Two turkeys in one oven for Thanksgiving dinner for 20
USDA's turkey brochure says to allow 1 lb of turkey per person, so 20 guests means about 20 lb. A single bird that size is hard to fit and takes most of the day. I plan two 10 lb birds by the time for one bird, which is shorter than one big bird. This page sets USDA's 325 °F timetable for one big bird against two smaller ones, then plans the whole dinner for 5 PM in one oven.
One big bird or two smaller ones
Each row feeds the guests in the first column at 1 lb each. Times are USDA's unstuffed range at 325 °F. The start time plans for the long end and a 30 minute rest, for dinner at 5 PM. Where a weight sits on the edge of two bands, I used the longer one. This table has no cushion and no side dishes, so the start times are earlier in the plan below.
| Guests | One bird | Goes in at | Two birds | Goes in at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 16 lb3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min | 12:15 PM | 2 x 8 lb2 h 45 min to 3 h | 1:30 PM |
| 20 | 20 lb4 h 30 min to 5 h | 11:30 AM | 2 x 10 lb2 h 45 min to 3 h | 1:30 PM |
| 22 | 22 lb4 h 30 min to 5 h | 11:30 AM | 2 x 11 lb2 h 45 min to 3 h | 1:30 PM |
| 24 | 24 lb4 h 30 min to 5 h | 11:30 AM | 2 x 12 lb3 h to 3 h 45 min | 12:45 PM |
For 20 guests, one 20 lb bird goes in at 11:30 AM and two 10 lb birds at 1:30 PM, which is 2 h later (the 30 minute cushion for loading two pans eats part of that). The two-bird route also leaves you with turkeys of a normal size to carve. The price is oven space: both pans have to fit at once, and the sides wait for the birds to come out. USDA's brochure describes one bird on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and does not mention two, so the rest of this page is my planning.
What I assume for two pans
No source I opened gives a roasting time for two turkeys at once. A full oven loses heat when you load it, and the birds can block each other's airflow, so I add 30 minutes to the long end of one bird's range. That number is my own cushion. A bird that finishes early can wait wrapped in foil and towels (see how to keep turkey warm), while a late one pushes the whole dinner back.
- Measure first. Put both empty pans on the rack you plan to use, with a couple of inches around each. If they do not fit side by side, use two racks and swap the pans top to bottom halfway through.
- Pick birds of the same weight so both finish together. If one is bigger, put it in first.
- Check each bird on its own. USDA's minimum is 165 °F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. One bird being done says nothing about the other.
- For a crowd, Nigella Lawson suggests cutting the birds up and roasting the breasts on one shelf and the legs on another. Her times are for pieces, so they do not fit the table above.
The dinner, hour by hour
Two 10 lb unstuffed birds at 325 °F, planned for 3 h 30 min (USDA's long end of 3 h plus the cushion), and a 30 minute rest. The birds come out 60 minutes before dinner, so they rest and get carved while the sides bake. Stuffing, sweet potato casserole and rolls bake at 350 °F after the birds come out, so the planner adds one 15 minute oven change. Dinner at 5 PM, one oven.
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 12:15 PM | Preheat the oven to 325 °F |
| 12:30 PM | Put Two turkeys, 10 lb each in the oven (325 °F, 3 h 30 min) |
| 4:00 PM | Take Two turkeys, 10 lb each out to rest, covered (1 h before serving) |
| 4:00 PM | Set the oven to 350 °F and let it get there |
| 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 |
Without the cushion the birds would go in at 1:00 PM instead of 12:30 PM. Start checking temperatures 2 h 45 min after they go in.
Your bird weights, guest count and sides will differ. Open this menu in the planner, change the turkey line and the times move with it.
Before and after the oven
- Thawing takes about 24 hours in the refrigerator for every 4 to 5 lb, and you need shelf room for both birds. When to thaw a turkey has the dates.
- USDA says to let a turkey stand 20 minutes before carving. Two birds take longer to carve, which is why this plan holds them for 60 minutes.
- Discard turkey left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F). Refrigerated leftovers keep 3 to 4 days.
Numbers from USDA FSIS, Let's Talk Turkey, checked October 2026.
Related
- One bird and the full USDA table, stuffed too: turkey roasting time chart.
- Moving one turkey out of the oven: roaster oven turkey cooking time.
- The whole menu with one oven: Thanksgiving dinner with one oven.