How Long To Cook A 14lb Turkey At 200 Degrees

You are going to love this Slow Roasted Turkey!!! It is juicy and so simple. Without any basting, brining or intricate butter rubbing bacon weaving skills, you get a super moist delicious bird.

There is no babysitting, you stick it in the oven and leave it overnight. This is the BEST turkey you will ever cook!

I'll say that again - There is no babysitting, you stick it in and leave it overnight.

Plus you can have the bird cooked and resting whilst you get the sides done, and then just give it 15 minutes before you serve it.

AND!!!!!!! this is a biggy, (especially if you are a fellow Australian!) you don't have to have to the oven cranked up at the 200ºC level for 3 hours. No upping the air-con because the turkey is about to go in the oven.

Seriously this recipe is a scream it from the roof tops winner!!!!!

a cooked turkey on a white platter with sausages wrapped in bacon on the platter and Christmas dinner in the background

How to slow roast a turkey

You can slow roast a turkey overnight and it will be the juiciest and most tender turkey you have ever eaten! Cooking a turkey low and slow allows the meat to cook thoroughly without driving off moisture. Resulting in a really juicy turkey!

I originally read about this recipe in a newspaper article. It is based around the way that Heston Blumenthal cooks turkey, except it is home cook friendly with no fancy equipment needed.

What equipment do you need for Slow Roasted Turkey?

For this slow roasted turkey all you need is an oven, a roasting tin and a digital meat thermometer.

I am afraid the thermometer is a must. But they are not expensive and I promise you that once you use one, you will never question the purchase. In fact, I would say that cooking this turkey once is justification enough for buying one. But any roast dinner is better if you have one.

Here is Australia you can buy them in Myer, David Jones and the other day I saw one in my local supermarket. They are about $15 and worth every cent! I asked my Dad to do me some research and in the UK "They're everywhere" (quote unquote!!! 😉 ) He says, Marks and Sparks have them for £15, Lakelands and Argos also do them and then there are plenty on Amazon.

I also checked with some food blogger friends, in America you can get them in most supermarkets, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond and Target also stock them. And again Amazon have a large range.

close up on the golden skin of the roast turkey

What temperature do you cook a turkey to?

You need to ensure the internal temperature of the turkey gets to 64º (148ºF)

This is why the thermometer is essential. Getting the turkey to 64ºC/148ºF will mean it is perfectly cooked and not at all dry.

I am not going to lie, when you first take the turkey out of the oven you will think I have gone a little crazy! It looks very sad and pale.

But it sits and rests whilst you get on with everything else, then just before you want to eat, you blast it in the hottest oven you can and get the most golden skin.

At this point there is one basting needed. But it is a case of pouring some brown butter over the bird before you get it back in the oven.

This slow roasted turkey is juicy and so simple. Without any basting, brining or intricate butter rubbing bacon weaving, you get a moist delicious bird.

Make sure you get your turkey out of the refrigerator in plenty of time.

You need to ensure that the turkey is at room temperature before it goes into the oven. I removed the turkey from the fridge for about an hour and a half before I put it into the oven. This will vary depending on the size of your turkey. The bigger your turkey the longer it will need to come to room temperature.

What temperature to cook a turkey at?

For this slow roasted turkey we are going to set the oven quite low and cook the turkey nice and slowly.

You want to set the oven so that the temperature is at 155ºF-170ºF (70ºC-80ºC) or if your oven won't go that low then just set it to the lowest you can.

Then there is nothing left, but to cover the turkey, sit it on a trivet, pour in a little water, get it in the oven, and there it will sit for 10 hours.

This method works with the pre-brined turkeys that supermarkets sell, the amazing free range turkeys you can buy from local farms or a standard frozen turkey (Just make sure it is fully defrosted!!)

Juicy turkey, so delicious and succulent. Cooked overnight in the oven. And just look how glorious it looks! This Overnight slow roasted turkey has been one of my most popular Christmas recipes for years and it is easy to see why!

What readers say:

"Just made this yesterday for Christmas. It came out perfect! First time I've made turkey too! Sooo juicy and tender. Thank you very much for the recipe." Zee

"Just wanted to say a massive thank you for posting this. I made it last weekend and the turkey was by far the best I've ever done, and so much better than last year's haha" Marion

Do let me know if you try it, and if you have any questions add them to the comments below.

Enjoy x

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Slow Roasted Turkey

You are going to love this Slow Roasted Turkey!!! It is juicy and so simple. Without any basting, brining or intricate butter rubbing bacon weaving skills, you get a super moist delicious bird. There is no babysitting, you stick it in the oven and leave it overnight. This is the BEST turkey you will ever cook! Learn how to cook a turkey overnight and you will love this method forever.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 11 hrs

Total Time 11 hrs 10 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Servings: 10 -12

Calories: 575 kcal

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1 whole turkey (12lb/5.5kg - see note 1)
2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoon butter
salt

Remove the turkey from the fridge before you want to cook it to ensure it isn't icy cold.
Pre-heat the oven to 155ºF-170ºF/70ºC-80ºC (or the lowest your oven will go)
Remove any giblets or neck from the turkey.
Place the turkey on a trivet or rack over a large roasting tin
Pour the boiling water into the roasting tin and then cover the turkey with foil. Ensure you cover the bird and really seal the edges.
Place the turkey in the bottom of the oven for 10 hours.
After this time use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the bird. Check the temp of the thigh meat and the thickest part of the breast.
If they aren't at 64ºC yet then give it a further 30 minutes. (See notes)
Remove the turkey from the oven and leave it in it's foil tent.
Cook your sides and then turn the oven up as hot as it will go.
Place the butter in a small frying pan and melt over a high heat until it starts to foam and turn golden.
Remove the foil from the turkey and pour the butter all over the skin.
Sprinkle with salt and then place the turkey in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and gorgeous.

This method will work with any sized turkey. If your turkey is under 4lb (2kg) then set your timer for 8 hours and check the internal temperature then.
If the temperature is under 55ºC then you can give the turkey another 2 hours in the oven, or turn the oven heat up by 10-15 degrees.