Christmas dinner timetable: everything hot at 2pm, from one oven
Turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing, pigs in blankets, sprouts and gravy, all on the table together. The trick is the same as a Sunday roast, just bigger: the turkey's long rest frees the oven for everything else.
Turkey cooking times
At 160°C fan / 180°C / gas 4, as a guide:
Always follow the instructions on your turkey's label if they differ, and check it's cooked before it comes out: steaming hot throughout, no pink meat, and clear juices from the thickest part, where the leg meets the body. A thermometer there should read at least 75°C.
Why one oven is enough
A turkey rests happily for 30 to 90 minutes under foil and tea towels, and it carves better for it. While it rests, the oven is free, so you turn it up for the roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing and pigs in blankets. Everything else happens on the hob or was done on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve: get ahead
| Time | Where | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve | Worktop | Peel the potatoes (keep them in cold water in the fridge), peel and trim the parsnips, carrots and sprouts.Prep done today is stress saved tomorrow. |
| Christmas Eve | Worktop | Make the stuffing and roll the pigs in blankets; cover and chill. Make the cranberry sauce and bread sauce. |
| Christmas Eve | Fridge | Check the turkey's weight and work out its roasting time (see the turkey times above). A frozen turkey should already be defrosting in the fridge. |
Christmas Day: serving at 2pm
For 8 people with a 5 kg turkey. The highlighted rows are the single-oven switch. For a different size of bird, change the “turkey in” time and work forward to 12:50.
| Time | Where | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | Worktop | Turkey out of the fridge to take the chill off. |
| 9:15 | Oven | Oven on: 160°C fan / 180°C / gas 4. |
| 9:30 | Oven | Turkey in, covered loosely with foil. A 5 kg bird needs about 3 hours 20 minutes.See the turkey times above for other weights. |
| 12:05 | Oven | Take the foil off so the skin browns. |
| 12:30 | Hob | Parboil the potatoes (8–10 min) and parsnips (3 min). Drain and steam dry; rough up the potatoes. |
| 12:50 | Oven | Check the turkey is cooked (see the checks above). Take it out to rest, covered with foil and a couple of tea towels.It rests for about an hour and stays hot. |
| 12:50 | Oven | Oven up to 200°C fan / 220°C / gas 7, with the roasting tins of fat inside to heat.The long turkey rest is your high-heat window. |
| 1:00 | Oven | Potatoes and parsnips into the hot fat. Turn them halfway. |
| 1:15 | Oven | Stuffing in (about 30–35 min).Cooking it in its own dish is quicker and safer than stuffing the bird. |
| 1:20 | Oven | Pigs in blankets in (about 25–30 min, or as the pack says). |
| 1:30 | Hob | Carrots on (10–15 min). Gravy in the turkey roasting tin with stock and the resting juices. Warm the bread sauce.Warm the plates now. |
| 1:40 | Hob | Sprouts on (6–8 min). |
| 1:50 | Worktop | Everything out. Carve the turkey and pour its juices into the gravy. |
| 2:00 | Table | Serve. Merry Christmas! |
Your family's recipes, timed to the minute
Everyone's Christmas is different: Nan's stuffing, the red cabbage, the pudding. Photograph your own recipes and Simmour builds one timeline for the whole dinner:
- every step in order, worked back from when you want to eat;
- oven and hob clashes flagged before they catch you out;
- change the serve time and everything re-times;
- a live cook mode that keeps your screen awake.
Free, and it runs in your phone's browser. You create a free account to read your own recipes.
Christmas dinner FAQs
How long can a turkey rest?
Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, covered with foil and a couple of clean tea towels. A big bird holds its heat well, and the rest frees up the oven for the potatoes, stuffing and pigs in blankets.
How do I know the turkey is cooked?
It should be steaming hot all the way through, with no pink meat, and the juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part (where the leg meets the body). With a meat thermometer, the thickest part should reach at least 75°C.
Can I really cook Christmas dinner in one oven?
Yes. Roast the turkey first, then use its long rest to turn the oven up for everything that needs high heat. Do as much as you can on the hob, and prepare the rest on Christmas Eve.
Should I stuff the turkey?
It's easier and safer to cook the stuffing in its own dish. Stuffing the cavity slows down how quickly the middle of the bird heats up, so it takes longer to cook through.
When should I take a frozen turkey out of the freezer?
Defrost it in the fridge and allow plenty of time: around 10–12 hours per kg, so a 5 kg bird needs about two and a half days. Follow the instructions on the label, and make sure it's fully defrosted before cooking.