Christmas Food Safety: Turkey, Leftovers and the Fridge

Christmas is the one day of the year when most households cook a large piece of meat they have never cooked before, for more people than usual, in a kitchen that is already full. It is not a coincidence that food poisoning cases rise.

None of this is complicated. It is mostly about the fridge being emptier than you would like and the turkey being cooked for longer than you expect.

The Christmas timetable, working backwards

Before the day: defrosting

A frozen turkey needs to be completely thawed before it goes in the oven, or the middle will still be raw when the outside looks done.

• Defrost in the fridge, on the bottom shelf, in a dish big enough to catch the liquid.
• Allow enough time. A large bird can take several days in a fridge — check the guidance on the packaging and work backwards from Christmas Day, not forwards from Christmas Eve.
• Check it is fully thawed before cooking: no ice crystals in the cavity, and the legs move freely.
• Never defrost on the worktop. The outside reaches room temperature long before the middle thaws.
• No fridge space? Somewhere consistently cold — a genuinely cold garage or outhouse — is better than a warm kitchen, but the fridge is the right answer.

Fridge space is the real Christmas problem

Everyone’s fridge is fuller than usual, and an overfilled fridge cannot hold temperature because air cannot circulate. Two things help:

• Clear it out before the shop, not after.
• Check the temperature with a thermometer — it should be 0 to 5°C. The light coming on tells you nothing. We give fridge thermometers away: claim a free one.

Raw meat, including the turkey, goes on the bottom shelf in a sealed container so it cannot drip onto anything else. If you are short of space, the things that genuinely must be chilled are raw meat, dairy, anything with a use-by date and anything already cooked — not the beer.

Cooking the turkey

Do not wash it. Washing raw poultry does not make it safer and splashes bacteria around the sink and worktops.

Cook it through. The standard is a core temperature of 70°C for two minutes. With a food thermometer, measure the thickest part of the meat — on a whole bird, the area between the leg and the breast — and check in more than one place.

Without a thermometer, use all three checks together:

• Cut into the thickest part with a clean knife: it should be steaming hot all the way through
• No pink fleshy meat
• Juices run clear

If any of the three is not right, it goes back in. Rest it afterwards.

Stuffing

Stuffing inside the bird slows the heat reaching the centre, which makes it harder to be confident the meat has cooked through — and the stuffing itself has to reach a safe temperature too. Many people cook stuffing separately for exactly this reason. If you do stuff the bird, allow for the longer cooking time and check the temperature carefully, in the stuffing as well as the meat.

Leftovers: where Boxing Day goes wrong

1. Cool it and refrigerate within one to two hours. Cut large joints down and use shallow containers — a whole turkey carcass on the side overnight is the classic mistake.
2. Cover everything in sealed containers.
3. Eat within 48 hours, or freeze.
4. Reheat once only, until steaming hot throughout.
5. Freezing: freeze leftovers within two days. Defrost in the fridge and eat within 24 hours.

Two specific ones worth flagging: rice (including leftover pilau or egg-fried) should be cooled quickly, chilled and reheated only once; and gravy and stock made from the carcass need the same shallow-container cooling as the meat.

The buffet problem

Party food sitting out for hours is the other seasonal risk. Chilled food should not be out of the fridge for long, so put out small amounts and replenish from the fridge rather than laying everything out at once. Anything that has been out for a few hours is better binned than saved.

Hot food works the other way: keep it properly hot rather than lukewarm, and do not put out a dish that has been reheated once and will now be reheated again tomorrow.

A few other seasonal ones

• Wash fruit and vegetables that will be eaten raw or unpeeled — sprouts included.
• Separate boards and utensils for raw meat and for anything ready to eat.
• Wash hands with soap and warm water between tasks, and dry them properly.
• Cooking for someone vulnerable? Older relatives, pregnant guests, very young children and anyone with a weakened immune system are more likely to become seriously ill, so be stricter, not more relaxed.
• Allergies: ask your guests before the day, not while serving. Nuts in the stuffing and the trifle are the classic Christmas traps.
• Alcohol and timing. A cook who has been drinking since eleven is more likely to misjudge cooking times. It is not a moral point, just a practical one.

Running a business over Christmas?

If you are catering rather than cooking at home, the same principles are a legal duty rather than good advice, with temperature records to match. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene commensurate with their work — and the seasonal staff you take on in December are covered by that too.

See our food safety courses, or which level your staff need.

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Frequently asked questions

What temperature should turkey be cooked to?

A core temperature of 70°C for two minutes, measured in the thickest part between the thigh and the breast. Without a thermometer, check that it is steaming hot throughout, that there is no pink fleshy meat and that the juices run clear.

Should you wash a turkey before cooking it?

No. Washing raw poultry does not make it safer and splashes bacteria around the sink and worktops. Thorough cooking is what destroys the bacteria.

How do I defrost a turkey safely?

In the fridge, on the bottom shelf, in a dish large enough to catch the liquid, allowing enough days for the size of the bird. Check it is fully thawed — no ice crystals in the cavity and the legs move freely — before cooking. Never defrost on the worktop.

How long can I keep Christmas leftovers?

Cool them and get them in the fridge within one to two hours, then eat within 48 hours or freeze. Reheat once only, until steaming hot all the way through.

Can I leave the turkey out to cool overnight?

No. That is one of the most common causes of food poisoning at Christmas. Carve it down, put it into shallow containers, and refrigerate within one to two hours.

Is it safe to stuff the turkey?

Stuffing slows heat reaching the centre of the bird, which makes it harder to be confident the meat has cooked through, and the stuffing itself must reach a safe temperature. Many people cook stuffing separately for that reason. If you do stuff it, allow for the longer cooking time and check temperatures in both.

What if the turkey will not fit in the fridge to defrost?

Somewhere consistently cold, such as a genuinely cold garage or outhouse, is better than a warm kitchen — but the fridge is the right answer, which is why clearing it out before the big shop matters.

Can I freeze leftover turkey?

Yes, within two days of cooking. Cool it quickly, portion it into sealed containers, and freeze. Defrost in the fridge and eat within 24 hours, reheating once until steaming hot.

Do seasonal catering staff need food hygiene training?

Yes. The duty under Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 does not distinguish between permanent, temporary and seasonal staff. At minimum they need instruction and supervision proportionate to what they will be doing, before their first shift.

Have a good Christmas

And if you cater professionally and need your team trained before the season, call 0845 838 4643 or use the enquiry form on this page.

If you cook for the public rather than the family, the same rules apply with paperwork attached — see our food safety courses and our guide to whether you need a Level 2 certificate.