How Long Do You Cook a Beef Joint Turkey Crown for

Perfect Roast Turkey Crown! Ideal for serving a smaller group and less stressful than roasting a whole turkey. Check out my tips on how pick, defrost and roast the perfect juicy turkey crown (a.k.a turkey breast), plus delicious ideas for any leftovers.

Serve with my Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Braised Red Cabbage and Creamy Brussels Sprouts!

Post may contain affiliate links. For more information, check mydisclosure

You will also love my Roasting Bag Whole Turkey and my Slow Cooker Turkey Crown. Prefer dark meat? Try my juicy Roasted Turkey Legs!

I love serving a beautiful roast turkey for Christmas. Sometimes though, when there's just the four of us, making a turkey crown is easier, cheaper, less wasteful and just as delicious.

It is also far less intimidating to cook if you find the idea of roasting a whole bird too much to handle! Read through my tips for picking, defrosting and cooking the best roast turkey crown.

What's a Turkey Crown then?

This is basically the turkey breast part of the bird with legs, wings etc removed, though occasionally the wing tips are left on. In the UK you will usually find turkey breast on the bone with skin on. In the US you can find the turkey breast on the bone or boneless.

Crowns are so much easier to store in your fridge (or freezer) which is definitely a HUGE PLUS! They are also easier to cook and carve and much more economical for smaller families or gatherings. Also ideal for lovers of only white meat, which is also lower in fat and perfect for the health-conscious.

Picking your turkey crown

Even though a crown is so much smaller than a whole turkey, it can still feed a crowd depending on what size you pick. Frozen turkey turkey crowns tend to be a little cheaper and just as good, provided you plan ahead.

Choose depending on how many people you are serving without forgetting the leftovers. I LOVE having roast turkey leftovers! Allowing for roughly 250g (8.8 oz) per person a 2kg (4.4 lbs) turkey crown will serve 3-5, and a 2.5kg (5.5lbs) crown will feed 6-8.

• For 2-3 people pick a 1 – 1.4 kg (2.2 to 3.09 lbs) crown
• For 4-5 people pick a 1.5 to 1.9 kg (3.31 to 4.19 lbs) crown
• For 6-7 people pick a 2.2 to 2.3 kg (4.85 to 5.07 lbs) crown
• For 8-10 people pick a 2.4 to 2.8 kg (5.29 to 6.17 lbs) crown

HOW LONG SHOULD I COOK A TURKEY CROWN?

The first thing to do is make a note of your turkey's weight. If it is not indicated on the pack then weigh the defrosted turkey  using digital scales, make a note and use that as your guide.

The cooking time recommendations for a turkey crown up to 4kg (8.8 pounds) is 70 minutes plus 20 minutes per kilo. If measuring weight in pounds, this translates as 20-25 minutes per pound (450g).

Treat these times as a general guideline, not gospel – I prefer to rely on a digital thermometer for gauging the perfect cooking time when roasting meat as oven temperatures can vary. If in doubt check this handy Turkey Cooking Calculator.

• 2kg crown: 70m + (2x20m) = 110 minutes / 1h 50m
• 3kg crown: 70m + (3x20m) = 130 minutes / 2h 10m
• 4kg crown: 70m + (4x20m) = 150 minutes / 2h 30m.

The recommendations for a turkey crown OVER 4kg (8.8 pounds) is 90 minutes plus 20 mins per kilo.

• 5kg crown: 90m + (5x20m) = 190 minutes = 3h 10m.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY TURKEY IS DONE?

Remove any guesswork and avoid dry overcooked turkey – simply use a meat thermometer . Your turkey crown is done when the internal temperature is 74C (165F) at the thickest part of the turkey breast.

If you haven't got a thermometer you can check by piercing the thickest part of the meat – the juices should run clear and if you have followed the cooking guidelines you should be fine. But for best – and safest – results please use a thermometer.

Always rest your roast turkey, loosely covered, for about 30 minutes before carving. This incidentally gives you plenty of time to prepare the gravy and any veggie side dishes!

HOW TO DEFROST A TURKEY CROWN

Although a turkey crown needs less time to defrost than a whole bird it still needs about 12 hours per kilo (12 h per 2.2 pounds) if defrosting in the fridge. Keep the turkey in its packaging and place on a rimmed tray, in case any liquid drips as the turkey thaws.

