Everything you need to know about choosing, preparing, cooking and carving your Christmas turkey, plus recipe ideas to use up any leftovers. Discover more Christmas recipes here.
More Christmas turkey inspiration
Which turkey shall I buy?
You can order your turkey online until 15 December, or buy one in store from 19 December.
Everybody’s Christmas is different, so we offer turkeys for every budget, timetable, oven size and number of guests. We believe in keeping our turkeys happy, so all of ours are reared by farmers who share our award-winning standards of animal welfare. Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll be serving your guests superb quality and flavour.
Whole turkeys
From £17.50
The traditional Christmas Day centrepiece, a whole bird gives guests a choice of juicy turkey breast meat, flavoursome legs and wings meat. Dressed with all the trimmings and carved at the table, it will add a real sense of theatre to the occasion.
You can use leftover turkey meat for Boxing Day cold cuts and sandwiches, and make a hearty stock and gravy from the bones.
We offer four types of whole birds to suit all budgets – Essential, Free Range Bronze, Duchy Organic and No.1 Free Range Dry Aged Turkey.
Our small turkeys serve a minimum of 5 while large turkeys serve 16, with prices from £17.50 to £140 (estimate based on £6.95 to £17.50 per kg).
(Subject to availability)
Prepared turkeys
From £35
These succulent turkeys can be great time-savers as they need minimal preparation, they’re quicker to cook than a whole bird and easy to carve.
Stuffed, latticed or glazed, they're ready to roast.
They serve a minimum of 6 and range from £35 to £90.
(In store from 20 December. Subject to availability)
Turkey crowns
From £23
If everyone you’re feeding prefers lighter-tasting white breast meat, opt for a crown of breast meat on the bone.
A crown needs a shorter cooking time than a whole turkey, and its compact shape is ideal if you’re pushed for oven space.
Our smallest Turkey Breast Crown on the Bone serves a minimum of 4 while our large crown serves up to 12, with prices from £23 to £104 (estimated based on £15 to £32 per kg).
(In store from 20 December. Subject to availability)
Free range turkeys
From £33
Our No.1 Free Range Dry-Aged Bronze Whole Turkeys are a slower-growing breed, reared using traditional farming methods and renowned for producing succulent, richly flavoured meat. The birds enjoy a cereal-based diet and roam freely in open pastures for their whole life.
Our bronze-feathered birds live outdoors from six weeks old onwards. They roam on grass with straw bales, trees and mixed scrub to scratch in, with at least one acre per thousand birds. The birds return to shelter houses at night with deep straw bedding or shavings for comfort and warmth.
We offer free range whole turkeys, turkey crowns and prepared turkey joints enabling you to cater for five to 12 people. Our prices range from £33 to £140 (estimated based on £15 to £32 per kg).
Ordering your turkey
1.
Book your turkey slot and ensure you pick the right one:
Regular delivery slot:
This slot allows you to add general groceries and items from our Food to Order service, Waitrose Entertaining, to your order, with a £40 minimum spend.
Regular Click & Collect slot:
This slot allows you to add general groceries and Waitrose Entertaining items to your order, with a £40 minimum spend.
Waitrose Entertaining slot:
This slot is exclusively for items from our Waitrose Entertaining range, with no minimum spend.
2.
You can amend your order until the cut-off date stated on your order confirmation for Waitrose Entertaining items, or the day before delivery for grocery items.
3.
When getting your Click & Collect order in store, please ensure you have your order number ready. Follow signs for the designated collection zone or ask a Partner for more details.
What size turkey?
Our turkeys come in a range of sizes so you can choose the one that suits your celebrations best. If you need a big bird but oven space is an issue, a smaller turkey plus a crown or joint can be a good solution.
If you're cooking for 3-4 people, our small turkey crowns and prepared turkey breasts are ideal. For 5-6 people, choose a medium crown or small whole turkey. For groups of more than 8, we'd suggest a medium or large whole turkey or crown.
FIND A TURKEY FOR...
Our Christmas turkeys are guaranteed to stay fresh until Boxing Day
More from our turkey guide
Cooking your turkey
For crispy, golden skin, and juicy, tender meat, follow our guide to preparing and roasting a turkey or turkey crown. There's a fail-safe time plan for preparing and serving a wonderful festive meal, too.
Turkey recipes
Recipes to cook a delicious, succulent turkey with all the trimmings. Why not try sage & lemon braised turkey or fennel and citrus roast turkey?
Carving your turkey
You may have seen it done every year, but if it's your turn to carve the turkey, our step-by-step guide will help you get the most out of your Christmas centrepiece.
Turkey freezing guide
Whether you have more than you need or want to save leftovers, our turkey freezing guide has tips to help you safely freeze and thaw your turkey – plus recipes for turkey leftovers.
Keeping our turkeys happy
Find out a few of the ways in which we do it, meet the producers, and learn more about the Christmas turkey you buy.
