Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Seasonal Meals How Long to Cook a Turkey, in One Easy Chart You have your bird, but how long, exactly, should you plan to cook it to ensure Thanksgiving dinner is served on time? Here's a handy turkey cooking chart. By Samantha Leffler Samantha Leffler Samantha is the senior food editor at RealSimple and previously launched the US Weekly food vertical, where she wrote about the intersection of food and pop culture. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 16, 2023 Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Kristy Del Coro is a registered dietitian nutritionist, RDN, and professionally trained chef with more than 10 years of experience in the field of culinary nutrition. Her strong background in nutrition science, sustainable food systems, and culinary education makes her exceptionally qualified to write about food that is good for us and the planet—while not sacrificing flavor. Learn More Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Close Photo: Edalin/Getty Images No Thanksgiving guest is more important than the turkey. But you might have a late arrival on your hands if you don't get it in the oven on time. Planning a 3 p.m. meal? You'll need to have a 20-pound bird (sans stuffing) cooking by around 10:30 a.m. Don't stress about the math though—follow our easy chart for how long to cook a turkey, plus recommendations from the USDA for cooking frozen and stuffed turkeys. Just remember: Even with this turkey cooking chart, the safest way to know your turkey is cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Your turkey is done when the internal temperature is minimum 165°F. How to Take a Turkey's Temperature How Long Does it Take to Cook a Turkey? While the best temperature to cook a turkey is always 325°F, how much time your bird will need in the oven will depend on its weight. An unstuffed 8-pound turkey can take less than 3 hours, while a stuffed 24-pound turkey can take over 5 hours. Here's how long it takes to cook a fully thawed turkey. Katie Field How Long to Cook an Unstuffed Turkey Weight Cook Time Servings 8 to 12 pounds 2¾ to 3 hours 5 to 8 12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3¾ hours 8 to 9 14 to 18 pounds 3¾ to 4¼ hours 9 to 12 18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4½ hours 12 to 13 20 to 24 pounds 4½ to 5 hours 13 to 16 How Long to Cook an Stuffed Turkey Weight Cook Time Servings 8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3½ hours 6 to 9 12 to 14 pounds 3½ to 4 hours 9 to 10 14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4¼ hours 10 to 13 18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4¾ hours 13 to 14 20 to 24 pounds 4¾ to 5¼ hours 14 to 17 Can You Cook a Frozen Turkey? It is safe to cook a turkey from the frozen state, according to the USDA. However, the cooking time will be at least 50 percent longer than what's recommended in the table above. How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey Cooking a Stuffed Turkey Guidelines For safety reasons, the USDA recommends cooking Thanksgiving stuffing outside your turkey to guarantee uniform doneness. If you do choose to stuff it, check the temp of the center of the stuffing to make sure it, too, reaches the safe 165°F (otherwise bacteria could contaminate your cooked turkey). Keep wet stuffing ingredients refrigerated ahead of time, and separate from dry ingredients until just before mixing, stuffing loosely and cooking. Sticking with a casserole dish? You should still cook the stuffing to 165°F. If you're caught without a thermometer, don't stress: Here's how to know if a turkey's done without a thermometer. How to Carve a Turkey For more turkey and stuffing safety and cooking tips, check out the USDA's site. How to Know When a Turkey Is Done Cooking So, how do you know when a turkey is ready to eat? Per the USDA, a bird is done when the internal temperature is, at a minimum, 165 degrees. The best way to measure the temperature of your turkey is to use a meat thermometer, which should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.If you don’t have a meat thermometer, you can also check the turkey’s doneness by cutting slits in the meat and seeing if the juices run clear. While this method is less reliable than using a meat thermometer, it still works. Either way, now it's time to carve the turkey! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. USDA. Let's talk turkey—a consumer guide to safely roasting a turkey. 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