# What size turkey do I need?

For **10 adults, estimate a 5 kg whole turkey, or 7.5 kg with leftovers** using our UK portion guide. Enter your guests below for a whole bird, crown or boneless breast. Check the supplier’s serving guide before ordering.

Source: https://feastflow.co.uk/turkey-size-per-person (FeastFlow free cooking-time guides). Page updated 2026-11-14. Use the calculator on the web page for your own inputs.

## What size turkey for 10 adults in kg?

Our UK shopping estimates are **5 kg for a whole turkey, 2.5 kg for a crown or 2 kg for a boneless breast joint** for 10 adults. For a whole bird with leftovers, allow about 7.5 kg. Appetites, side dishes and the cut affect the number served, so use the pack’s serving guidance when available.

## Turkey size per person

### UK times

Allowing 500 g whole turkey per person, 750 g with leftovers, 250 g crown, 200 g boneless:

| People | Whole turkey | With leftovers | Turkey crown | Boneless joint |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | 3 kg | 3 kg | 0.5 kg | 0.4 kg |
| 4 | 3 kg | 3 kg | 1 kg | 0.8 kg |
| 6 | 3 kg | 4.5 kg | 1.5 kg | 1.2 kg |
| 8 | 4 kg | 6 kg | 2 kg | 1.6 kg |
| 10 | 5 kg | 7.5 kg | 2.5 kg | 2 kg |
| 12 | 6 kg | 9 kg | 3 kg | 2.4 kg |
| 14 | 7 kg | 10.5 kg | 3.5 kg | 2.8 kg |
| 16 | 8 kg | 12 kg | 4 kg | 3.2 kg |
| 20 | 10 kg | 15 kg | 5 kg | 4 kg |

### US times

Allowing 1 lb whole turkey per person, 1½ lb with leftovers, ¾ lb bone-in breast, ½ lb boneless:

| People | Whole turkey | With leftovers | Bone-in breast | Boneless breast |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 | 8 lb | 8 lb | 1½ lb | 1 lb |
| 4 | 8 lb | 8 lb | 3 lb | 2 lb |
| 6 | 8 lb | 9 lb | 4½ lb | 3 lb |
| 8 | 8 lb | 12 lb | 6 lb | 4 lb |
| 10 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 7½ lb | 5 lb |
| 12 | 12 lb | 18 lb | 9 lb | 6 lb |
| 14 | 14 lb | 21 lb | 10½ lb | 7 lb |
| 16 | 16 lb | 24 lb | 12 lb | 8 lb |
| 20 | 20 lb | 30 lb | 15 lb | 10 lb |

The calculator uses a minimum whole-bird estimate of 3 kg in the UK guide or 8 lb in the US guide. For a smaller table, consider a crown, a boneless breast joint or a [large chicken](https://feastflow.co.uk/roast-chicken-cooking-time).

## How the estimates work

The UK guide uses 500 g whole turkey, 250 g crown or 200 g boneless breast per adult. The US guide uses 1 lb whole, ¾ lb bone-in breast or ½ lb boneless breast. These are separate planning conventions, not exact conversions. We count a child with a smaller appetite as half an adult and add 50% for leftovers; these are FeastFlow estimates you can adjust when shopping.

A crown keeps the breast bone; a boneless joint does not. Check the retailer’s servings and whether its stated weight includes stuffing.

## Portion references

[Butterball’s whole-turkey guide](https://www.butterball.com/how-to/cook-a-turkey) uses a general starting point of 1 lb per person. [Waitrose’s crown guide](https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/content/seasonal/christmas/turkey-buying-guide/turkey-crown-guide) gives serving ranges for its products, showing why the pack’s guide matters. Our UK rounded estimates, child portions and leftovers adjustment are planning assumptions, not rules prescribed by those sources. References checked 14 November 2026.

## Will it fit in my oven?

A standard UK single oven takes a turkey up to about 8 kg (17 lb); a large one, up to about 10 kg (22 lb). Measure your oven and roasting tin before you order, and allow space above the bird for the air to move. For a crowd, two smaller turkeys or a turkey plus a crown cook faster than one giant bird.

## How long will it take?

Once you know the size, the [turkey cooking time calculator](https://feastflow.co.uk/turkey-cooking-time) gives the time and when it goes in, and the [thawing calculator](https://feastflow.co.uk/turkey-thawing-time) tells you when to take a frozen turkey out of the freezer.

## Questions

### What size turkey for 6 people?

A whole turkey of about 3–4.5 kg (7–10 lb), or a 1.5 kg turkey crown. Go to the top of that range if you want leftovers.

### What size turkey for 8 people?

About 4–6 kg (8–12 lb) whole, or a 2 kg crown.

### What size turkey for 10 people?

About 5–7.5 kg (10–15 lb) whole, or a 2.5 kg crown.

### What size turkey for 12 people?

About 6–9 kg (12–18 lb) whole, or a 3 kg crown. For more than 14, think about two smaller birds.

### How much turkey per person in lb?

About 1 lb per person for a whole turkey, or 1½ lb with leftovers. For a bone-in breast, ¾ lb; for a boneless breast, ½ lb.

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These are shopping estimates, not cooking instructions. Check your supplier’s serving guide. Portion references checked 14 November 2026.

FeastFlow also plans a whole meal backwards from serving time, with every dish timed and oven temperatures that don’t clash: https://feastflow.co.uk/