{
  "id": "turkey-cooking-time",
  "version": "a3bbd232d6dc",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Turkey Cooking Time Calculator",
  "question": "How long is the turkey cooking time?",
  "summary": "Gives how long to roast a turkey at 325 °F from its weight, unstuffed or stuffed, thawed or frozen, from the USDA timetable, with the safe temperature and servings.",
  "category": "food",
  "subcategory": "cooking",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/food/turkey-cooking-time-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/food/turkey-cooking-time-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Find the FSIS timetable row for the weight in pounds (a weight on a row’s edge goes in the lower row), unstuffed or stuffed, and read its time range. From frozen, multiply both ends by 1.5.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Oven at 325 °F. The times are approximate: the turkey is done when a food thermometer reads 165 °F in the innermost thigh, the wing, and the thickest part of the breast, and the stuffing reaches 165 °F.",
    "The 4 to 8 pound rows are for a turkey breast, as in the FSIS table. FSIS gives no time for a stuffed 4 to 6 pound breast.",
    "From frozen, FSIS says at least 50 percent longer, so the range is a minimum.",
    "Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "w": {
        "title": "Turkey weight",
        "description": "The weight of the turkey or turkey breast, from 4 to 24 pounds.",
        "type": [
          "number",
          "string"
        ],
        "x-quantity": "mass",
        "minimum": 1.81436948,
        "maximum": 10.886216880000001
      },
      "stuffed": {
        "title": "Stuffing",
        "description": "Whether the cavity is stuffed. A stuffed turkey takes longer.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "no",
          "yes"
        ]
      },
      "from": {
        "title": "Starting from",
        "description": "A fully thawed (or fresh) turkey, or one roasted from frozen.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "thawed",
          "frozen"
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "time": {
      "label": "Roasting time at 325 °F",
      "description": "The timetable range for this weight.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "minHours": {
      "label": "Shortest time (hours)",
      "description": "The low end of the range, in hours.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "maxHours": {
      "label": "Longest time (hours)",
      "description": "The high end of the range, in hours.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "band": {
      "label": "Timetable row",
      "description": "The FSIS weight row used.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "servings": {
      "label": "Serves about",
      "description": "FSIS: allow 1 pound of turkey per person; whole people.",
      "format": "integer"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "w": "14 lb",
      "stuffed": "no",
      "from": "thawed"
    },
    "outputs": {
      "time": "3 hr to 3 hr 45 min",
      "minHours": 3,
      "maxHours": 3.75,
      "band": "12 to 14 pounds, unstuffed",
      "servings": 14
    },
    "text": "Roast it 3 hr to 3 hr 45 min at 325 °F, until 165 °F inside."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 6.35029318,
        "stuffed": "no",
        "from": "thawed"
      },
      "expect": {
        "minHours": 3,
        "maxHours": 3.75,
        "time": "3 hr to 3 hr 45 min",
        "band": "12 to 14 pounds, unstuffed",
        "servings": 14
      },
      "source": "USDA FSIS, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (timetables for turkey roasting at 325 °F; frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; 165 °F; stand 20 minutes; 1 pound per person). Read in a browser. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-roasting (retrieved 2026-10-18); 12 to 14 pounds unstuffed: 3 to 3¾ hours"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 9.071847400000001,
        "stuffed": "yes",
        "from": "thawed"
      },
      "expect": {
        "minHours": 4.25,
        "maxHours": 4.75,
        "time": "4 hr 15 min to 4 hr 45 min"
      },
      "source": "USDA FSIS, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (timetables for turkey roasting at 325 °F; frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; 165 °F; stand 20 minutes; 1 pound per person). Read in a browser. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-roasting (retrieved 2026-10-18); 18 to 20 pounds stuffed: 4¼ to 4¾ hours"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 4.535923700000001,
        "stuffed": "no",
        "from": "frozen"
      },
      "expect": {
        "minHours": 4.125,
        "maxHours": 4.5,
        "time": "at least 4 hr 8 min to 4 hr 30 min"
      },
      "source": "USDA FSIS, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (timetables for turkey roasting at 325 °F; frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; 165 °F; stand 20 minutes; 1 pound per person). Read in a browser. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-roasting (retrieved 2026-10-18); hand calculation in content.mdx: 2.75 × 1.5 = 4.125 h (4 h 7.5 min, shown 4 hr 8 min); 3 × 1.5 = 4.5 h"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "w": 6,
        "stuffed": "no",
        "from": "thawed"
      },
      "expect": {
        "minHours": 3,
        "maxHours": 3.75,
        "servings": 13
      },
      "source": "USDA FSIS, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (timetables for turkey roasting at 325 °F; frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; 165 °F; stand 20 minutes; 1 pound per person). Read in a browser. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-roasting (retrieved 2026-10-18); hand calculation in content.mdx: 6 ÷ 0.45359237 = 13.228 lb"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey. Timetables for turkey roasting (325 °F); cooking from frozen takes at least 50 percent longer; 165 °F; stand 20 minutes; allow 1 pound per person. Last updated November 17, 2023. Read in a browser; retrieved 2026-10-18. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/lets-talk-turkey-roasting",
    "NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8: 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Retrieved 2026-10-03 (cited from the copy already in this repo). https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8"
  ],
  "related": [
    "air-fryer",
    "recipe-scaler",
    "days-until-thanksgiving"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}