Christmas dinner timings planner
Tell it your turkey, your trimmings and when you want to eat, and you’ll get a timeline for Christmas Day: when the turkey goes in, when to turn the oven up, and what you can do the day before.
Christmas dinner prepared in advance
Most of Christmas dinner can be done before the day. Here’s what to do when:
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Up to a month before | Make and freeze the gravy base, stuffing and bread sauce. Order the turkey. |
| 21–22 December | Move a frozen turkey to the fridge to thaw (use the thawing calculator). |
| 23 December | Make the cranberry sauce. Check you have foil, a roasting tin big enough and a meat thermometer. |
| Christmas Eve | Peel the potatoes, parsnips and carrots and keep them in cold water. Trim the sprouts. Wrap the pigs in blankets and roll the stuffing. Take the turkey’s giblets out. |
| Christmas morning | Take the turkey out of the fridge an hour before it goes in. Lay the table. |
One oven, lots of dishes
The turkey roasts at 190°C (170°C fan), but potatoes, parsnips and pigs in blankets want 220°C (200°C fan). The answer is the turkey’s rest: it can rest, covered, for up to 90 minutes and stay hot. Take it out, turn the oven up, and the sides crisp up while you make the gravy.
Questions
What time should I put the turkey in on Christmas Day?
For a 5–6 kg turkey and dinner at 2pm, it goes in at about 9:30–10am. Use the planner above with your turkey’s weight.
How do I keep everything warm?
Rest the turkey under foil and tea towels; it stays hot for over an hour. Warm the plates and serving dishes in the oven as it cools after the roasties come out.
How much turkey per person?
Allow about 500 g (1 lb) per person for a whole bird, or 250 g (½ lb) for a crown or boneless joint.
Times are a guide: ovens and joints vary. Always check meat with a thermometer before serving. FeastFlow’s times come from British Turkey, AHDB and USDA guidance, last checked 9 November 2026.