How Long To Cook A Turkey: A Pound-By-Pound Guide

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Before we get started on the specifics of turkey roasting times, these handy Q&As may help you understand the numbers below.

That depends on how many people you're feeding. On average, look to buy one to one and half pounds per Thanksgiving guest. For 10 people, you'll want a turkey between 10 and 15 pounds.

More on this below, but the standard rule of turkey roasting time says 13 minutes per pound for unstuffed birds and 15 minutes per pound for the stuffed ones.

Techniques for cooking a turkey vary. Some cooks swear by starting the bird off at 450°F to get a crispy skin. We like a steady temperature the whole time, and 325°F is the ideal turkey roasting temperature in our books.

Grab your meat thermometer, and stick the probe in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. When it reads 165°F, your bird is cooked.

Resting the turkey before carving is essential to prevent all that delicious moisture from escaping, so make sure you let the turkey rest at least 15 minutes once it's out of the oven.

That is indeed the question, right? While basting your turkey may seem as close to Thanksgiving gospel as a Norman Rockwell painting, it isn't as necessary or as helpful as you may think.

There are a lot of food safety debates when it comes to filling your turkey with stuffing (we all know it's dressing, right?), so we won't get into that right at this moment. But we'd be remiss to not point out that baking a stuffed-to-the-brim bird takes longer than baking an unstuffed bird.

Stuff or don't stuff—that's totally up to you. Just know it does take a bit longer to bake. Don't worry: The handy charts below cover that, too!

If you haven't already bought your turkey, we advise that you buy a turkey that's between 12 and 15 pounds—anything larger could result in uneven cooking. If you must buy a 24-pound turkey, we'll still provide a time range, but we recommend buying two smaller birds instead.

If you'd like to keep things simple, set your oven temperature to 325°F for a for a slow, steady roast. Preheat your oven to 325°F, and use the timetable below.

You can also find more information on FoodSafety.gov. If you're more adventurous, there's more than one way to roast a turkey. But if you already have enough on your plate (and it's Thanksgiving, so you surely do!), stick to a trusty 325°F.

When it comes to the cooking time for your bird, focus on the temperature of the meat rather than the actual time. The times listed below are a guideline to help you plan the approximate time required to cook your Thanksgiving turkey to the right temperature, but we highly recommend using a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Remove the turkey from the oven when a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the thigh registers 165°F.

2 hours 45 minutes - 3 hours (unstuffed) 3 hours - 3 hours 30 minutes (stuffed)

3 hours - 3 hours and 45 minutes (unstuffed) 3 hours 30 minutes - 4 hours (stuffed)

3 hours 45 minutes - 4 hours 15 minutes (unstuffed) 4 hours - 4 hours 15 minutes (stuffed)

4 hours 15 minutes - 4 hours 30 minutes (unstuffed) 4 hours 15 minutes - 4 hours 45 minutes (stuffed)

4 hours 30 minutes - 5 hours (unstuffed) 4 hours 45 minutes - 5 hours 15 minutes (stuffed)

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How Long To Cook A Turkey: A Pound-By-Pound Guide

Before we get started on the specifics of turkey roasting times, these handy Q&As may help you understand the numbers below.

Fast Turkey Tips

That depends on how many people you're feeding. On average, look to buy one to one and half pounds per Thanksgiving guest. For 10 people, you'll want a turkey between 10 and 15 pounds.

What size turkey should I buy?

More on this below, but the standard rule of turkey roasting time says 13 minutes per pound for unstuffed birds and 15 minutes per pound for the stuffed ones.

How long to cook a turkey per pound?

Techniques for cooking a turkey vary. Some cooks swear by starting the bird off at 450°F to get a crispy skin. We like a steady temperature the whole time, and 325°F is the ideal turkey roasting temperature in our books.

At what temperature should I cook the turkey?

Grab your meat thermometer, and stick the probe in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. When it reads 165°F, your bird is cooked.

How will I know when a turkey is done?

Resting the turkey before carving is essential to prevent all that delicious moisture from escaping, so make sure you let the turkey rest at least 15 minutes once it's out of the oven.

How long should a turkey rest before carving?

That is indeed the question, right? While basting your turkey may seem as close to Thanksgiving gospel as a Norman Rockwell painting, it isn't as necessary or as helpful as you may think.

To Baste or Not to Baste?

To Baste or Not to Baste?

There are a lot of food safety debates when it comes to filling your turkey with stuffing (we all know it's dressing, right?), so we won't get into that right at this moment. But we'd be remiss to not point out that baking a stuffed-to-the-brim bird takes longer than baking an unstuffed bird.

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

Stuff or don't stuff—that's totally up to you. Just know it does take a bit longer to bake. Don't worry: The handy charts below cover that, too!

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

If you haven't already bought your turkey, we advise that you buy a turkey that's between 12 and 15 pounds—anything larger could result in uneven cooking. If you must buy a 24-pound turkey, we'll still provide a time range, but we recommend buying two smaller birds instead.

How Big Is Too Big?

If you'd like to keep things simple, set your oven temperature to 325°F for a for a slow, steady roast. Preheat your oven to 325°F, and use the timetable below.

The Right Temp to Cook a Turkey

You can also find more information on FoodSafety.gov. If you're more adventurous, there's more than one way to roast a turkey. But if you already have enough on your plate (and it's Thanksgiving, so you surely do!), stick to a trusty 325°F.

The Right Temp to Cook a Turkey

How to Tell When a Turkey Is Done

Remove the turkey from the oven when a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the thigh registers 165°F.

How to Tell When a Turkey Is Done

2 hours 45 minutes - 3 hours (unstuffed) 3 hours - 3 hours 30 minutes (stuffed)

8 – 12 lb Turkey Cooking Time

3 hours - 3 hours and 45 minutes (unstuffed) 3 hours 30 minutes - 4 hours (stuffed)

12 – 14 lb Turkey Cooking Time

3 hours 45 minutes - 4 hours 15 minutes (unstuffed) 4 hours - 4 hours 15 minutes (stuffed)

14 – 18 lb Turkey Cooking Time

4 hours 15 minutes - 4 hours 30 minutes (unstuffed) 4 hours 15 minutes - 4 hours 45 minutes (stuffed)

18 – 20 lb Turkey Cooking Time

4 hours 30 minutes - 5 hours (unstuffed) 4 hours 45 minutes - 5 hours 15 minutes (stuffed)

20 – 24 lb Turkey Cooking Time

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