What is a Turkey Butterfly?
A turkey butterfly, sometimes called a boneless turkey crown, is a turkey breast joint with all the bones removed. If your turkey breast joint has been left on the bone, then you actually have a turkey crown. If this is the case then please see our article How To Cook Turkey Crown for specific cooking information.
How to Cook a Turkey Butterfly
As outlined above, a turkey butterfly is basically a whole turkey breast with all bones removed, leaving you with a nice joint of purely white breast meat. They are quicker to cook than a whole turkey, and super easy to carve (being as you don't have to navigate any bones). They are perfect for those who're less skilled in turkey carving, and ideal for those who prefer white meat.
Weight | Cooking | Temperature | Time |
---|---|---|---|
Less than 4KG | Oven Roast | Gas mark 5 / 190C / 170C fan / 375F | 20 minutes per KG + 70 minutes. |
4KG and over | Oven Roast | Gas mark 5 / 190C / 170C fan / 375F | 20 minutes per KG + 90 minutes. |
Test your turkey is cooked by pushing a skewer into the thickest part of the meat, if the juices run clear, it's cooked, otherwise return it to the oven for another 15 minutes and then test again. The minimum internal temperature for cooking poultry is 75C.
Tips
You might want to cook your turkey on a bed of stuffing, push butter under the skin, or cover in strips of bacon (we usually make a lattice of Dry Cured Streaky Bacon to place on top). Whatever you do please make sure to rest your turkey for at least 15 minutes before carving (it will make is so much easier to carve).
Happy roasting!
4 comments
Thank you for the info! Just what I needed to know as I’ve never had to cook a turkey butterfly before.
Many thanks for this explanation. No fril,s, clear and concise.
Jan
Perfect ! Thank you
Thanks for the information. Clear and concise, and, a Merry Christmas to all.