Turkey cooking time calculator
Enter the weight of your turkey and whether it is stuffed. The calculator looks up the time range from the USDA FSIS roasting chart for a 325 °F oven and reminds you of the temperature the turkey has to reach.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Enter the weight of the turkey and choose stuffed or unstuffed.
- Heat the oven to 325 °F (163 °C) and roast. Put the turkey on a rack in a shallow pan.
- Check the temperature in three places (thigh, breast, wing) before the end of the range.
How it works
The calculator picks the row of the USDA FSIS roasting chart for a whole turkey at 325 °F. Unstuffed: 8 to 12 lb takes 2¾ to 3 hours, 12 to 14 lb 3 to 3¾, 14 to 18 lb 3¾ to 4¼, 18 to 20 lb 4¼ to 4½ and 20 to 24 lb 4½ to 5 hours. Stuffed: 3 to 3½, 3½ to 4, 4 to 4¼, 4¼ to 4¾ and 4¾ to 5¼ hours. Kilograms are converted to pounds first.
Worked example
A 12 lb unstuffed turkey falls in the 8 to 12 lb row: 2¾ to 3 hours, which is 165 to 180 minutes. A 6 kg stuffed bird is 13.2 lb, so the 12 to 14 lb stuffed row applies: 3½ to 4 hours.
Tips
Frequently asked questions
What temperature must a turkey reach?
USDA FSIS says 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh, the thickest part of the breast and the wing joint. If the turkey is stuffed, the centre of the stuffing must also reach 165 °F.
Are these times exact?
No, they are estimates from the chart. An oven that runs hot or cold, a turkey that is still cold in the middle or opening the door often can all change the time. Check with a thermometer before the low end of the range is up.
Why does stuffing add time?
The stuffing slows the heat reaching the cavity, and it has to reach 165 °F as well. The chart therefore gives a longer time for a stuffed bird of the same weight. Cooking stuffing in a separate dish is faster and easier to check.
How long should I thaw a frozen turkey?
USDA guidance is about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 pounds, or about 30 minutes per pound in cold water with the water changed every 30 minutes. Never thaw on the counter. See the meat thawing time calculator.
Should the turkey rest?
Resting 20 minutes or so before carving keeps the juices in and is common practice. It is not a safety step, so the turkey must reach 165 °F in the oven before it comes out.