Turkey Cooking Time Chart: How Long per Pound 2026

How turkey cooking time is worked out

On the defaults — a 14-lb unstuffed turkey at 325°F — the USDA roasting time is 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min (225–255 min), and the midpoint estimate is 240 min = 4 h 00 min. The whole calculation is three moves: look up the bird’s weight band for its type, take the band’s time range, and take the midpoint of that range as the planning estimate.

Five things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, the times are USDA roasting times at 325°F, by weight band — the calculator looks the band up, it does not divide the weight by a per-pound rate. Second, a weight exactly on a band boundary uses the higher row: a 12-lb bird uses the 12–14 lb row, a 14-lb bird the 14–18 lb row, an 18-lb bird the 18–20 lb row, a 20-lb bird the 20–24 lb row. Third, a stuffed bird takes longer than an unstuffed bird of the same weight at every weight — at 14 lb the stuffed range is 4 h 00 min–4 h 15 min against 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min unstuffed. Fourth, the midpoint is the planning estimate, not a promise: midpoint minutes with a .5 round half-up to the next whole minute for the hours-and-minutes display — 172.5 min is 2 h 53 min, 247.5 min is 4 h 08 min, 262.5 min is 4 h 23 min, 202.5 min is 3 h 23 min, 112.5 min is 1 h 53 min. And fifth, always verify doneness with a food thermometer — 165°F in the breast, thigh, and wing joint — because oven accuracy and bird shape move the real time; let the bird rest about 20 minutes before carving.

Turkey cooking time chart: USDA roasting times at 325°F

All twelve USDA time bands. A weight exactly on a band boundary uses the higher row — a 12-lb bird uses the 12–14 lb row, a 14-lb bird the 14–18 lb row, an 18-lb bird the 18–20 lb row, a 20-lb bird the 20–24 lb row.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: 14 lb, unstuffed whole turkey, 325°F.

Line 1 — look up the weight band. 14 lb is the boundary of the 14–18 lb row, and a boundary weight uses the higher row — so the band is 14–18 lb.

Line 2 — take the band’s time range. The 14–18 lb unstuffed range is 225–255 min, which is 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min.

Line 3 — take the midpoint. The midpoint is (225 + 255) ÷ 2 = 240 min = 4 h 00 min. That is the planning estimate: put the bird in so it is done around 4 hours in, and check it with a thermometer from 3 h 45 min.

Every branch, checked

10 lb unstuffed: 10 lb unstuffed turkey: 2 h 45 min–3 h 00 min (165–180 min), midpoint 172.5 min = 2 h 53 min — a smaller bird, a shorter roast: the 8–12 lb band is 2 h 45 min–3 h 00 min, midpoint 2 h 53 min.

22 lb unstuffed: 22 lb unstuffed turkey: 4 h 30 min–5 h 00 min (270–300 min), midpoint 285 min = 4 h 45 min — a big bird, a long roast: the 20–24 lb band is 4 h 30 min–5 h 00 min, midpoint 4 h 45 min.

14 lb stuffed: 14 lb stuffed turkey: 4 h 00 min–4 h 15 min (240–255 min), midpoint 247.5 min = 4 h 08 min — the same 14 lb, stuffed: the range is 4 h 00 min–4 h 15 min and the midpoint is 4 h 08 min — stuffing adds 8 minutes to the midpoint.

6 lb breast: 6 lb breast turkey: 2 h 15 min–3 h 15 min (135–195 min), midpoint 165 min = 2 h 45 min — a breast only, at the boundary: 6 lb uses the higher row, the 6–8 lb band, 2 h 15 min–3 h 15 min, midpoint 2 h 45 min.

18 lb unstuffed: 18 lb unstuffed turkey: 4 h 15 min–4 h 30 min (255–270 min), midpoint 262.5 min = 4 h 23 min — a boundary weight: 18 lb uses the higher row, the 18–20 lb band, 4 h 15 min–4 h 30 min, midpoint 4 h 23 min.

24 lb stuffed: 24 lb stuffed turkey: 4 h 45 min–5 h 15 min (285–315 min), midpoint 300 min = 5 h 00 min — the biggest stuffed bird: the 20–24 lb band is 4 h 45 min–5 h 15 min, midpoint 5 h 00 min.

12 lb unstuffed: 12 lb unstuffed turkey: 3 h 00 min–3 h 45 min (180–225 min), midpoint 202.5 min = 3 h 23 min — a boundary weight: 12 lb uses the higher row, the 12–14 lb band, 3 h 00 min–3 h 45 min, midpoint 3 h 23 min.

