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. Show
Photo: 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 degrees F. How Long Does it Take to Cook a Turkey?While the best temperature to cook a turkey is always 325 degrees 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. How Long to Cook an Unstuffed Turkey
How Long to Cook an Stuffed Turkey
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. Cooking a Stuffed Turkey GuidelinesFor 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 degrees 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 degrees F. If you're caught without a thermometer, don't stress: Here's how to know if a turkey's done without a thermometer. For more turkey and stuffing safety and cooking tips, check out the USDA's site. There's a reason many households only eat turkey once a year. Between thawing, brining, and roasting the massive bird, getting turkey on the Thanksgiving table is an arduous process. Stuffing it introduces another layer of complications. If your turkey is filled with stuffing you plan to serve to your guests, it has to cook longer than it would otherwise. A stuffed turkey that isn't cooked properly is a potential salmonella bomb that could put an early end to your festivities. But that doesn't mean you should opt for dressing instead of true stuffing. When done well, a stuffed bird looks like something from a Norman Rockwell painting. If you want to bring that classic touch to your Thanksgiving dinner this year, this is how long it will take. The magic number to remember when roasting a turkey—stuffed or unstuffed—is 165°F. At that temperature, poultry is safe to eat. You can measure the doneness of an unstuffed turkey by sticking a thermometer into the thickest part of it—usually the thigh. If your turkey is stuffed, you have to take the temperature of the stuffing as well as the meat. When you fill a bird’s cavity with stuffing, those bits of bread and veggies absorb juices from the raw carcass. Serving stuffing that hasn’t reached the right temperature is like putting undercooked poultry on the table. Even if your turkey thigh has hit 165°F or higher, wait until the stuffing reaches the same temperature to ensure that any harmful pathogens have been killed. Slightly overcooked turkey is preferable to food poisoning. Just how long it takes a stuffed bird to reach 165°F all the way through depends on the size. Here’s how long you should roast your stuffed turkey in a 325°F oven based on how much it weighs (before it was stuffed), according to the USDA. Once you reach your turkey’s minimum cook time, check the temperature of the stuffing with a meat thermometer. The tip of the thermometer should hit the center of the stuffing to ensure it’s cooked fully. If the stuffing hasn’t reached 165°F, pop the turkey back into the oven and take the temperature again after 15 minutes. Keep measuring every 15 minutes until the stuffing is safe to consume. You should avoid checking it more than once every 15 minutes, though. Every time you open the oven door, precious heat escapes which adds to your cooking time. You can also invest in a probe thermometer which lets you keep track of your food’s internal temperature as it cooks without you touching it. Once every part of your bird is ready, transfer the stuffing to a dish and cover it with tin foil as the meat rests. Just make sure your dinner guests catch a peek of the picture-perfect stuffed turkey when it first comes out of the oven. Is turkey done at 165 or 180?4. Read the thermometer correctly: Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop. If the temperature is between 160 and 165 degrees F, the turkey is done.
Do you cook a stuffed turkey at 325 or 350?If you're determined to stuff the turkey, you'll want to leave it in the oven at 325°F for 20-25 minutes per pound. We'll also recommend covering the turkey (especially the wings and drumsticks) with a loose tent of aluminum foil about halfway through cooking, to keep them from drying out or burning.
Does turkey need to be cooked to 165?When cooking turkey in any form, it is important to cook it to the proper internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking ground turkey to the proper internal temperature is especially important due to the bacteria that are introduced into the meat mixture.
How long does it take to cook a 15 lb stuffed turkey at 350 degrees?If your turkey weighs 15 to 16 pounds, roast it at:
350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours.
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What temperature should a stuffed turkey be cooked to
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