This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Gerzsi earns from qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure. Tamás is a real head chef with 25 years in professional kitchens; Gerzsi is his beaver apprentice. The times and temperatures below come from the USDA, not from us.
🦃 Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. Buying a frozen bird? A 20 lb turkey needs 4 to 5 days in the fridge to thaw, so start by Friday, November 20. Building the whole kit? See the 3 turkey tools a head chef would buy and the Black Friday deals hub.
From the kitchen: Gerzsi asked Chef Tamás how long a turkey takes. Tamás said, “Until it’s 165.” Gerzsi said, “Minutes?” Tamás said, “Degrees.” Then he wrote this chart on the back of a delivery slip, and Gerzsi copied it onto a birch log so nobody could lose it.
The short answer
Oven at 325°F. A 12 to 14 lb unstuffed turkey takes about 3 to 3¾ hours. A 20 to 24 lb one takes about 4½ to 5 hours. Stuffed birds take a bit longer. The chart is below.
The time is only a guess. The number decides. The turkey is done at 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. Stuffing in the middle must hit 165°F too. Then let it rest 20 minutes before carving.
The one tool that makes this chart work: a leave-in probe thermometer. It stays in the bird and beeps at your number, so you don’t open the oven every ten minutes. America’s Test Kitchen’s Best Buy is the ThermoPro TP16 ($25–50).
Turkey roasting time chart (oven at 325°F)
| Turkey weight | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 8 lb (breast only) | 1½ to 3¼ hours | 2½ to 3½ hours (6 to 8 lb) |
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 hours | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ hours | 3½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ hours | 4 to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ hours | 4¼ to 4¾ hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 hours | 4¾ to 5¼ hours |
Where to put the thermometer
- Thigh: the innermost part, close to the body, without touching the bone. Bone reads hotter than meat and lies to you.
- Wing: the innermost part, where it joins the body.
- Breast: the thickest part.
- Stuffing: the very center, 165°F.
A leave-in probe lives in the thigh for the whole roast. When it beeps, confirm the other two spots with an instant-read. Two tools, one job each. That’s how a hotel kitchen does a banquet roast, and it works the same at home.
Thawing chart: start earlier than you think
| Turkey weight | In the fridge (40°F or below) | In cold water | Start fridge thaw by (for Nov 26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 6 hours | Sunday, Nov 22 |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 days | 6 to 8 hours | Saturday, Nov 21 |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 days | 8 to 10 hours | Friday, Nov 20 |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 days | 10 to 12 hours | Thursday, Nov 19 |
🦫 gerzsi.com hack: the neck goes in the pot, not the trash. Chef Tamás makes stock from everything other cooks throw away. The neck and the giblets bag (minus the liver) go into a pot with an onion, a carrot and cold water the moment the bird goes in the oven. Three hours later, when the turkey comes out, you have real stock for the gravy instead of a cube. Same oven time, zero extra work. Any big pot will do. A big Dutch oven works fine for one bird’s worth.
The short Thanksgiving turkey kit
Everything here was picked by America’s Test Kitchen’s testers, not by us. The full reasons are in our turkey tools guide.
| Leave-in thermometer | Price range | Tester verdict |
|---|---|---|
| ThermoPro TP16 (TempPro TP16) · Check on Amazon | $25–50 | ATK Recommended, Best Buy; no low alarm |
| OXO Good Grips Leave-in Probe · Check on Amazon | $50–100 | ATK Recommended; early-warning alarm, presets; bulky |
| Polder Classic Combination · Check on Amazon | Under $25 | ATK Recommended; simple, tops out at 392°F |
- Roasting pan: Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16″ with rack, ATK’s winner. It held a 19 lb turkey.
- Carving knife: Victorinox Fibrox Pro 12″ Granton, ATK’s winner. Chef Tamás has used Victorinox Fibrox Pro knives at work.
- Going to brine it? Read the 5% brine math first. It’s one number and a kitchen scale.
Turkey timing FAQ
How long to cook a turkey per pound?
Don’t think per pound. Bigger birds take fewer minutes per pound than small ones, which is why the USDA gives ranges by weight. Use the chart for planning, then go by the thermometer: 165°F in the thigh, wing and breast.
Can I cook a turkey that is still a little frozen?
The USDA says a turkey can be cooked from frozen, but it takes about 50% longer than a thawed one. The chart above is for fully thawed birds only.
How long should the turkey rest?
20 minutes before carving. Use that time to make the gravy from the stock you started with the neck.
Is 325°F the right oven temperature?
It’s the temperature the USDA timetable is built on, and the USDA says not to roast below 325°F. If your recipe uses a hotter oven, the times in this chart won’t match. The thermometer still will.
Plan by the clock. Finish by the thermometer.
Read next
Sources
- University of Tennessee Extension (developed by USDA FSIS): Take the Guesswork out of Roasting a Turkey
- Minnesota Department of Health: turkey roasting and thawing fact sheet
- FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures
- America’s Test Kitchen: The Best Leave-in Thermometers
- America’s Test Kitchen: Roasting Pans
- America’s Test Kitchen: Slicing Knives
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