How long do I cook this turkey?’ It’s the million-dollar question that has plagued home cooks for generations, often followed by frantic Google searches and panicked calls to the Butterball hotline.
After years of trial and error (and yes, a few overcooked birds along the way), we’ve cracked the code on turkey cooking times. Consider this your roadmap to poultry perfection, whether you’re roasting or smoking your bird.
Table of Contents
- How to Determine Turkey Cook Times
- Size of the turkey
- Fresh turkey vs. frozen turkey.
- Cooking Method (oven, smoker, etc.)
- Spatchcock Turkey vs. Whole Turkey
- Oven Temperature
- Turkey Roasting Time Chart for 325 Degree Oven
- 🦃 Turkey Cook Time Per Pound
- Our Favorite Turkey Recipes
- Tips for Determining Turkey Cook Times
- More helpful Turkey Guides
- Turkey Cook Times FAQs
How to Determine Turkey Cook Times
You’ve seen recipes before that say “cook time will vary depending on size.” That’s probably the biggest obstacle to mastering cooking a whole bird to a safe temperature every time. Whether cooking a turkey in the oven or mastering smoked turkey on the grill, the size of the bird does matter and we’re breaking down why.
Size of the turkey
The size of the bird and the temperature you’re cooking at are the 2 main factors for determining how long to cook a turkey. A turkey breast will cook faster than a whole turkey. A smaller bird will cook faster than a larger one and stuffed turkeys take longer than an unstuffed bird.
- A general rule of thumb is 13 minutes for every pound of turkey at 350 degrees F.
Fresh turkey vs. frozen turkey.
- A fully thawed turkey can take anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours of cook time, depending on the size of the turkey.
- A frozen turkey may take 1-4 days to thaw, depending on the size turkey you have, and you want to make sure you’re turkey is completely thawed before cooking. See our guide on How to Defrost a Turkey.
Cooking Method (oven, smoker, etc.)
- The cooking method you use to cook your turkey can also affect turkey cook times.
- For example, this Smoked Turkey with Stuffing takes around 5-7 hours as it’s slow-cooked at a lower temperature in the smoker. This Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey has a similar cooking time of 6 hours.
- On the other hand, roast turkey in the oven only takes 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.
Spatchcock Turkey vs. Whole Turkey
- The way the turkey is cut can also affect how long it cooks. Cutting the turkey open, butterflying it, and laying it out flat is called spatchcocking. We break down How to Spatchcock a Turkey step-by-step which speeds up the overall cooking time.
- For example, this Spatchcock Turkey only takes 1 hour and 20 minutes, whereas this Oven Roasted Turkey takes around 2 1/2 -3 hours.
Oven Temperature
The higher the oven temperature, the faster the turkey will cook, and vice versa. However, we recommend a lower temperature of 325-350 degrees F and a weight between 12 to 14 pounds for a perfectly cooked bird.
Turkey Roasting Time Chart for 325 Degree Oven
| Pounds of turkey | Cooking Times (Unstuffed) | Cooking Times (Stuffed) |
| 10 | 2 ½ – 3 Hours | 2 ¾ – 3 ½ Hours |
| 11 | 3 – 3 ½ Hours | 3 ¾ – 4 ½ Hours |
| 12 | 3 – 3 ½ Hours | 3 ¾ – 4 ½ Hours |
| 13 | 3 – 3 ½ Hours | 3 ¾ – 4 ½ Hours |
| 14 | 3 – 3 ½ Hours | 3 ¾ – 4 ½ Hours |
| 15 | 3 – 3 ½ Hours | 3 ¾ – 4 ½ Hours |
🦃 Turkey Cook Time Per Pound
Our Favorite Turkey Recipes
Poultry Recipes
Oven Roasted Turkey
Poultry Recipes
Smoked Turkey
Poultry Recipes
Spatchcock Turkey
Poultry Recipes
Spatchcock Smoked Turkey
Tips for Determining Turkey Cook Times
- Always use a digital meat thermometer for the most accurate results.
- With Steak temperature, we cook our steaks to 5 degrees under where we want the finished temperature after rested. Although the turkey’s temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees while it rests, the safe internal temperature is 165 degrees F, according to the USDA.
- After you’ve pulled your bird from the oven, let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving it.
Whether cooking turkey for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas, these simple instructions will help you cook the perfect turkey every time!
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More helpful Turkey Guides
Poultry Recipes
How to Carve Turkey: Expert Guide with Video
Get picture-perfect presentation for your Thanksgiving dinner by following our easy-to-follow instructions on how to carve a turkey.
Poultry Recipes
How To Thaw A Turkey
Avoid turkey-thawing disasters! 🦃 Learn the best methods to safely and efficiently defrost your Thanksgiving turkey with our step-by-step guide.
How To
Truss a Turkey
Learn how to truss a turkey for Thanksgiving with step-by-step instructions, photos, and video. Trussing keeps the turkey compact for even cooking – let us show you how.
Turkey
Grilling Guide: The Best Wood For Smoking Turkey
Discover the best woods for smoking turkey, including hickory, apple, pecan and post oak. Learn how to choose the right variety to impart ideal flavor notes from sweet to savory.
Turkey Cook Times FAQs
Yes! Let your turkey sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking to ensure even cooking.
Yes! An unstuffed turkey will take slightly less time to cook than a stuffed turkey.
165 degrees F for the thickest part of the breast and 170°F for the thickest part of the thigh. Use a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. If you have a stuffed bird, the temperature of the stuffing should also be 165 degrees F. Remember, the temperature will continue to rise 5 to 10 degrees while the bird rests.
Once your turkey is done, it’s time to carve it up using our How to Carve a Turkey guide!
Nope! Brining is simply a technique where you load up a thawed turkey with seasoning for a dry brine or submerge it in water for a wet brine. It doesn’t affect the cooking times, only the turkey meat and skin.
If you’re not using fresh turkey, you’ll need to factor in the thawing time for a frozen turkey into the total cooking time. Depending on the size turkey you bought, give at least 1-4 days for total thawing time. You can check out our How to Thaw a Turkey guide for more info.
We don’t recommend cooking a turkey over 15 pounds as they can take too long to come to a safe internal temperature and can dry out easily.
