Safefood shares tips for ‘perfect’ turkey
42% are worried about getting everything ready on time but Safefood is on hand with all the advice you need this year
Print4 December 2025
Christmas Day dinner is always a highlight of the year, and turkey is the centrepiece for almost 90% of home cooks in Ireland this year according to Safefood’s annual survey.
While fresh turkey is the overwhelming favourite among 76% of home cooks, getting everything ready on time is the top concern for 42% of people, while a further one in five of are worried about the price of food this year.
The survey also revealed that a turkey crown (33%) and whole turkey (32%) were the most popular varieties among survey respondents followed by boned and rolled turkey (17%).
Safe and tasty
This year, Safefood has the ideal tools to help make it a safe and tasty turkey for home cooks on Christmas Day.
It’s Turkey Cooking Time Calculator helps get everything ready on time.
Simply enter the time you want to eat dinner, answer a couple of simple questions about the turkey weight and your oven type, and it will calculate what time you need to start cooking.
With one in five (21%) cooks concerned about the price of food this Christmas, Safefood’s Christmas Dinner Food Planner can help with how much food you need for your guests and help with preventing food waste at this time of the year.
Safefood also recommend using a meat thermometer which takes all the guesswork out of knowing when your turkey is safely cooked to 75ºC.
How to use a meat thermometer
1. Take your turkey out of the oven and insert a clean thermometer probe into the thickest part of the bird. In a whole turkey, the thickest part is between the breast and the leg.
2. If you are cooking a turkey crown or a boned and rolled turkey, the thickest part is at the centre of the joint.
3. You can use an analogue dial or digital meat thermometer.
4. The turkey is fully cooked when the temperature reaches 75ºC.
5. Always make sure you wash the meat thermometer thoroughly afterwards.
If you do not own a meat thermometer, cut into the thickest part of the meat and check that there’s no pink meat, the juices run clear, and that the meat is piping hot.
Commenting on the research, Trish Twohig, director of food safety, Safefood said, “With just under half (45%) of respondents to our survey indicating they will be cooking for between 5 and 8 people this Christmas Day, that’s a lot of food to get ready on time.
“Our very helpful Turkey Cooking Time Calculator couldn’t be easier to use and can help with getting your day off running smoothly.
“I would also recommend that people use a meat thermometer this year to check the thickest part of the turkey has reached 75º Celsius.
“This is the fool proof way of knowing it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.”
The Safefood survey also found that 49% prefer a turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwich as their favourite way to use leftovers.
You can also find lots of turkey leftover recipes on https://www.safefood.net/christmas.
Read more: Dublin Food Projects benefit from Safefood
© 2025, ShelfLife by Ryan Brennan
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