The big decision
Let our turkey guide help
you make the right choice
From a traditional whole bird to a stuffed, easy-carve crown, no matter what your preference – or your number of guests – our Christmas turkey guide will help you choose the right type for your festive feast
Whole turkeys
SERVES 5-16
There’s nothing quite like a whole turkey
as the centrepiece to the perfect Christmas dinner. One for the true traditionalist.
Ideal for: Larger families, big appetites and leftover lovers – our 9½ kilo whole turkey can serve up to 20 people. Not just a centrepiece to a classic Christmas dinner, a whole turkey is fantastic value says Waitrose Turkey Buyer Frances Westerman. 'Portions are generous and leftovers could last through to Boxing Day. You can also use giblets for your gravy and turkey bones for a hearty soup.'
Editor's choice: Our new hand-prepared whole turkey with pork, sage & onion stuffing (left) is adorned with a bacon lattice and comes in a foil tray – simply place in the oven and roast. Couldn’t be easier.
Turkey crowns
SERVES 3-12
Are you a fan of white breast meat, shorter cooking times and easy carving? Make no bones about it, this is the bird for you.
Ideal for: Smaller families, those who don't want a huge amount of leftovers or have small ovens. A crown is a turkey with the legs and wing tips removed to give you a joint of white breast meat on the bone. Quicker to cook and easier to carve than a whole turkey, our crowns come in a cooking bag to help retain the moisture and the succulence of meat on the bone.
Editor's choice: New to Waitrose, our succulent turkey breast on the bone (top right) with a pork, gingerbread and apricot stuffing is basted with a rich brandy and stem ginger butter. It's topped with a sprucewood smoked bacon lattice and includes a sticky maple and clementine glaze to finish.
Easy carve turkeys
SERVES 2-10
A simpler version of a whole turkey, our succulent boneless turkey joints don't require any prep and are the easiest turkeys to cook - who said Christmas dinner needed to be stressful?
Ideal for: Those who want juicy turkey meat with minimum effort. Our boneless joints can come stuffed or unstuffed, and can contain both white and dark meat, just like a classic whole turkey. With around 200g of uncooked meat per person there's no waste. All our boneless joints come in a foil tray, so you don’t have to worry about the washing-up either.
Editor's choice: Our easy carve, double stuffed turkey breast (left) with a classic Cumberland sausagemeat and sweet winter fruit stuffing will be the star of Christmas. With two stuffings, it's the perfect family turkey.