Remember to allow yourself plenty of time (2 days for a 4kg/ 8.8 pound turkey crown) to avoid last minute stress. I have been there, done that and it is not pretty! Allowing for slow defrosting in the fridge is the safest way to defrost a turkey, thankfully a crown doesn't take up too much space.

You can also defrost your bird at room temperature provided the room is below 15C (60F). This is slightly speedier but you will need to allow 4 hours per kilo (2.2 lbs) and either use your turkey straight away or store in the fridge as soon as it has defrosted. For more advice, check out these tips on defrosting & storing a turkey on British Turkey's site.

CAN I COOK A TURKEY BREAST FROM FROZEN?

I got my frozen turkey crown from Donald Russel and while I personally haven't tried this they have instructions on how to cook a crown from frozen HERE.

GOLDEN RULES FOR ROASTING THE PERFECT TURKEY

This applies to a whole turkey or a turkey crown… ignore at your peril!

• Preheat the oven, to the temperature indicated in your recipe. Allow some time for this and don't start cooking until the oven has come to the right temperature.
• If you have a fan-assisted oven, lower the temperature by 20 degrees C (if a recipe gives a temperature of 200C, lower it to 180C in a fan-assisted oven).
• Bring your turkey to ROOM TEMPERATURE for an hour (or 30 minutes at the very least) before roasting. If your turkey is cold it will cook unevenly.
• Allow some time for the turkey to rest after roasting – this is non negotiable! Loosely cover it with foil and leave for a minimum of 20 minutes, in a warm place and, ideally, on a warmed plate/platter.
• Carve the turkey using a sharp non serrated knife, using a carving fork to keep the turkey still while you slice. Only slice as much as you need.
• Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered with foil, as soon as they have completely cooled down.

Fuss-Free Roast Turkey

Now that you have the turkey cooking guidelines you need the ingredients for a perfect fuss-free turkey dinner.

Contrary to what you might think, you don't really need fancy ingredients or seasonings for an easy roast turkey crown. You can stick with olive oil or butter, salt and pepper if you like!

For a slightly fancier recipe you can rub the turkey breast with a simple herb and garlic butter as I have done here.

• Turkey crown on the bone, skin on
• Unsalted butter
• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Herbs – I used rosemary and sage but you can vary those if preferred
• Lemon zest and juice
• Honey – this creates a darker skin as it caramelises so you can leave out if desired
• Plenty of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

You will also need

• Roasting tray with a rack
• Digital thermometer
• Aluminum foil
• A good carving set

COOKING YOUR TURKEY CROWN STEP BY STEP

Take a look at thisstep by step tutorial – please note you will find the full recipe, including ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1. Preheat your oven to 220C /430F. This temperature is only for the initial phase of roasting – 20 minutes – and will brown and crisp up the skin. Place the shelf on the lower third of the oven and remove any shelves over it (because you will burn your hand on it when checking the turkey, as I can vouch).

STEP 2. Prepare your garlic and herb butter. Put the butter, oil, herbs, honey, lemon zest and juice in a bowl and mix to a paste using the back of a spoon. It helps if the butter is slightly softened!

STEP 3. Pat your fully defrosted turkey dry with kitchen paper. Season liberally with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, about 10-15 turns of the mill for both or ¼ of a teaspoon.

STEP 4. Now you will need to get up close and personal with your turkey… Use your hands to gently loosen the skin over the breast, without pulling it off the sides. Rub some of the butter under the skin, pushing in as far as you can. Use your hands to rub the remaining over the skin and then season lightly once more.

STEP 5. Place the turkey on a rack over your roasting tin. Roast uncovered for 20 minutes – the skin will colour nicely.

STEP 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (350F). Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil. Cook for another 30 minutes per 500g (20-25 minutes per pound).

TOP TIP: Start checking the temperature at the thickest part of the joint with a digital thermometer towards the end of the cooking time (about 20 minutes before). If your turkey needs a bit more colour you can roast it without the foil for the last 20 minutes. Your turkey is ready when it reaches 75C (165F) and this is the best indicator for doneness.

STEP 7. Transfer the turkey on a platter (warm one, ideally) and loosely tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows for the proteins to relax and will result in juicier tender turkey!

STEP 8. Carve your turkey into thin slices and serve with gravy and your choice of sides.

IDEAS FOR TURKEY LEFTOVERS

Keep any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days, storing as soon as they have cooled down. Or transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

A turkey crown won't result with as many leftovers as a whole bird but you might still have some! Here's some ideas on how to use up the turkey breast meat – you can use any recipe that uses chicken breasts.

Creamy Leftover Turkey Casserole

This Creamy Leftover Turkey Casserole is easy, super delicious and a great way to use chicken or turkey leftovers. Creamy Alfredo sauce, bacon, turkey, pasta and broccoli baked till golden… your family will go nuts for this recipe!

Read More

Leftover Turkey Pie

This easy Leftover Turkey Pie is a great way to use up leftover roast turkey, ham or bacon and cream. It is the perfect Boxing Day Pie, best eaten in front of a Christmas movie!

Read More

One-pot Leftover Turkey Orzo Pasta

This creamy one-pot orzo pasta recipe is great for using up leftover Thanksgiving/ Christmas turkey. It is quick, easy, delicious AND slimming friendly too! By the way if leftover turkey is not in season this recipe works great with chicken too 🙂

Read More

Leftover Turkey Soup

This Leftover Turkey Soup recipe is a great way to use up leftover turkey from your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast! This healthy soup is easy and quick to make, delicious AND healthy too.

Read More

• ▢ 2 kg | 4.4 pound turkey crown (turkey breast), fully defrosted if frozen

Herb butter

• ▢ 55 g | ½ stick unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves , minced
• ▢ 1 tbsp runny honey
• ▢ 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• ▢ 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• ▢ 1/2 lemon , zest and juice
• ▢ Salt and pepper to season

• Preheat your oven to 220C (430F). This temperature is only for the initial phase of roasting – 20 minutes – and will brown and crisp up the skin. Place the shelf on the lower third of the oven and remove any shelves over it (because you will burn your hand on it when checking the turkey, as I can vouch).

• Prepare your garlic and herb butter. Put the butter, oil, herbs, honey, lemon zest and juice in a bowl and mix to a paste using the back of a spoon. It helps if the butter is slightly softened!

• Pat your fully defrosted turkey dry with kitchen paper. Season liberally with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, about 10-15 turns of the mill for both or ¼ of a teaspoon.

• Now you will need to get up close and personal with your turkey… Use your hands to gently loosen the skin over the breast, without pulling it off the sides.

• Rub some of the butter under the skin, pushing in as far as you can. Use your hands to rub the remaining over the skin and then season lightly once more.

• Place the turkey on a rack over your roasting tin. Roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 180C (350F). Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil. Cook for another 60-70 minutes.

• Start checking the temperature at the thickest part of the joint with a digital thermometer towards the end of the cooking time (about 20 minutes before). If your turkey needs a bit more colour you can roast it without the foil for the last 20 minutes. Your turkey is ready when it reaches 75C (165 F) and this is the best indicator for doneness.

• Transfer the turkey on a platter (warm one, ideally) and loosely tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows for the proteins to relax and will result in juicier tender turkey.

• Carve your turkey into thin slices and serve with gravy and your choice of sides.

HOW LONG SHOULD I COOK A TURKEY CROWN?

The cooking time recommendations for a turkey crown up tp 4kg is 70 minutes plus 20mins per kilo. If measuring weight in pounds, this translates as 20-25 per pound (450g).

Treat these times as a general guideline – I prefer to rely on a digital thermometer for gauging the perfect cooking time when roasting meat as oven temperatures can vary.

• 2kg crown: 70m + (2x20m) = 110 minutes / 1h 50m
• 3kg crown: 70m + (3x20m) = 130 minutes / 2h10m
• 4kg crown: 70m + (4x20m) = 150 minutes / 2h30m.

The recommendations for a turkey breast over 4kg is 90 minutes plus 20mins per kilo. 5kg turkey would need cooking for 90 + (20×5) = 190minutes = 3h10m.

Storage: Keep any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Calories: 459 kcal | Carbohydrates: 5 g | Protein: 72 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 200 mg | Sodium: 691 mg | Potassium: 819 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 306 IU | Vitamin C: 5 mg | Calcium: 64 mg | Iron: 2 mg

echevarriaanterevell.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.supergoldenbakes.com/roast-turkey-crown/

Share this post