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Roast timing · United Kingdom

Roast time calculator

Estimate cooking time, allow for resting, and work back from the time you want to eat.

Country-specific guidance

Preparing your cooking tool...

Roast details

The roast details

Whole, fully thawed turkey (not a breast or crown)

Serving time (optional)

For a start time, enter both fields. Choose today or later in the selected time zone. Otherwise leave both blank.

Keep the minimum rest. Otherwise use your recipe.

View worked example

Worked example: turkey

A 6 kg unstuffed turkey in a conventional oven, to serve at 14:00 on 2026-11-26 in London.

  1. Check the weight

    6 kg is about 13.2 lb. The guidance uses kilograms.

  2. Find the band

    The 4.5 to 6.5 kg band in the UK Food Standards Agency guidance.

  3. Read the cooking time

    4h at 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas Mark 4.

  4. Add the rest

    This guidance gives no rest time, so enter the one from your recipe.

Result: Allow 4h of cooking. Add your recipe's rest time to get a start time.

Check the internal temperature shown with the result; time alone does not establish safety.

A little help in the kitchen

How to use it

  1. Choose the meat. Check the preparation named below it; the timetable applies to that preparation.

  2. Enter its fully thawed weight, unit and oven type. For poultry, choose whether it is stuffed.

  3. A cooking estimate needs a matching official timetable for your country and weight. Otherwise, use the temperature check and follow your packaging or recipe for the cooking time.

  4. Add a serving date and time, time zone and recipe rest time if you want a start time.

  5. Choose Calculate roast time, then use the estimate to plan. Follow the packaging, appliance and official temperature guidance to check that the food is cooked.

How it works

Weights are converted before the source band is selected. The displayed cooking range comes from the country data. A start time uses the longest cook time plus the rest duration. The calculator keeps the same timing estimate for fan selection. A fan setting is shown only when verified; check the source notes and your appliance instructions.

When no matching official timetable is available, the calculator shows the country's temperature guidance without calculating a cooking duration or start time. Follow the packaging or a suitable recipe for cooking instructions.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I cook a turkey per kilo or per pound?

Choose the country, whole-bird weight and stuffing setting, then choose Calculate roast time. US turkey timings use weight bands; UK unstuffed poultry guidance uses a weight formula. Where no matching official timetable is available, the calculator shows a temperature check only. Follow the packaging or a suitable recipe for the cooking time, and check the internal temperature.

How long should a roast rest before carving?

Use the sourced rest duration when one is provided, or enter your recipe's rest time. The US turkey guide allows 20 minutes before carving. Raw US beef, lamb, pork and cook-before-eating ham need at least 3 minutes after reaching their minimum temperature. Other selections may not have a sourced rest duration here.

Does a fan oven change the cooking time?

This calculator does not shorten the timetable when you choose fan. UK poultry guidance includes a fan setting. A US fan setting has not been verified here, so the sourced conventional temperature stays visible. Do not lower it using a generic conversion; follow the agency, appliance and packaging instructions.

How do I know a roast is cooked safely?

Use a clean food thermometer and the temperature and holding-time guidance for your country and preparation. Check the thickest parts, away from bone. Weight, colour or a finished timer cannot replace the required temperature check.

Does stuffing change the roasting time?

Yes. The US data includes separate stuffed-turkey ranges. UK poultry fallback timings are for unstuffed birds, so a stuffed selection shows a temperature check rather than an invented timetable. Follow agency guidance for stuffing, including its own internal temperature.

Which gas mark should I use?

US settings of 325°F, 350°F, 375°F and 425°F have approximate conventional references of Gas Mark 3, 4, 5 and 7 from oven manufacturers' tables. Keep the agency temperature and check your own appliance instructions. UK poultry guidance gives Gas Mark 4 alongside 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. Gas marks are not fan settings.

Sources