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Roasting a Turkey: Cooking Times, Temperatures and Everything Else You Need to Know
Looking for turkey answers? Here’s everything you need to know about getting the Big Bird from refrigerator (or freezer) to table, ensuring it’s moist, juicy and perfectly cooked.
While thawing, keep the turkey in its original wrapper – on a tray if it’s in the fridge, to catch any juices that may leak. Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds in the refrigerator, and approximately 30 minutes per pound in cold water. Once thawed, your turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
Once it’s nicely thawed and ready to go, you’ll need to know how to cook it.
If you stuff your turkey, fill the cavities loosely and cook the turkey immediately. (Make sure you first remove the giblets!) Some people cook their turkey upside down (breast-down in the roasting pan) – this won’t produce a picture-perfect turkey, but means the juices will run down into the breast during cooking. Some people start it this way and then flip it halfway through to brown the breast skin, but it’s sometimes awkward to flip a half-cooked turkey, as you can imagine. It seems fairly unanimous that a turkey should be roasted at 325 °F.
Turkey Roasting Chart (at 325 °F)
Unstuffed Turkey:
8 to 12 pounds – 2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds – 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds – 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds – 4 1/2 to 5 hoursStuffed Turkey:
8 to 12 pounds – 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds – 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds – 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds – 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hoursFor stuffed turkeys – the stuffing should reach an internal temperature of 165 °F.
According to the USDA, a whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F – measure it with a food thermometer poked into the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
For information about safely buying, handling, thawing, cooking, storing and reheating your turkey, check out the USDA’s Let’s Talk Turkey—A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey.
Still have questions? The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline can personally answer your food safety questions on weekdays year-round. Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at: 1-888-MPHotline or 1-888-674-6854.
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7 Comments
[...] pan upside down – prep, stuff and truss (if you like) it as you normally would, and the cooking times and temperatures stay the same. Some people start their birds upside down and then flip them halfway through – [...]
Roasting a turkey upside down | The Family Kitchen commented on Nov 25 10 at 10:13 ambetty commented on Nov 25 10 at 10:18 amIn my pj’s and it is snowing here in Pa. and watching the parades from Phily and NY turkey should be done in about 5 hours. 21 lbs. for just 4 people. A LOT of leftovers. Have to cut up the turkip first time making that since my parents passed years ago. Having all the usual stuff. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Lin Floyd commented on Nov 25 10 at 11:46 amI’ve always used a variation in the James Beard method for cooking chicken: start roasting on one side, flip to the other side after and hour, then breast down for the rest of the cooking time. It is tricky turning a hot turkey :> but well worth it. The breast literally oozes when cut!
Penny commented on Nov 25 10 at 11:46 amDoes the stuffing need to be cooled before putting into turkey
Debra Rincon Lopez commented on Nov 25 10 at 12:32 pmI have a 14 lbs but I want to stuff the bird. SO approX. 41/2hrs. I hope I’m right, I Will be checking peridoically. It has a timer. Now what about the HAM??? thanks I was at another site before this one and it said for instance if you turkey is 14lbs cook it for 222minutes. HOw funny, LOL? Is this Math test or turkey timing!
Newell Noda commented on Nov 25 10 at 1:04 pmHappy Thanksgiving to all from sunny CA. Just returned from Philly and New York,hoping it’s as nice there as it is here. Cooking all the usual stuff,but son is making brussel sprout salad. New addition to the tradition,”son is making something”!
Colorado Business Coach commented on Nov 25 10 at 1:51 pmBird is in the oven, upside down. At least to start. Had a nice massage of olive oil before it went in. Pie is being made by wife and son as I type.
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