Our Ultimate Guide to Cooking the Easiest Thanksgiving Turkey

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The ideal place to thaw a frozen turkey is in the fridge, which can take up to a week, depending on the size of the bird. Here’s how long it takes a typical turkey to thaw in the fridge: – 4–12 pounds: 1 to 3 days – 12–16 pounds: 3 to 4 days – 16–20 pounds: 4 to 5 days – 20–24 pounds: 5 to 6 days

If you’re short on time, there are other, faster ways to thaw a turkey, but thawing it in the refrigerator is your best bet when it comes to safe kitchen practices. For tips on preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving, click on our guide:

When the time arrives to cook your bird, take the now-thawed turkey out of the fridge and set it on a rack at room temperature for an hour to take the chill off and dry out the skin. Your roasting rack should allow the bottom of the turkey to sit at or just below the top of the pan. No roasting rack? A heavy-duty cooling rack set inside a half-sheet pan works too.

Position your oven rack on the lowest rung and set the oven to 350°F. Some recipes have you start roasting the turkey at a high oven temperature for a brief period before lowering the heat for the duration. The belief is that the high heat “sears” the bird and the low heat gently roasts, yielding a bird that’s more moist and succulent, but we haven’t found that this makes a huge difference.

Plus, the skin gets browned very quickly (often too quickly). Steady heat means not having to check the oven so frequently, leaving you free to do other things, like prep your mashed potatoes and other Thanksgiving side dishes.

Set your turkey breast side up on the roasting rack and rub room-temperature salted butter—or your favorite flavored compound butter—all over it. Slowly work your fingers under the skin, starting at the neck, being careful not to tear the skin or separate it completely at the large cavity.

Rub most of the butter under the skin, a little inside the large cavity, and the rest over the skin.

If you’ve chosen to brine your bird you can skip this final seasoning. For kosher turkeys, which are already salted, there’s no need to salt the cavity, but you will want to salt the skin.

Here’s how to do it: For a 12- to 14-pound bird, sprinkle 1½ teaspoons each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper in the large cavity and another 1½ teaspoons each over the skin.

Sounds random, we know. But stuffing the neck cavity (not the large cavity) with a halved apple—placing the cut side against the turkey’s flesh with the rounded side facing out—helps buffer the breast against heat and protects it from overcooking.

But don’t fill the main cavity with stuffing—it’ll only slow down your cooking time. Instead, prep your stuffing recipe in a casserole dish and bake it on the side.

Not stuffing your turkey means there’s room in the cavity for aromatics, which will add flavor and aroma to the bird and add complexity to the pan drippings used to make gravy. Try placing onion quarters, celery stalks, parsley, thyme, and other fresh herbs inside the turkey before roasting.

You can also place some aromatics right in the roasting pan, under the rack. These will caramelize in the more direct heat, perfuming the meat and further flavoring the drippings.

Add a few halved shallots, sliced carrots, and some celery. Whether you choose to add aromatics or not, pour 2 cups of water into your roasting pan to prevent those drippings from burning.

Loosely cover the bird with aluminum foil, shiny side out (to deflect heat) at the very beginning of roasting. Tenting with foil keeps the skin from getting too dark too soon. Remove the foil about halfway through cooking to let the skin brown.

Some traditional recipes call for basting the turkey, ostensibly to moisten and flavor the bird. We’ve found that opening the oven door too often lets too much heat escape, lengthening the cooking time.

Additionally, squirting or brushing broth onto the skin will prevent it from browning evenly and can cause it to lose any crispness it might achieve. The better way to ensure a moist bird is to dry-brine it before cooking.

The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Check the temperature about three quarters of the way through that time, and then again every 10 minutes, and roast until the temperature reads 165°F (or 150°F as the case may be; more on that below) when checked at the thickest part of the thigh meat and the thickest part of the breast meat.

If, however, you prefer to roast your turkey at a higher or lower temperature, follow these guidelines. (The following cook times are for unstuffed birds. Our rule of thumb is to avoid stuffed turkeys and instead to bake the stuffing alongside so that it can easily reach a safe temperature.)

