RecipesHow To Cook A Turkey For Christmas Dinner: How To Get The Best Value One

Love Discount Vouchers is here to help you prepare the best turkey for the Christmas dinner. With us, you’ll find the best value turkey for your Christmas meal and discover new, easy and delicious turkey recipes for Christmas to treat your family to a hearty meal. Celebrate the festive season with family, and friends and a good meal.

A chef preparing a turkey for Christmas dinner on a baking tray.

In this blog, we will tell you:

  • Where to buy the best value turkey during the festive season
  • Top 3 turkey recipes
  • Frequently asked questions about preparing, cooking and serving turkey for Christmas
  • How to save money on a turkey

Best Value Turkey For Christmas Dinner To Buy

A woman holding a roasted turkey for Christmas dinner.

With the Christmas season slowly approaching, many shoppers are looking for the best deals on gifts and Christmas meals, with the main dish being a turkey. Turkey is known as one of the most popular Christmas dinner traditions. “As supermarkets begin to advertise their Christmas dinner food deals, shoppers can become overwhelmed with the offers and it can be tricky to pick the best offers out there,” says an article from The Mirror. Let Love Discount Vouchers guide you to finding the best turkey at the best price because we are all about money-saving.

Here are our top supermarket picks for your Christmas turkey dish:

1. Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer offers a range of high-quality foods and beverages. They have a selection of Christmas food you can order from desserts to delicious turkeys. Marks & Spencer offers their succulent turkeys directly from the M&S farms. This means you can shop for joints, crowns and whole turkeys from their food-to-order menu.

M&S Turkey range

  • Oakham turkey crown: This turkey serves 12 - 14 people which is a great choice for large gatherings. For £60.00 (£1.94 per 100g) you can buy this 3.1 kg turkey. You can also purchase the 2.7 kg turkey if you are looking to feed 10 - 11 people for £55.00 (£2.04 per 100g)
  • Free-range organic Pembrokeshire bronze turkey: For the 4kg turkey that serves 6-8 people for £80.00 or for a 5.5kg turkey that serves 8-10 people for £110.00.
  • Collection free-range turkey: You can select the following serving sizes from 6-8, 8-10, 10-12, 12-14, 14-16 or 16-18 people. It comes in a 4 kg - 9 kg between £68.00 - £153.00 depending on the serving size.
  • Collection British free-range turkey crown: You can purchase this turkey from 1.8 kg - 3.6 kg. It comes in different serving sizes to choose from, choose 6-8, 8-10, 10-12 or 12-14 people. This turkey will cost you between £48.60 - £97.20 depending on the size you choose.

For great discounts for turkey shopping from Marks & Spencer, add a Marks & Spencer discount code to your payment method.

2. Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s offers a large selection of products from food, clothing, beverages and more in their online store. They are one of the largest online retailers in the UK and offers a wide selection of goods to shop for. As their mission is to provide greener and more affordable products to people within the United Kingdom they continue to add items that customers need to ensure every shopping demand is met when visiting their store. They offer a range of Christmas festive food to shop from including festive centre pieces like fish, gammon, meat, vegetarian and vegan options, and turkey. You can order frozen turkeys from the 22nd of October till the 19th of December and fresh turkeys can be ordered from the 20th of December up until the 24th of December.

Saisnbury’s Turkey Range

  • Sainsbury’s Large Whole-Basted British Frozen Turkey (5.3 kg - 6.9 kg): If you’re looking for a turkey that will provide value for money, well this is it. This delicious and succulent turkey can serve 10 - 14 people. You can purchase this turkey for £25.00 (£4.10 per kg) or £22.50 with Nectar.
  • Sainsbury’s Medium Whole-Basted British Frozen Turkey: This turkey is suitable for 8 - 10 people and is smaller in size than the larger turkey listed above. It also provides the same flavour and juiciness and can be bought for £21.00 (£4.62 per kg) and with Nectar you can get it for £19.00.
  • Sainsbury’s Extra-Extra Large Whole-Basted British Frozen Turkey (8.9 kg - 10.6 kg): For a larger family this turkey is a great choice. It will serve 18 - 21 people and costs £33.00 (£3.38 per kg) and £29.50 with Nectar.
  • Sainsbury’s Small Whole-Basted British Frozen Turkey (2.6 kg - 3.8 kg): This class A frozen turkey with giblets is great for smaller families of about 5 - 8 people. You can purchase it with Nectar prices at £15.00 or for the normal price of £17.00 (£5.31 per kg).
  • Sainsbury’s British Free Range Medium Bronze Frozen Turkey (3.6 kg - 5 kg): This is a more flavourful turkey that has been reared slowly for tenderness. They are specially bred for their succulent texture and their hearty flavour. It’s ideal for 7 - 10 people and costs £28.00 with Nectar or £31.00 (£7.21 per kg) at the normal price.

Sainsbury’s Food To Order

Turkey for Christmas dinner and other Sainsbury's food-to-order plated meals arranged on a table

Sainsbury’s is here to save the day for those who are dreading the work that comes with preparing a Christmas feast. They offer a wide selection of food to order for the festive season, saving you time, and energy and providing you and your loved ones with a delicious meal.

How To Order Ready Made Christmas Meals From Sainsbury’s

  1. Store & Date: Select the store you would like to collect from that is near to you and the date you would like to collect your order.
  2. Shop & Pay: Shop their delicious menu and their selection of meals and add them to your cart. You must pay a £20.00 deposit to secure your order.
  3. Collect & Dine: Collect your order from the store on your selected date (22 - 24th of December) at your requested time and enjoy a meal full of flavour with your loved ones.

For more great festive prices while shopping online at Sainsbury’s, simply browse and use our selection of Sainsbury’s Vouchers.

3. Asda Groceries

Asda Groceries brings you everything you need when it comes to shopping for household essentials, gifts, treats and more. Their online supermarket offers an abundance of products and brings effortless shopping online from the comfort of your home. Shop their Christmas range for great Christmas food including their fresh pre-order turkeys. Enjoy a magical Christmas with Asda Groceries.

Asda Groceries Fresh Pre-ordered Turkeys

  • Asda Small British Turkey (avg. 3.6kg): For 4 - 6 people this is great turkey to order. Pre-order your fresh turkey for £18.25 (£5.00 per kg). This turkey is typically bought with Asda crunchy and sweet carrots for £0.60 per kg, Asda cranberry sauce for £1.00 per 200g and the Asda sweet and earthy parsnips for £0.65 per 500g.
  • Asda Extra-Special Medium Free Range & Corn-Fed Norfolk Bronze Turkey (avg. 4.75 kg): This top-quality and flavourful turkey is ideal for 6 - 10 people and costs £42.75 (£9.00 per kg). It is often bought with Asda sweet and nutty trimmed brussel sprouts for £1.00 for 200g, Asda sweet and crunchy for £0.60 for 1 kg and Asda sweet & earthy parsnips for £0.65 for 500g.
  • Asda Medium Basted Turkey Crown (2.5 kg): This turkey crown is prepared with baste for extra juiciness and flavour. It is free from artificial flavours, colours and hydrogenated fat. For £22.00 (£9.00 per kg) you can feed 6 - 8 people.

How To Order Your Turkey From Asda Groceries

  1. Step 1: Choose the delivery or collection date.
  2. Step 2: Shop for your pre-order turkey and other Christmas groceries and add them to your shopping cart.
  3. Step 3: The last date for pre-order turkeys is on the 14th of December.
  4. Step 4: You may order other groceries that aren’t included in their turkeys’ pre-ordered range up until 11 pm the day before your collection or delivery.
  5. Step 5: Checkout and pay less for your order with an Asda Groceries discount code.

4. Morrisons Grocery

Morrisons Grocery has everything you need when it comes to shopping for groceries online including a range of Christmas foods from sides, trimmings, starters, gravies, sauces, vegan, vegetarian, desserts, and of course, centrepieces like turkeys, game birds, meat and fish.

Morrisons Grocery Turkey Range

  • Medium Whole Turkey With Giblets (4.5 kg): This turkey serves 7 - 10 people and can be ordered from the 20th of December for £17.06.
  • Morrisons British Roasted Turkey Crown( 2 - 2.29 kg): For £22.48 you can enjoy this turkey with tender breast meat for you and 7 other people.
  • Morrisons British Large Whole Turkey (5.5 - 6.9kg): Serve this delicious turkey with giblets for your family of 11 - 13 people for £23.69 and is available for order from the 20th of December.
  • Morrisons Large Basted Turkey Crown (3 - 3.39 kg): Serve 10 - 12 people a juicy, tender and flavourful turkey for £31.47. Available for order from the 20th of December.
  • Morrisons The Best Higher Welfare Medium Turkey Crown (1 - 2.99 kg): The British bronze turkey is from the Morrisons premium collection. For £33.98 it can feed 4 - 6 people and they can expect to enjoy the succulent texture, full flavour and luxury dining.

More Christmas Food Categories To Shop From Morrisons

Turkey for Christmas dinner and other Christmas food from Morrisons

If you’re looking to add more delicious treats and other foods to your turkey dinner then shop these other Christmas food categories from Morrisons online store:

  • Chocolates, sweets and biscuits.
  • Party food.
  • Bakery and cakes.
  • Cheese board.

Buy all the delicious festive food you want at affordable prices with a Morrisons discount code.

Top 3 Turkey Recipes For Christmas

A man preparing one of the turkey recipes for the Christmas dinner.

“Although a huge roast turkey is something of a showstopper, they are infamously difficult to cook. Turkeys’ huge size - in part natural, and part due to centuries of careful breeding - makes them difficult to cook through without drying out,” says an article from Squaremeal. If you are searching the web for ‘How to cook a turkey’ or looking for the best, easiest and most convenient turkey recipes for your Christmas dinner that will guarantee a moist, succulent turkey, well you have come to the right place. 

Here at Love Discount Vouchers, we are all about money-saving which means we have researched to find the easiest and most affordable turkey recipes to cook this festive season. Check out our top 3 turkey recipes and find one that suits you.

1. Roast Turkey With Lemon & Garlic

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 5 - 6 kg turkey that has the neck and giblets removed.
  • ½ onion
  • ½ lemon - keep extra zest on the side for the butter
  • ½ a bulb of garlic.

Ingredients for the salt mix

  • 2 tablespoons of salt.
  • 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves.
  • 1 teaspoon of peppercorns.

Ingredients for the butter

  • 100g of butter.
  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable bouillon powder.
  • 1 zest of a lemon plus the other zest from the turkey lemon.

Method:

  1. Prepare the salt two days in advance. Simply grind the salt, peppercorns and thyme leaves until fine using a mortar and pestle.
  2. Place the turkey in a greased baking tin and start to gently push your fingers under the skin, starting at the neck until your whole hand is pushed past the length of the breast. Doing this slowly and not rushing is important to prevent the skin from tearing.
  3. Season the turkey with the salt mix. Be sure to add seasoning inside, outside and under the skin of the turkey. Refrigerate turkey with the breast side facing up for up to two days. Leaving the turkey to absorb the salt will result in it being more juicy. If you want to have crispy skin then leave the turkey uncovered so that moisture will dry out otherwise you can cover it.
  4. In a small bowl, mix in the butter, vegetable powder and lemon zest until well combined. Cover and refrigerate.
  5. Allow turkey to stand at room temperature up to at least one hour before cooking. Remove the butter from the fridge and allow it to get soft.
  6. Preheat oven to 180°C.
  7. Rub the butter under the skin of the turkey ensuring the surface of the breast has been covered, then work your way to the crevices and the thighs and then flatten the skin down by rubbing gently over the top with your hands.
  8. Place the lemon, onion halves and garlic inside the cavity of the turkey.
  9. Cover the turkey loosely with foil and roast for about 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the turkey and baste the turkey. Place the turkey back into the oven and cook for the remaining 10 minutes until the turkey is cooked through and bronze in colour.
  10. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to stand covered with the foil for up to one hour before serving.

2. Balsamic-Glazed Turkey

Ingredients:

  • 1 x 5 - 6 kg turkey.
  • Salt and pepper.
  • 4 x 2.5 cm wide lemon strips zest.
  • 1 onion that has been quartered.
  • 2 bulbs of garlic that have been halved.
  • Sprigs of rosemary.
  • Sprigs of sage.
  • Sprigs of thyme.
  • 20 ml of olive oil for the turkey.
  • 2 cups of chicken broth.
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter.
  • 1 cup of balsamic vinegar.
  • 2 tablespoons of honey.

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and place your oven rack as low as possible.
  2. Remove turkey giblets and gizzards from the neck and breast cavity.
  3. Use paper towels to dry the turkey well on the inside and outside. Sprinkle salt and paper inside the turkey and fill the cavity with lemon zest, onion quarters, half of the garlic, half of the rosemary, half of the time and half of the sage.
  4. Place your turkey on a greased roasting pan facing the breast side up. Rub the skin of the turkey with olive oil and season with salt and pepper until covered well.
  5. In a small pan or oven-proof dish, place on the tray with the turkey. Add chicken broth, thyme, sage, rosemary and garlic in the pan/dish and over the turkey and pan with foil. The foil will be a tent.
  6. Roast the turkey for 2 - 2 ½ hours ensuring that you baste the turkey every 30 minutes.
  7. In a saucepan over medium heat, add in the butter, honey and balsamic vinegar and heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is simmering. Continue to cook for a further 3 - 5 minutes until the mixture is thick and syrup-like and has reduced to half the amount.
  8. Once the cooking time is complete. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C and roast for 15 minutes. Baste turkey with about a third of the balsamic glaze mixture and roast for another 10 minutes. Repeat the process until the glaze is finished.
  9. Allow the turkey to rest for approximately 15 minutes before carving.

3. Easy Turkey Crown Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 kg turkey crown.
  • 50 g of softened butter.
  • 2 pinches of ground cloves.
  • Salt and pepper.

Ingredients for the glaze:

  • 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar.
  • 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
  • 4 tablespoons of honey.

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
  2. Rub butter all over the surface of the turkey and season well with salt, pepper and 1 pinch of the ground cloves spice.
  3. Place the turkey crown on a greased roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes.
  4. Mix the remaining pinch of ground cloves spice, honey, mustard and red wine vinegar in a medium bowl until well combined.
  5. Once the 30 minutes have passed, remove the turkey crown from the oven and then glaze using a basting brush and roast for 60 minutes. Glaze the turkey at least twice more during the roasting hour and remove once the turkey has cooked through and the glaze has become caramelised.
  6. Allow the turkey crown to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

If you want to find more turkey recipes or other delicious Christmas recipes, then go ahead and shop for your new recipe books and get them for less with our selection of Books & Magazines discount codes

FAQs About Turkey For A Christmas Dinner

Turkey recipes for Christmas: A turkey crown with roast potatoes and pigs in a blanket placed on the dinner table.

If you have a few questions about how to prepare, cook or serve your turkey for Christmas, we have the answers.

Turkey FAQs

  • Is roasting a turkey the only way to cook a turkey? Roasting a turkey is considered one of the best cooking methods. Roasting the turkey slowly allows the turkey to become more tender, juicer and full of flavour. Other cooking methods for turkey include an instant pot, slow cooker or an air fryer.
  • Is basting a turkey necessary? Basting a turkey is not necessary. If you want your turkey to have crispy skin, then you can skip basting. Not basting your turkey doesn’t prevent the turkey from drying out or losing flavour.
  • Should I cover the turkey with foil when roasting?: Covering the turkey with foil while roasting helps trap the steam and ensures that your turkey doesn’t lose moisture. You can remove the foil 15 minutes before the cooking time is complete for a crispier skin and bronze turkey.
  • What sides can I serve with turkey? You can serve your turkey with different sides like roasted mashed potatoes, buttered green beans, Brussels sprouts, salads, quinoa, rice, sweet potatoes and more.
  • What can I serve for Christmas dinner instead of turkey? If you’re tired of the traditional Christmas turkey for dinner, then you can try alternative options like glazed ham, roast chicken, meatloaf, beef pot roast, pork loin, lamb and fish. There are loads of options and choices you can choose from.
  • How can I get affordable prices on my turkey grocery shopping? For great money-saving deals and bargains while shopping online for your food groceries and beverages like wine, juices and more. You can use one of our Food & Drink discount codes to help you save money while shopping online at your favourite grocery retailers.

How To Save Money On Your Turkey For A Christmas Dinner

A family smiling at their Christmas dinner because they saved money on their Turkey for Christmas dinner.

Jadee Scott, a money-saving expert at Love Discount Vouchers says, “Love Discount Vouchers understands the needs and expenses that come with the festive season. That’s why as proud money-savers we are constantly on the lookout for the best discounts, offers and deals to save you money this holiday season. Use our money-saving tips and tricks to help you purchase the items you need for less!”

Money-saving tips & tricks

  • Check out our Christmas discount codes to find the latest deals, discounts and great money-saving vouchers from your favourite turkey retailers this holiday season.
  • Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest Christmas deals, discounts and promotions.
  • Follow your favourite retailers on social media to find exclusive festive discount codes, vouchers, exclusive sales and more.
  • Create a budget for your Christmas shopping and compare prices from various retailers.
  • Sign up for newsletters from your favourite online grocery store retailers to receive their latest promotions, discounts, offers and deals on their succulent turkeys.

Cheap Turkey Recipes For Christmas With LDV

Enjoy your Christmas day with your loved ones and prepare them a delicious, succulent and flavourful turkey for the Christmas dinner with help from Love Discount Vouchers. Enjoy the festive season stress-free with our selection of easy turkey recipes for Christmas and save money by finding the best value turkey from our list of online grocery retailers.

Posted 29th November, 2023

Author: Jadee Scott

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