How long to cook a turkey at 350 °F
Most turkey charts are written for 325 °F, but many cooks run the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) because the sides bake there too. The chart for that temperature is harder to find, and it does not shave time off the 325 °F one. I opened the Turkey Farmers of Canada table, which is set at 350 °F, and put it next to Butterball's and USDA's 325 °F charts, all for an unstuffed bird. Then I ran a 15 lb turkey through the planner at both temperatures.
Three charts by weight
The weights are chosen inside one band of each chart, so every cell is that source's own range for that size. The band is under each time. Kilograms are plain conversions.
| Weight | Turkey Farmers of Canada, 350 °F (177 °C) | Butterball, 325 °F (163 °C) | USDA, 325 °F (163 °C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 lb (4.1 kg) | 2 h to 2 h 30 min8 to 10 lb | 2 h 30 min to 3 h7 to 10 lb | 2 h 45 min to 3 h8 to 12 lb |
| 13 lb (5.9 kg) | 2 h 45 min to 3 h 15 min11 to 13 lb | 3 h to 3 h 30 min10 to 18 lb | 3 h to 3 h 45 min12 to 14 lb |
| 15 lb (6.8 kg) | 3 h 30 min to 4 h14 to 16 lb | 3 h to 3 h 30 min10 to 18 lb | 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min14 to 18 lb |
| 17 lb (7.7 kg) | 4 h 15 min to 4 h 45 min17 to 19 lb | 3 h to 3 h 30 min10 to 18 lb | 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min14 to 18 lb |
| 21 lb (9.5 kg) | 5 h to 5 h 30 min20 to 22 lb | 3 h 30 min to 4 h18 to 22 lb | 4 h 30 min to 5 h20 to 24 lb |
| 23 lb (10.4 kg) | 5 h 45 min to 6 h23 to 24 lb | 4 h to 4 h 30 min22 to 24 lb | 4 h 30 min to 5 h20 to 24 lb |
Read down the first column against the other two. At 9 lb the 350 °F chart is the shortest. At 15 lb it sits between Butterball and USDA. From 17 lb up it is the longest: at 21 lb it says 5 h to 5 h 30 min, where Butterball says 3 h 30 min to 4 h. So a hotter oven does not buy a shorter roast on paper. The three charts were written with different birds and ovens in mind, and none of them says how the number was reached. Canadian Turkey calls its times approximate and says the bird's starting temperature, the oven's accuracy and how often you open the door all move them.
Is 350 °F allowed?
USDA's brochure says to set the oven no lower than 325 °F, so 350 °F is inside its advice. What differs is the finish line. USDA says 165 °F (74 °C) in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Butterball says 170 °F in the thigh and in the breast or stuffing, and covering the breast loosely with foil when the bird is about two thirds done. Turkey Farmers of Canada says 170 °F (77 °C) in the thigh for an unstuffed turkey, 180 °F (82 °C) for a stuffed one, and 165 °F (74 °C) in the stuffing. Standing time is 20 minutes for Canadian Turkey and USDA, 15 for Butterball. I plan with the USDA minimum as the floor. Pulling at a higher number is your call.
What 350 °F does to a one-oven dinner
The real reason to roast at 350 °F is the sides. Stuffing, sweet potato casserole and rolls bake at 350 °F, so the oven does not have to change after the turkey comes out. The plan below uses a 15 lb unstuffed turkey, dinner at 5 PM, a 30 minute rest at minimum, and the long end of each chart: 4 h at 350 °F, or 4 h 15 min at USDA's 325 °F.
| Step | At 350 °F | At 325 °F |
|---|---|---|
| Oven on | 12:00 PM | 11:30 AM |
| Turkey in | 12:15 PM | 11:45 AM |
| Turkey out | 4:15 PM | 4:00 PM |
| Oven change to 350 °F | none | 4:00 PM |
| First side in | 4:15 PM | 4:15 PM |
The 350 °F bird goes in 30 minutes later, and the oven never needs the 15 minute change between the turkey and the sides. The full checklist for the 350 °F day:
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 12:00 PM | Preheat the oven to 350 °F |
| 12:15 PM | Put Turkey, 15 lb in the oven (350 °F, 4 h) |
| 4:15 PM | Take Turkey, 15 lb out to rest, covered (45 min before serving) |
| 4:15 PM | Put Stuffing (in a dish) in the oven (350 °F, 45 min) |
| 4:30 PM | Put Sweet potato casserole in the oven (350 °F, 30 min) |
| 4:45 PM | Put Dinner rolls in the oven (350 °F, 15 min) |
| 5:00 PM | Take Stuffing (in a dish) out |
| 5:00 PM | Take Sweet potato casserole out |
| 5:00 PM | Take Dinner rolls out |
| 5:00 PM | Serve |
The turkey's cook time is the number you will change. Open this menu in the planner, set the weight's time from your own chart, and the times move with it.
Related
- The USDA table in full, with stuffed birds: turkey roasting time chart.
- Fan oven? Convection oven turkey cooking time compares three charts.
- What the rest does to the sides: how long to rest a turkey.
- Whole dinner, one oven: Thanksgiving dinner with one oven.