How long to cook a turkey per pound: – For an 8- to 12-pound turkey:325°F for 2¾ to 3 hours – For a 12- to 14-pound turkey:425°F for 2¼ to 2½ hours 400°F for 2½ to 2¾ hours 350°F for 2¾ to 3 hours 325°F for 3 to 3¾ hours

– For a 15- to 16-pound turkey:425°F for 3 to 3¼ hours 400°F for 3¼ to 3½ hours 350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours 325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours – For an 18- to 20-pound turkey:425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours 325°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours

– For a 21- to 24-pound turkey:425°F for 4 to 4¼ hours 400°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours 350°F for 4½ to 4¾ hours 325°F for 4¾ to 5 hours – For a turkey that weighs 24 pounds or more:425°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours 400°F for 4½ to 4¾ hours 350°F for 4¾ to 5 hours 325°F for 5 to 5¼ hours

According to the USDA, a turkey must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F to kill harmful bacteria. For the juiciest meat, you’ll want to remove your bird from the oven when the temperature reaches 150°F.

The temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests and should reach 165°F within 30 minutes of being removed from the oven.

Some cooks, including Epi’s food director Chris Morocco, prefer dark meat when it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 190°F, which will allow more of the collagen and connective tissues to break down, rendering more tender meat.

Whichever turkey roasting temperature you choose, be sure to use an accurate meat thermometer to confirm the final temperature.

In the past, home cooks used to look at the color of the meat as an indication of doneness: The turkey was pierced with a knife and if the juices were clear instead of pink it was considered done.

But this is not a reliable method for several reasons. First, pinkness can disappear before a safe temperature is reached. And on the flip side, some turkeys (especially organic and heritage birds) may never lose their pink color, even if they’re cooked to well above 165°F.

To check the temperature of the turkey, you can use either an instant-read thermometer or a remote food thermometer. Either way, insert the thermometer so that its point reaches the thickest part of the turkey’s breast.

If you find the skin is getting too dark and the desired internal temperature hasn’t been reached, loosely tent the browned parts with a double-thick layer of buttered aluminum foil to protect them from the heat.

When the roast turkey has reached the right temperature, it’s essential to let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. This gives the juices time to settle into the bird and be reabsorbed; carving it up too soon will just allow the moisture to run out, leaving you with dried-out meat on top of a puddle on your cutting board.

It is not necessary to cover the turkey with aluminum foil while it rests, and doing so will only cause the skin to go limp. The turkey can rest for up to 90 minutes and still be hot come carving time. Which means you’ve got plenty of time to make gravy.

With longer thighs and drumsticks, a leaner breast, and a more diminutive size compared to a standard supermarket turkey, heritage birds look, taste, and cook differently than your average Thanksgiving fowl.

Heritage birds generally top out at 14 to 16 pounds, so if you plan on serving a larger crowd, you might want to roast two side by side. An added bonus is that smaller birds cook more quickly than their fleshy cousins, so you don’t need to rise at dawn if you like to eat Thanksgiving dinner at noon.

Because they tend to have a more active lifestyle, heritage turkeys must be roasted differently in order to avoid toughness. Roasting the bird slowly, at a lower temperature is the best way to achieve tender meat. You should still prep the bird with butter, salt, and pepper, as described above (or dry-brine it).

To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird. Most important, pay attention to the internal temperature.

It’s important to note that the nature of some heritage breeds yield flesh and bone that may still have a pinkish hue, even when fully cooked. But, as long at the temperature has reached 165°F on a reliable meat thermometer, you needn’t worry.

So it’s noon on Thanksgiving day and you suddenly realize that you’ve forgotten to thaw the turkey. There’s no need to panic. But you should know that cooking it is going to take considerably more time than stated above.

Importantly, do not try to partially thaw the bird. According to ThermoWorks VP Tim Robinson, to do so is to invite disaster. A partially thawed bird will cook unevenly and will undoubtedly overcook on the exterior while the interior is still raw.

On the other hand, you actually can cook a fully frozen bird and have a positive end result. The trick is using a two-pronged cooking method.

Start by preheating your oven to 325°F. Plan on cooking a 12- to 14-pound turkey for 5 to 6 hours, divided into two stages. The first stretch is a controlled partial defrost. Seasoning won’t adhere to a frozen turkey, so you want to get it a little relaxed before you apply the flavors and remove the giblets. Plan on about 2 hours for this first cycle.