The reverses, worked backwards

Smallest whole-lb unstuffed weight, midpoint at least 250 min: 18 lb — at 18 lb the midpoint is 262.5 min; 17 lb gives 240 min. This is a step reverse: weights come in whole pounds here, so there is no exact in-between. The star is POUNDS.

Smallest whole-lb stuffed weight, midpoint at least 250 min: 18 lb — at 18 lb the midpoint is 270 min; 17 lb gives 247.5 min. The star is POUNDS.

Smallest whole-lb unstuffed weight, range low end at least 240 min: 18 lb — at 18 lb the low end is 255 min = 4 h 15 min; 17 lb gives 225 min. The star is POUNDS.

Smallest whole-lb breast weight, midpoint at least 150 min: 6 lb — at 6 lb the midpoint is 165 min; 5 lb gives 112.5 min. The star is POUNDS.

Smallest whole-lb unstuffed weight, midpoint exactly 285 min: 20 lb — the 20 lb band is 20–24 lb, midpoint 285 min. The star is POUNDS.

Smallest whole-lb stuffed weight, midpoint at least 300 min: 20 lb — at 20 lb the midpoint is 300 min; 19 lb gives 270 min. The star is POUNDS.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are a 14-lb unstuffed turkey — 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min, midpoint 4 h 00 min. With a 4 lb breast, 4 lb breast turkey: 1 h 30 min–2 h 15 min (90–135 min), midpoint 112.5 min = 1 h 53 min — the smallest bird in the chart. With a 24 lb unstuffed turkey, 24 lb unstuffed turkey: 4 h 30 min–5 h 00 min (270–300 min), midpoint 285 min = 4 h 45 min — the biggest bird in the chart. With an 8 lb unstuffed turkey, 8 lb unstuffed turkey: 2 h 45 min–3 h 00 min (165–180 min), midpoint 172.5 min = 2 h 53 min — the bottom of the first whole-bird band. With an 8 lb stuffed turkey, 8 lb stuffed turkey: 3 h 00 min–3 h 30 min (180–210 min), midpoint 195 min = 3 h 15 min. With a 12 lb stuffed turkey, 12 lb stuffed turkey: 3 h 30 min–4 h 00 min (210–240 min), midpoint 225 min = 3 h 45 min — a boundary weight, so the higher row. With a 20 lb unstuffed turkey, 20 lb unstuffed turkey: 4 h 30 min–5 h 00 min (270–300 min), midpoint 285 min = 4 h 45 min — a boundary weight, so the higher row.

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The Thanksgiving cook with a 14-lb bird: they learn an unstuffed 14-lb turkey roasts 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min, midpoint 4 h 00 min — and they check the 18-lb reverse to see when the midpoint first passes 250 min.
• The cook stuffing the bird: they learn a 14-lb stuffed turkey takes 4 h 00 min–4 h 15 min, midpoint 4 h 08 min — and they check the 18-lb stuffed reverse to see when the midpoint first passes 250 min.
• The cook roasting a breast only: they learn a 6-lb breast takes 2 h 15 min–3 h 15 min, midpoint 2 h 45 min — and they check the 6-lb reverse to see the smallest breast whose midpoint reaches 150 min.
• The cook with a 22-lb bird: they learn the roast is 4 h 30 min–5 h 00 min, midpoint 4 h 45 min — and they check the 20-lb reverse to see the smallest bird whose midpoint is exactly 285 min.

Accuracy & limitations

The math is a table lookup: the USDA time bands at 325°F by weight, with a boundary weight using the higher row, and the midpoint of the band as the planning estimate; midpoint minutes with a .5 round half-up to the next whole minute for the hours-and-minutes display. Every figure is the USDA band value, and the midpoints are exact halves of the band ends. What the model cannot do is tell you when YOUR bird is done: these are USDA planning times for a fully thawed bird at 325°F; a stuffed bird takes longer than an unstuffed bird of the same weight; always verify doneness with a food thermometer — 165°F in the breast, thigh, and wing joint — because oven accuracy and bird shape move the real time; let the bird rest about 20 minutes before carving; the calculator converts by the table, not by weighing your actual bird; weights outside 4–24 lb for a breast and 8–24 lb for a whole turkey are not covered by the chart. Use the midpoint to plan the day, and the thermometer to decide when it comes out.

Frequently asked questions