How long to cook a turkey comes down to two numbers: its weight and whether it is stuffed. At 325°F (165°C), an unstuffed 12 to 14 lb bird needs about 3 to 3¾ hours, and a 20 lb bird closer to 4½. The clock only gets you close, though. The turkey is done when a thermometer says so, and the times below tell you when to start checking and when to put it in the oven.
At a glance
Times for a fully thawed whole turkey in a 325°F (165°C) oven, from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service roasting chart (page updated November 2023):
| Turkey weight | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 lb (3.6 to 5.4 kg) | 2¾ to 3 hours | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 12 to 14 lb (5.4 to 6.4 kg) | 3 to 3¾ hours | 3½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb (6.4 to 8.2 kg) | 3¾ to 4¼ hours | 4 to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lb (8.2 to 9 kg) | 4¼ to 4½ hours | 4¼ to 4¾ hours |
| 20 to 24 lb (9 to 10.9 kg) | 4½ to 5 hours | 4¾ to 5¼ hours |
- Done when the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the wing all read at least 165°F (74°C). Stuffing inside the bird must reach 165°F (74°C) at its center too.
- Rest 20 minutes before carving.
- Still frozen? Cooking takes at least 50% longer.
How long to cook a turkey by weight
The table works as a window, not a deadline. Start checking the temperature 30 to 45 minutes before the low end of the range: a bird that went in a little warmer than usual, or an oven that runs hot, can finish early, and an overcooked breast dries out fast.
For the weights people search most:
- 12 lb turkey: about 2¾ to 3 hours unstuffed, 3 to 3½ hours stuffed.
- 15 lb turkey: about 3¾ to 4¼ hours unstuffed, 4 to 4¼ hours stuffed.
- 20 lb turkey: about 4¼ to 5 hours unstuffed, 4¼ to 5¼ hours stuffed. A 20 lb bird sits right where two rows of the chart meet, so plan on the full window and let the thermometer decide.
Bone-in turkey breasts cook faster: the same chart gives 1½ to 3¼ hours for a 4 to 8 lb breast, unstuffed.
Stuffed or unstuffed: what changes
A stuffed turkey takes longer because the stuffing sits in the middle of the bird, the last place heat reaches. The meat can be done while the stuffing is still lukewarm, and you have to keep roasting until the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F (74°C). By then the breast has usually gone past its best.
That is why the USDA recommends baking stuffing separately in a casserole dish. If you do stuff the bird, keep the wet and dry ingredients apart until just before filling, pack the cavity loosely so heat can get through, and put the turkey in the oven right away.
Cooked on the side, stuffing also gets a crisp top, which it never does inside the bird.
Where to put the thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable test. Check three spots, without touching bone, which reads hotter than the meat around it:
- The thickest part of the breast, going in from the neck end, parallel to the bone.
- The innermost part of the thigh, near the body but not touching the hip joint.
- The wing, in its thickest part, close to the body.
All three must read at least 165°F (74°C). The breast usually gets there first. Thigh meat has more connective tissue and stays a little chewy at 165°F; many cooks prefer it closer to 175°F (80°C), where it turns tender. If the breast is ready well before the thighs, cover it loosely with a piece of foil and keep roasting.
In class, the most common mistake was a thermometer pushed all the way through the breast into the cavity, which reads the air inside the bird, not the meat.
Working back from dinner time
Count backward from the moment you want to carve:
- Resting: 20 minutes.
- Roasting: the high end of the range for your weight.
- Preheating: 15 to 20 minutes, with the oven empty.
For an unstuffed 16 lb turkey and dinner at 5:00 pm, that gives 4¼ hours of roasting plus 20 minutes of rest: the bird goes in around 12:20 pm, after preheating from noon. If it is done early, it waits happily under loose foil while you bake the sides.
Thawing comes first
A turkey that is still partly frozen in the center throws every time in the table off. Plan the thaw before you plan the roast, using the USDA timings:
| Turkey weight | In the refrigerator (40°F or below) | In cold water |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 6 hours |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 days | 6 to 8 hours |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 days | 8 to 10 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 days | 10 to 12 hours |
In the refrigerator, count about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb. In cold water, keep the turkey in its wrapping, submerge it fully, change the water every 30 minutes and cook it as soon as it is thawed. For Thanksgiving on November 26, 2026, a 20 lb bird thawing in the fridge should go in by Saturday, November 21.
If you run out of time, you can roast a turkey straight from frozen, but plan on at least 50% more time than the table shows.
Why the turkey needs to rest
Straight out of the oven, the juices in the meat are hot and loose, and they run onto the board as soon as you cut. Twenty minutes on the counter lets them settle back into the meat, and the slices stay moist. Leave the turkey uncovered or under a loose sheet of foil: wrapping it tightly traps steam and softens the skin you spent four hours browning.
Use those 20 minutes to make the gravy with the drippings and to reheat the oven for the rolls.