Remove the turkey from the oven and brush it with oil or melted butter (it’ll be somewhat hot, so you’ll probably want to avoid rubbing it down with softened butter). Season with salt and pepper, as described above, and any other seasonings that sound good to you.

Return the turkey to the oven, still set to 325°F, and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 hours. Be sure to check the internal temperature in several different places—both thighs and both breasts. If any spot is cooking more slowly, position it toward the back of your oven.

Remove the turkey from the oven when your thermometer reads at least 150°F in all sections and rest as normal so that the temperature can rise to 165°F.

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Our Ultimate Guide to Cooking the Easiest Thanksgiving Turkey

1. Thaw your turkey

If you’re short on time, there are other, faster ways to thaw a turkey, but thawing it in the refrigerator is your best bet when it comes to safe kitchen practices. For tips on preparing a turkey for Thanksgiving, click on our guide:

1. Thaw your turkey

2. Temper your turkey

3. Prep your oven

Plus, the skin gets browned very quickly (often too quickly). Steady heat means not having to check the oven so frequently, leaving you free to do other things, like prep your mashed potatoes and other Thanksgiving side dishes.

3. Prep your oven

Set your turkey breast side up on the roasting rack and rub room-temperature salted butter—or your favorite flavored compound butter—all over it. Slowly work your fingers under the skin, starting at the neck, being careful not to tear the skin or separate it completely at the large cavity.

4. Butter your turkey

Rub most of the butter under the skin, a little inside the large cavity, and the rest over the skin.

4. Butter your turkey

If you’ve chosen to brine your bird you can skip this final seasoning. For kosher turkeys, which are already salted, there’s no need to salt the cavity, but you will want to salt the skin.

5. Season your turkey (if necessary)

Here’s how to do it: For a 12- to 14-pound bird, sprinkle 1½ teaspoons each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper in the large cavity and another 1½ teaspoons each over the skin.

5. Season your turkey (if necessary)

Sounds random, we know. But stuffing the neck cavity (not the large cavity) with a halved apple—placing the cut side against the turkey’s flesh with the rounded side facing out—helps buffer the breast against heat and protects it from overcooking.

6. Stuff the neck cavity but not the main cavity

But don’t fill the main cavity with stuffing—it’ll only slow down your cooking time. Instead, prep your stuffing recipe in a casserole dish and bake it on the side.

6. Stuff the neck cavity but not the main cavity

Not stuffing your turkey means there’s room in the cavity for aromatics, which will add flavor and aroma to the bird and add complexity to the pan drippings used to make gravy. Try placing onion quarters, celery stalks, parsley, thyme, and other fresh herbs inside the turkey before roasting.

7. Add some aromatics

You can also place some aromatics right in the roasting pan, under the rack. These will caramelize in the more direct heat, perfuming the meat and further flavoring the drippings.

7. Add some aromatics

Add a few halved shallots, sliced carrots, and some celery. Whether you choose to add aromatics or not, pour 2 cups of water into your roasting pan to prevent those drippings from burning.

7. Add some aromatics

Loosely cover the bird with aluminum foil, shiny side out (to deflect heat) at the very beginning of roasting. Tenting with foil keeps the skin from getting too dark too soon. Remove the foil about halfway through cooking to let the skin brown.

8. Cover (and then uncover) the turkey

Some traditional recipes call for basting the turkey, ostensibly to moisten and flavor the bird. We’ve found that opening the oven door too often lets too much heat escape, lengthening the cooking time.

9. Skip the basting

Additionally, squirting or brushing broth onto the skin will prevent it from browning evenly and can cause it to lose any crispness it might achieve. The better way to ensure a moist bird is to dry-brine it before cooking.

9. Skip the basting

The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that’s about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

Check the temperature about three quarters of the way through that time, and then again every 10 minutes, and roast until the temperature reads 165°F (or 150°F as the case may be; more on that below) when checked at the thickest part of the thigh meat and the thickest part of the breast meat.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

If, however, you prefer to roast your turkey at a higher or lower temperature, follow these guidelines. (The following cook times are for unstuffed birds. Our rule of thumb is to avoid stuffed turkeys and instead to bake the stuffing alongside so that it can easily reach a safe temperature.)

