When to put the turkey in: USDA roasting times by weight
These are the USDA roasting times for a turkey at 325 °F. USDA calls them approximate and says to always check the turkey, and the stuffing, with a food thermometer. The last two columns turn the hours into clock times for a dinner at 5:00 PM.
Unstuffed turkey
| Weight | Hours at 325 °F | In the oven by | Start checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 8 lb breast | 1½ to 3¼ | 1:15 PM | 2:45 PM |
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 | 1:30 PM | 4:15 PM |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ | 12:45 PM | 3:45 PM |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ | 12:15 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ | 12:00 PM | 4:15 PM |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 | 11:30 AM | 4:00 PM |
Stuffed turkey
| Weight | Hours at 325 °F | In the oven by | Start checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 lb breast | Not usually applicable (USDA) | ||
| 6 to 8 lb breast | 2½ to 3½ | 1:00 PM | 3:30 PM |
| 8 to 12 lb | 3 to 3½ | 1:00 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3½ to 4 | 12:30 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 14 to 18 lb | 4 to 4¼ | 12:15 PM | 4:15 PM |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4¾ | 11:45 AM | 4:00 PM |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4¾ to 5¼ | 11:15 AM | 4:00 PM |
For optimum safety, USDA does not recommend stuffing the bird, and it suggests baking the stuffing in a casserole dish for more even cooking. If you do stuff it, the center of the stuffing has to reach 165 °F too.
How the clock times work
- The turkey comes out at 4:30 PM, so it can rest 30 minutes before a 5:00 PM dinner. USDA suggests letting it stand 20 minutes before carving so the juices set.
- "In the oven by" plans for the long end of the range: 4:30 PM minus the most hours in the row. Preheat 15 minutes before that.
- "Start checking" is the short end of the range. If the turkey is done early, take it out and keep it covered: it rests longer, and the oven is free for the sides sooner.
- For a different dinner time, shift every time by the same amount, or see the timeline by dinner time, or put your menu into the oven schedule planner.
What USDA says about doneness
- Set the oven no lower than 325 °F.
- A whole turkey is safe when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F, measured with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
- If the turkey has a pop-up indicator, USDA recommends checking those three spots with a thermometer as well.
- Roasting a turkey from frozen is safe, and takes at least 50 percent longer than the times above.
- Turkey done early? Illinois Extension says it can be held covered in a 200 °F oven. See how to keep a turkey warm before serving for what that does to the sides.
- Cooking only the breast? See turkey breast cooking time by weight, bone-in and boneless, with a small dinner for two to four.
- Short on oven time? A spatchcocked turkey roasts in about 1 to 2 hours at 425 °F. See spatchcock turkey cooking time by weight.
- Cooking a ham in the same oven? Its USDA timetable is also set to 325 °F. See turkey and ham in the same oven for start times.
Source
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (September 2004, slightly revised April 2010). The brochure is published by USDA FSIS as a PDF. A readable copy is hosted by University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.