Turkey Cooking Time Calculator — How Long to Cook a Turkey

Formula

How this is calculated

The USDA recommends roasting a turkey in a 325°F oven until the thickest part of the thigh (not touching bone) reads 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer. Cooking time scales roughly with weight but is not perfectly linear — larger birds are more efficient to heat because the mass-to-surface-area ratio is higher. As a practical guide, small birds (≤ 12 lb) need about 15 minutes per pound unstuffed; larger birds (> 12 lb) need about 13 minutes per pound unstuffed. A stuffed bird adds 2 minutes per pound because the cold stuffing in the cavity must also reach a safe temperature.

Roasting at 350°F instead of 325°F speeds things up by roughly 10%, but lower, slower cooking gives moister breast meat because there is more time for the collagen in the legs to break down before the breast overcooks. The times given here are estimates with a ±15 minute range — ovens vary, and a frozen-centre bird or one that was very cold from the refrigerator will need longer. Never rely on timing alone: always use a meat thermometer, checking the thickest part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast, avoiding the bone.

After cooking, tent the bird loosely with foil and let it rest for at least 20–30 minutes before carving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute and the carry-over heat to finish cooking the meat, keeping it juicier when sliced. The stuffing inside a stuffed turkey must also reach 165°F — check it separately with the thermometer.