Mary Berry Turkey Crown Recipe

If you’re looking for a stress-free alternative to cooking a whole turkey, this Mary Berry Turkey Crown Recipe is the perfect choice. A turkey crown delivers all the succulent flavor of a traditional roast turkey while cooking more quickly and evenly. The meat stays tender and juicy, with beautifully golden, crisp skin and rich herb butter flavor throughout.

This recipe is ideal for Christmas dinner, Sunday roasts, or special family gatherings. It is beginner-friendly, requires minimal preparation, and takes approximately 2 hours from start to finish depending on the size of the turkey crown.

Ingredients

For the Turkey Crown

• 1 turkey crown (approximately 2.5kg to 3kg)
• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into halves
• 1 onion, quartered

For the Roasting Tray

• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 250ml chicken stock

How to Make Mary Berry Turkey Crown Recipe

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle of the oven so the turkey crown cooks evenly and develops a golden finish.
• Prepare the herb butter: In a bowl, mix the softened butter, olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
• Season the turkey: Pat the turkey crown dry using kitchen paper. Carefully loosen the skin and spread half of the herb butter underneath. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the outside.
• Prepare the roasting tray: Place the carrots, celery, and onion into a large roasting tin. Pour in the chicken stock and place the turkey crown on top of the vegetables.
• Add flavor: Place the lemon halves and quartered onion around the turkey crown in the roasting tin.
• Start roasting: Roast uncovered for 20 minutes at the higher temperature to help the skin brown.
• Reduce the heat: Lower the oven temperature to 180°C or 160°C fan and continue roasting for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches 75°C.
• Baste during cooking: Spoon the roasting juices over the turkey every 30 minutes to keep the meat moist and flavorful.
• Rest the turkey: Remove the turkey crown from the oven and loosely cover with foil. Allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
• Serve: Slice the turkey crown and serve with your favorite roast dinner sides and gravy.

Tips for the Best Turkey Crown

How do I keep turkey crown moist?

Spread butter under the skin and baste regularly during roasting. Resting the turkey after cooking also helps retain juices.

Should I cover the turkey while roasting?

Leave it uncovered for a golden finish. If the skin starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.

How do I know when the turkey is cooked?

Use a meat thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should reach 75°C.

Can I prepare the turkey crown in advance?

Yes. You can season and butter the turkey up to 24 hours ahead and keep it refrigerated until ready to roast.

Why should I rest the turkey before carving?

Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, producing more tender slices.

Serving Suggestions

• Crispy roast potatoes
• Honey glazed carrots
• Brussels sprouts with bacon
• Traditional bread sauce
• Cranberry sauce
• Yorkshire puddings
• Rich homemade gravy

Storage

Room Temperature

Do not leave cooked turkey at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

Refrigerator

Store leftover turkey in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Freezing

Wrap cooled turkey slices tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

• Calories: 385 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 4g
• Protein: 52g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Sodium: 640mg

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used and portion size.

FAQs

Mary Berry Turkey Crown Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: Main CourseCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A juicy, golden roasted turkey crown flavored with garlic herb butter and roasted to perfection. Ideal for Christmas dinner, Sunday lunch, or festive gatherings.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey crown (2.5kg to 3kg)

• 75g unsalted butter, softened

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 lemon, halved

• 1 onion, quartered

• 250ml chicken stock

• Roasting vegetables

Directions

• Preheat oven to 220°C (200°C Fan).
• Mix butter, oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Rub butter mixture under and over the turkey skin.
• Place vegetables and stock in a roasting tin.
• Place turkey crown on top and roast for 20 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 180°C and continue roasting until cooked through.
• Baste every 30 minutes during cooking.
• Rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
• Slice and serve warm.

Notes

• Always use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
• Resting is essential for juicy meat.
• Leftovers freeze well for up to 3 months.