How Long to Cook a Turkey Per Pound

Timing the turkey is possibly the single most anxiety-inducing task of Thanksgiving Day - since the turkey is, undoubtedly, the main event. Undercook the bird and the dinner is delayed while it finishes in the oven with guests waiting at the table. And, let's be honest, the turkey never comes out quite right after you've cut into it, only to find it is raw (as all the juices leak out due to slicing). Overcook the turkey and that's the evening ruined due to a dry, tough centerpiece. However, the good news is that timing the turkey properly follows predictable rules, and once you've got a handle on them, you can plan your day- and the turkey- with sublime confidence.

Jump to:

• Quick Answer
• Cooking Times by Weight (Unstuffed, at 350°F)
• Cooking Times by Weight (Stuffed, at 350°F)
• The Only Rule that Actually Matters
• Fresh vs Frozen: Thawing Timeline
• Why Temperature Matters More Than Time
• The Rest Period (Do Not Skip)
• What About Higher-Temperature Roasting?
• Pro Tip: Plan the Day Backwards
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• The Bottom Line

Quick Answer

A turkey takes about 13 minutes per pound at 350°F when unstuffed, or about 15 minutes per pound if stuffed. An 8-12 pound turkey, therefore, needs between 2 ¾ hours to 3 hours; a 12-14 pound turkey needs roughly 3 to 3¾ hours; a 14-18 pound turkey needs about 3¾ hours to 4¼ hours; an 18-20 pound turkey needs about 4¼ hours to 4½ hours. Finally, a 20-24 pound turkey needs about 4 ½ hours to 5 hours. That said, always check the turkey's internal temperature, as the turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F.

Cooking Times by Weight (Unstuffed, at 350°F)

Turkey Weight: Cooking Time
8-12 pounds: 2¾ - 3 hours
12-14 pounds: 3 - 3¾ hours
14-18 pounds: 3¾ - 4¼ hours
18-20 pounds: 4¼ - 4½ hours
20-24 pounds: 4½ - 5 hours

Cooking Times by Weight (Stuffed, at 350°F)

Turkey Weight: Cooking Time
8-12 pounds: 3 - 3½ hours
12-14 pounds: 3½ - 4 hours
14-18 pounds: 4 - 4¼ hours
18-20 pounds: 4¼ - 4¾ hours
20-24 pounds: 4¾ - 5¼ hours

Cooking Time Notes

A stuffed turkey takes longer since the stuffing needs to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F, which requires additional cooking time. For this reason, I generally recommend cooking a turkey unstuffed.

The Only Rule that Actually Matters

Cooking times are estimates. Full stop. Oven temperatures vary, turkey sizes and proportions vary, and no single chart is a substitute for an instant-read thermometer.

The Turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F

To know beyond any doubt if your turkey is done, insert a thermometer into the thickest portion of the thigh (without touching the bone), then into the thickest part of the breast, and finally - if stuffed - into the center of the stuffing. All three should read 165°F.

Rely on the thermometer rather than the clock. A turkey that reaches 165°F an hour early is in fact done - regardless of the time left on the clock. Conversely, a turkey that has not yet reached 165°F even after the clock has run out needs more time in the oven to finish cooking.

Fresh vs Frozen: Thawing Timeline

If you are preparing a frozen turkey, thawing is the first big planning problem to solve. Cooking a frozen turkey in the oven takes longer and almost never cooks evenly.

Thawing In the Refrigerator (Recommended)

Give the turkey 24 hours to thaw for every 4-5 pounds of turkey.

• 8-12 pound turkey: 2-3 days
• 12-16 pound turkey: 3-4 days
• 16- 20 pound turkey: 4-5 days
• 20-24 pound turkey: 5-6 days

Thawing In Cold Water (faster)

Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes, allowing 30 minutes per pound.

• 8-12 pound turkey: 4-6 hours
• 12-16 pound turkey: 6-8 hours
• 16-20 pound turkey: 8-10 hours

Never Thaw at Room Temperature

Bacteria multiply rapidly within a turkey that is left out to thaw at room temperature, and no amount of cooking will reverse or remedy that risk. If you have thawed your turkey at room temperature, dispose of it, as it is no longer safe to eat.

Why Temperature Matters More Than Time

The turkey's internal temperature rises predictably while in the oven, but the rate depends on factors that a cooking chart simply cannot account for, such as:

• The starting temperature of the turkey (cold from the fridge vs. closer to room temperature)
• The actual temperature of your oven (many ovens are 10-25 degrees F off their setting)
• Whether the turkey is stuffed or unstuffed
• The turkey's shape, proportions, and how densely the meat is arranged
• Whether the turkey is covered, tented with foil, or uncovered
• The conductivity or material of the roasting pan
• Where in the oven the turkey is situated (at the bottom, more towards the middle)

These variables mean that even a perfect cooking chart is simply an estimate. A meat thermometer is the only tool that can truly tell you if the turkey is done or not.

When to Start Checking the Turkey

I recommend that you start checking the turkey's temperature about 45 minutes to an hour before the estimated end time. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding the bone.

If the turkey is browning too quickly relative to its temperature or time in the oven, tent it loosely with aluminum foil while it continues cooking in the oven.

If the turkey breast reaches 165 degrees F before the thighs, cover just the breast area with foil to slow its cooking while the thighs finish.

The Rest Period (Do Not Skip)

After the turkey has reached 165 degrees F, remove it from the oven and then let it rest, uncovered or loosely tented, for about 20-30 minutes before carving. There are three important things that happen during this rest period:

1. The internal temperature continues to rise about 5-10 degrees F (called carryover cooking), which completes the turkey's cook time without drying out the meat.
2. The juices redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring the turkey remains juicy. Carving too early will quite literally drain the bird of its juices.
3. The meat firms up enough to carve cleanly. If you carve right away or too soon, the bird risks shredding or tearing rather than slicing cleanly.

Skipping the resting time is one of the most common mistakes that home cooks make. Twenty minutes of patience really can be the difference between a juicy turkey and a dry turkey. Do not skip it.

What About Higher-Temperature Roasting?

Some cooks prefer roasting their turkey at a slightly higher or lower temperature. 325°F and 375°F are probably the most common alternatives to the more traditional 350°F.

• 325°F: If roasting at this temperature, add about 2-3 minutes per pound. This produces a slightly more evenly cooked turkey with less risk of overbrowning.
• 375°F: Subtract about 1-2 minutes per pound. This temperature achieves a faster cook time and crispier skin, but at this temperature there is a higher risk of drying out the breast meat if you do not carefully monitor the turkey.
• Higher-heat Roasting (450°F for the first 30 minutes, then reducing to 350F): A good choice for crisper skin, and doesn't dramatically change the total cooking time.
• Spatchcocking: Dramatically reduces cook time. A spatchcocked 12-pound turkey cooks in about 80-90 minutes at 425°F rather than 3 hours.

That said, each approach has its benefits, but also its trade-offs, so I do recommend thoroughly researching before opting out of the traditional 350°F from start to finish roasting method.

Remember, regardless of cooking method, a turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Pro Tip: Plan the Day Backwards

I strongly recommend working out your schedule backwards from when you actually want to eat. For example, if you plan to eat at 4 PM (early, I know, but humor me), and you're cooking a 14-pound turkey unstuffed, then:

• 20-30 minutes rest time
• 3 and ¾ hours of cook time
• 30 minutes to bring the turkey to room temperature (strongly recommended)

That means the turkey goes into the oven around 11:30 AM, and comes out around 3:15 PM, rests until 3:45 PM, and is carved by or about 4 PM. Simple - sort of.

Regardless, working backward from your planned dinner time is - at least in my personal experience - one of the most useful planning moves there is. And remember, everything on Thanksgiving Day more or less builds around when the turkey itself is in and out of the oven, as it occupies the single largest block of your prep time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trusting the Pop-Up Timer: Pop-up timers are notoriously unreliable. Often, they will pop after the turkey is already overcooked. Use an instant-read thermometer instead.
• Cooking Cold From the Refrigerator: A turkey that goes directly from the fridge into the oven (or with a core temperature of about 40 degrees F) takes significantly longer to cook than one that has rested at room temperature for 30-45 minutes. Also, cold turkey cooks unevenly.
• Opening the Oven Repeatedly: Each time you open the oven door, you let out hot air, dropping the temperature significantly. Check the turkey only when necessary, or at spaced intervals.
• Not Letting the Turkey Rest: This is a big one. Even a perfectly cooked turkey will taste dry if it is carved immediately upon being taken out of the oven. The 20-30 minute rest time is simply not optional if you want a quality turkey.
• Stuffing the Turkey the Night Before: This practice is a holdover from older generations of cooking, when food safety was less well understood. The reality is that stuffing your turkey the night before gives bacteria a full night to multiply in the raw, poultry-adjacent stuffing - even in the fridge- and no, cooking does not always kill all of the bacteria that have multiplied in the stuffing. Do not do this. It is unsafe.

The Bottom Line

Plan for roughly 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey, if cooking at 350 degrees F, or 15 minutes per pound if stuffed, but rely on the thermometer, not the clock. A turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Then rest the bird for 20-30 minutes prior to carving. Everything else are variables and preferences. Those two rules are the foundation of a successful Thanksgiving turkey.

And that's our answer to the question "How Long to Cook a Turkey Per Pound?" If you enjoyed this article, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below; we always love hearing from you.

Happy Cooking!