to cook a turkey there are some great recipes on Goo including popular Gordon Ramsay’s roast turkey but before you dive into recipes, how about we decide on where to buy a Christmas turkey first?

Each year our panel of expert judges put a range of different turkeys to the test to see which one is worthy of Christmas dinner. This year's panel of testers includes Group Food Director Jen Bedloe, Food Editor Jess Meyer, Deputy Food Editor Rose Fooks, Food Writer Amanda James, and Junior Food Writer Georgia Sparks. Collectively, the team has years of experience trying and testing thousands of new food and drink products each year as well as developing new and exciting recipes. This means you can trust their judgment and feel confident that they would only score a product highly if they truly thought it was worthy.

Highlights from the taste test include the judges awarding the best turkey award to KellyBronze from Able & Cole, with other great turkeys from independent butcher Parson’s Nose and DukesHill coming in at second and third place. For a more affordable option, some supermarket turkeys also impressed, with winners from Asda, Waitrose, and M&S.

Once you've decided on your Christmas main, have a look at our round-up of the best Christmas desserts - sure to help you decide what will be on the menu for pud. Our experts have also named the best Christmas puddings if you're a traditionalist. Plus everyone knows the festive season isn't complete without tucking into a selection of the best mince pies or a slice of the best Christmas cake.

Recent updates

This article was updated on the 7th of December. We checked the prices of all the products featured in the article and updated some of the deals for accuracy.

Where to buy Christmas turkey for 2023

Best Christmas turkey to buy online

Why you can trust GoodTo. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.

1. Large Organic KellyBronze® Turkey, 6-7kg - View at Abel & Cole

Best Christmas turkey overall

RRP: £125 (£2.08/100g) | Delivery: Specific delivery day given | Available: from 20th December

This magnificent KellyBronze turkey is worth the splurge: it stole the show. A rotund bird with crisp golden skin it would sit proudly atop your Christmas table. The meat tastes incredibly rich and is impeccably moist and juicy. Not only did it require a shorter cooking time than others (it was in the oven for under 2 hrs), but both the white breast and dark leg meat were cooked to perfection and remained succulent and tender. Even the cooking juices were flavourful, so great for gravy. Farmer Paul Kelly rears his turkeys on his farm in Essex with the highest standard of welfare. KellyBronze turkeys are a unique breed with marbled flavourful meat. They are also hung and dry-aged to increase the intensity of flavour.

Group Food Director Jen Bedloe says: “The meat is super rich and will appeal to the foodies. The most impressive part is the rich gamey leg meat and rich juices. A grade ‘A’ bird.”

Large Organic KellyBronze® Turkey - £125 - Abel & Cole

2. Parson's Nose Whole Turkey, 4-5kg - View at Parson’s Nose

Best looking turkey

RRP: £117| Delivery: Free local delivery, Nationwide delivery for £5.95 | Available: Pre-order now

This whole turkey from Parson’s Nose was commended by the judges for its good looks and great flavour. Milder than the KellyBronze, but still rich and utterly delicious. The texture of the meat is juicy and the pan juices are delicious and would make a generous amount of flavoursome gravy. It comes with a pop-up thermometer that makes cooking simple.

Deputy Food Editor Rose Fooks says: “The shape and colour of this handsome bird stood out, it couldn’t have looked more spectacular if it tried.”

Parson's Nose Whole Turkey - £117 - Parson's Nose

3. DukesHill Christmas Free Range Bronze Turkey, 8kg - View at DukesHill

Best tasting turkey

RRP: £135.00 | Delivery: available on the 21 December | Available: Pre-order now

This bird cooks up a dream simply seasoned with no need for the addition of oil. The cooking instructions suggest cooking this bird upside down for part of the time so the fat bastes the meat. It comes with a pop-up thermometer so you can easily see when the meat is cooked to perfection. The leg meat was full of flavour, but the white meat, although delicious, was slightly drier than the others that we tasted. It arrives in a smart cardboard box with the giblets separately packaged.

Group Food Director Jen Bedloe says: “The leg meat is the most delicious I have ever tasted - as rich and succulent as a confit duck leg!”

DukesHill Free Range Bronze Turkey - £135- DukesHill

4. Copas Free Range Whole Bronze Turkey, 6kg - View at Copas

Best for feeding a crowd

RRP: £138 | Delivery: December 23rd| Available: Pre-order available

Much like the KellyBronze this turkey is a Bronze variety that has been game-hung to improve the flavour and texture of the meat. It arrives in a box with the giblets as well as detailed cooking instructions and a pop-up timer. We found this easy to cook and that the meat stayed impressively juicy once cooked. Copas have turkeys in a variety of sizes, from 4-10kg which could feed as many as 22 people.

Deputy Food Editor Rose Fooks says: “A majestic bird - we used a Copas turkey for our Christmas spread in Woman & Home magazine and it looked spectacular.”

Copas Free Range Whole Bronze Turkey - £138 - Copas

5. Capestone Turkey Breast with Panettone Stuffing & Muscovado Glaze, 1.4kg - View at Ocado

Best easy-cook turkey

RRP: £40 (£28.57/kg) | Delivery: Available on Ocado | Available: Pre-order now

This pre-cooked turkey breast is ideal for a smaller gathering as it will serve 4-6 people. It’s very easy to cook and comes stuffed and ready to pop in the oven. The meat remains moist and juicy, while the Panettone stuffing has a lovely sweetness that compliments the savouryness of the meat. Ten minutes before the end of cooking there is a glaze to add. This flavours the cooking juices which could be reduced to create an effortless sauce.

Food Editor Jess Meyer says: “The meat was nice and moist and the glaze makes a good gravy for finishing once reduced.”

Capestone Turkey Breast with Panettone Stuffing & Muscovado Glaze - £40 - Ocado

6. M&S Collection Free-Range Pembrokeshire Heritage Blue Turkey - View at M&S

Best value turkey

RRP: £72-£99 (£1.80/ 100g) | Delivery: Collection only | Available: Coming soon

This turkey has a lovely rich intense turkey flavour, especially in the leg meat and the crisp skin. The pan juices could easily be reduced with a splash of wine and vegetable water to make a rich gravy. We found the cooking time in the instructions to be excessive so we took it out of the oven well before was suggested.

Junior Food Writer Georgia Sparks says: “The fat rendered nicely and the pan juices would be great for gravy.”

M&S Collection Free-Range Pembrokeshire Heritage Blue Turkey - £72-£99 - M&S

7. Waitrose & Partners Jewelled Stuffed Bronze Turkey Crown, 1.5-2.3kg - View at Waitrose & Partners

Best turkey crown

RRP: £41-£63 (£27/kg) | Delivery: 20 Dec - 24 Dec | Available: for pre-order | Serves: 6

A turkey crown with pork and fruit stuffing with a lovely orange flavour. It’s covered with smoked bacon and a maple butter glaze that adds a festive feeling of sweetness. Once cooked the bacon turns lovely and crisp, while the essence of the stuffing flavours the meat.

Deputy Food Editor Rose Fooks says: “Cooking this was easy and delightfully mess-free: you cook it in a bag and then pour over the glaze.”

Waitrose & Partners Jewelled Stuffed Bronze Turkey Crown - £41-£63 - Waitrose & Partners

8. ASDA Extra Special Free Range Corn Fed Norfolk Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing, 1.99kg - View at ASDA

Best for an intimate gathering

RRP: £35.82 (£18.00/kg) | Delivery: Book a slot online between 21-23 December | Available: 21-23 December| Serves: 4-6

This would be great for a smaller affair as this turkey crown will serve 4-6 people. It’s easy to cook and the smaller size means it can fit in the oven. Stuffed with a traditional style pork stuffing and topped with smoked bacon that imparts a pleasant smoky flavour to the meat.

Food Editor Jess Meyer says: “Nice size for a smaller crowd who aren't into legs. The bacon adds a nice smokey flavour to the juicy meat.”

ASDA Extra Special Free Range Corn Fed Norfolk Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing - £35.82 - ASDA

Best turkey from last year

1. Piper’s Farm Free Range Bronze Whole Turkey, 4kg+ - View at Piper's Farm

Best whole turkey

RRP: From £96 | Delivery: Specific delivery day given | Available: Pre-order now

Winner of the best whole turkey, this was a spectacular entry. Bronze turkeys are a slow-growing breed and a traditional choice at Christmas. Piper’s Farm birds are reared on five small family farms in Devon and Somerset on a natural diet free from artificial additives and chemicals.

Food Editor Jess Meyer says: "This bird has a lovely plump shape and rich golden colour. The meat is tender and juicy with a rich flavour that’s distinctively turkey. This golden bird was deliciously succulent and would look impressive as the centerpiece of any Christmas feast."

Piper’s Farm Free Range Bronze Whole Turkey - from £96 - Piper's Farm