Done by temperature, not by the clock
The times below are USDA's estimates. A turkey is safe when a food thermometer reads 165 °F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast, and any stuffing inside must reach 165 °F in its center too. Start checking at the short end of the time range, and keep roasting past the long end if it has not reached 165 °F. A pop-up timer is not enough on its own (USDA FSIS, Let's Talk Turkey).
How the calculator plans it
It works backwards from the time you want to eat:
- Rest and carve. USDA says to let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving. The plan allows 30 minutes, so the turkey comes out of the oven half an hour before you eat.
- Roast. It takes the longest time in USDA's 325 °F chart for your weight, so a slow bird still makes it. A weight on the line between two rows (12, 14, 18 or 20 lb) uses the heavier row. Cooking from frozen takes at least 50% longer.
- Thaw. In the fridge USDA allows about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds; the plan uses 4 pounds a day, the slower end. In cold water it is about 30 minutes a pound, and the turkey goes in the oven as soon as it has thawed.
Out of the oven = meal time − 30 minutes
Into the oven = out of the oven − longest roast time
Fridge thaw start = into the oven − (weight ÷ 4) days
Cold-water thaw start = into the oven − weight × 30 minutes
Roasting times at 325 °F
| Weight | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 lb (breast) | 1½ to 3¼ hours | Not usually applicable |
| 6 to 8 lb (breast) | 1½ to 3¼ hours | 2½ to 3½ hours |
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 hours | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ hours | 3½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ hours | 4 to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ hours | 4¼ to 4¾ hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 hours | 4¾ to 5¼ hours |
Thawing times
| Weight | In the fridge (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 |
Thawing safely
- Fridge. Keep the turkey in its wrapper on a tray to catch drips. Once thawed it keeps 1 to 2 more days in the fridge, so starting a day early is fine.
- Cold water. Wrap it so no water gets in, cover it with cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes. Cook it right after it thaws, and do not refreeze it.
- Microwave. Possible for a small bird: follow your microwave's manual and cook it immediately. This calculator does not plan microwave thawing.
- Remove the giblets from the cavities after thawing and cook them separately (USDA FSIS, safe thawing).
If you stuff the turkey
USDA does not recommend stuffing the bird, because the stuffing cooks more evenly in a separate dish. If you do, mix wet and dry ingredients just before filling, fill loosely, roast right away, and check that the center of the stuffing reaches 165 °F (USDA FSIS, stuffing). Never buy a fresh pre-stuffed turkey; frozen pre-stuffed turkeys with a USDA or State inspection mark are cooked from frozen by the package directions.
Leftovers
Refrigerate turkey, stuffing and gravy within 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F), in shallow containers. Eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Reheat to 165 °F.
All times and temperatures: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, "Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey". Questions: USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-674-6854.
Questions people ask
How long does a 16 lb turkey take to thaw?
In the fridge, USDA allows about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so a 16 lb turkey needs 3 to 4 days; this calculator plans on 4. In cold water it is about 30 minutes a pound, so 8 hours, changing the water every 30 minutes, and you must cook it as soon as it has thawed.
How long do I cook a 16 lb turkey at 325 °F?
USDA's chart gives 3¾ to 4¼ hours for an unstuffed 14 to 18 lb turkey and 4 to 4¼ hours stuffed. The times are approximate. The turkey is done when a food thermometer reads 165 °F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
For Thanksgiving dinner at 3 pm, when does a 16 lb frozen turkey go in the fridge?
Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Working back from 3 pm: allow 30 minutes for resting and carving, so out of the oven by 2:30 pm; the longest roast time for an unstuffed 16 lb bird is 4¼ hours, so it goes in at 10:15 am; four days of fridge thawing before that means moving it to the fridge by Sunday, November 22, at 10:15 am.
Can I cook a turkey that is still frozen?
Yes. USDA says it is safe to cook a turkey from frozen, but it takes at least 50 percent longer than a thawed one. Take the giblet packages out with tongs or a fork partway through. Do not stuff a frozen turkey yourself.
How long should the turkey rest?
USDA says to let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving so the juices set and it carves more easily. This plan allows 30 minutes between the oven and the table, the 20-minute stand plus time to carve.
Is a pop-up timer enough?
No. USDA recommends also checking with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. All three should read at least 165 °F.