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

How long to cook a turkey per pound: – For an 8- to 12-pound turkey:325°F for 2¾ to 3 hours – For a 12- to 14-pound turkey:425°F for 2¼ to 2½ hours 400°F for 2½ to 2¾ hours 350°F for 2¾ to 3 hours 325°F for 3 to 3¾ hours

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

– For a 15- to 16-pound turkey:425°F for 3 to 3¼ hours 400°F for 3¼ to 3½ hours 350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours 325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours – For an 18- to 20-pound turkey:425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours 400°F for 3¾ to 4 hours 350°F for 4 to 4¼ hours 325°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

– For a 21- to 24-pound turkey:425°F for 4 to 4¼ hours 400°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours 350°F for 4½ to 4¾ hours 325°F for 4¾ to 5 hours – For a turkey that weighs 24 pounds or more:425°F for 4¼ to 4½ hours 400°F for 4½ to 4¾ hours 350°F for 4¾ to 5 hours 325°F for 5 to 5¼ hours

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

According to the USDA, a turkey must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F to kill harmful bacteria. For the juiciest meat, you’ll want to remove your bird from the oven when the temperature reaches 150°F.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

The temperature will continue to rise as the turkey rests and should reach 165°F within 30 minutes of being removed from the oven.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

Some cooks, including Epi’s food director Chris Morocco, prefer dark meat when it’s cooked to an internal temperature of 190°F, which will allow more of the collagen and connective tissues to break down, rendering more tender meat.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

Whichever turkey roasting temperature you choose, be sure to use an accurate meat thermometer to confirm the final temperature.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

In the past, home cooks used to look at the color of the meat as an indication of doneness: The turkey was pierced with a knife and if the juices were clear instead of pink it was considered done.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

But this is not a reliable method for several reasons. First, pinkness can disappear before a safe temperature is reached. And on the flip side, some turkeys (especially organic and heritage birds) may never lose their pink color, even if they’re cooked to well above 165°F.

10. Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature

To check the temperature of the turkey, you can use either an instant-read thermometer or a remote food thermometer. Either way, insert the thermometer so that its point reaches the thickest part of the turkey’s breast.

11. Check the temperature of the turkey

If you find the skin is getting too dark and the desired internal temperature hasn’t been reached, loosely tent the browned parts with a double-thick layer of buttered aluminum foil to protect them from the heat.

11. Check the temperature of the turkey

12. Let the turkey rest

It is not necessary to cover the turkey with aluminum foil while it rests, and doing so will only cause the skin to go limp. The turkey can rest for up to 90 minutes and still be hot come carving time. Which means you’ve got plenty of time to make gravy.

12. Let the turkey rest

With longer thighs and drumsticks, a leaner breast, and a more diminutive size compared to a standard supermarket turkey, heritage birds look, taste, and cook differently than your average Thanksgiving fowl.

How to Cook a Heritage Turkey

How to Cook a Heritage Turkey

How to Cook a Heritage Turkey

To cook, set your oven to 325°F and roast for 3½ to 4 hours for a 12- to 14-pound bird. Most important, pay attention to the internal temperature.

How to Cook a Heritage Turkey

It’s important to note that the nature of some heritage breeds yield flesh and bone that may still have a pinkish hue, even when fully cooked. But, as long at the temperature has reached 165°F on a reliable meat thermometer, you needn’t worry.

How to Cook a Heritage Turkey

So it’s noon on Thanksgiving day and you suddenly realize that you’ve forgotten to thaw the turkey. There’s no need to panic. But you should know that cooking it is going to take considerably more time than stated above.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

Importantly, do not try to partially thaw the bird. According to ThermoWorks VP Tim Robinson, to do so is to invite disaster. A partially thawed bird will cook unevenly and will undoubtedly overcook on the exterior while the interior is still raw.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

On the other hand, you actually can cook a fully frozen bird and have a positive end result. The trick is using a two-pronged cooking method.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey

Remove the turkey from the oven and brush it with oil or melted butter (it’ll be somewhat hot, so you’ll probably want to avoid rubbing it down with softened butter). Season with salt and pepper, as described above, and any other seasonings that sound good to you.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey