How Long to Cook a Turkey

Cooking a turkey is a time-consuming job. It is important to determine how long to cook a turkey before you plan to cook for a turkey meal. Cooking the turkey to perfection, i.e. not undercook or overcook the turkey, is important. If you overcook the turkey, the meat will dry up and the dish will not be great to savor. It is important to know the turkey cooking time, but at the same time it is also good to use a meat thermometer to know if the bird is cooked to perfection.

How Long to Cook a Turkey

There are some variables, which help in determining the time required to cook a turkey. The variables are

• Size of the turkey
• Weight of the turkey
• Moisture content
• Temperature of the turkey when it is ready to be cooked
• Cooking temperature

Formula to Determine the Cooking Time of a Turkey

• To determine the time required to cook a turkey, there is a simple formula which can be used. You will need to know the weight of the bird which you plan to cook. The weight is mentioned on the packaging of the turkey.
• Now multiply the total weight of the turkey in pounds with 15. You will get the total number of minutes required to cook the turkey. For example. Considering the weight of the turkey to be 10 pounds. 10 * 15 will give you the total minutes required. 150 minutes, i.e. 2.5 hours
• If you want to cook a stuffed turkey, you will have to add 15 more minutes to the total time.

Without Stuffing
To cook the turkey to perfection, thawing the turkey well is important. You may choose to put chicken or turkey stock around the turkey, so that the turkey is moist and soft.

Weight	Time Required
4 to 8 Pounds	1 ½ to 3 ¼ Hours
8 to 12 Pounds	2 ¾ to 3 Hours
12 to 14 Pounds	3 to 3 ¾ Hours
14 to 18 Pounds	3 ¾ to 4 ¼ Hours
18 to 20 Pounds	4 ¼ to 4 ½ Hours
20 to 24 Pounds	4 ½ to 5 Hours

With Stuffing
This is a table for cooking turkey breast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with this time, it is recommended you use the meat thermometer to check if the bird is properly cooked. The internal temperature should reach to 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit for the turkey breast to be cooked to perfection.

Weight	Time Required
6 to 8 Pounds	2 ½ to 3 ½ Hours
8 to 12 Pounds	3 to 3 ½ Hours
12 to 14 Pounds	3 ½ to 4 Hours
14 to 18 Pounds	4 to 4 ¼ Hours
18 to 20 Pounds	4 ¼ to 4 ¾ Hours
20 to 24 Pounds	4 ¾ to 5 ¼ Hours

In a Roaster
Cooking the turkey in a roaster can affect the cooking time needed to get a perfectly cooked bird. The following table will ensure that your meal does not end up being overcooked or undercooked.

Weight	Time Required for Unstuffed	Time Required for Stuffed
8 to 12 Pounds	2 ¾ to 3 Hours	3 to 3 ½ Hours
12 to 14 Pounds	3 to 3 ¾ Hours	3 ½ to 4 Hours
14 to 18 Pounds	3 ¾ to 4 ¼ Hours	4 to 4 ¼ Hours
18 to 20 Pounds	4 ¼ to 4 ½ Hours	4 ¼ to 4 ¾ Hours
20 to 24 Pounds	4 ½ to 5 Hours	4 ¾ to 5 ¼ Hours
24 to 30 Pounds	5 to 5 ¼ Hours	5 ¼ to 6 ¼ Hours

Turkey Breast in the Oven
The time given in the table is for cooking turkey breast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with this time, it is recommended, you use the meat thermometer to check if the bird is properly cooked. When the internal temperature reaches to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, understand the turkey breast is cooked to perfection.

Weight	Time Required for Unstuffed	Time Required for Stuffed
2 to 3 Pounds	1 ½ to 2 Hours	Not applicable
4 to 6 Pounds	1 ½ to 2 ¼ Hours	Not generally applicable
7 to 8 Pounds	2 ¼ to 3 ¼ Hours	3 to 4 Hours

For further reading

• Smoked Turkey Recipes
• Turkey Stuffing Recipes

I hope this article has answered the question how long to cook a turkey. I would like to give one more tip about cooking a turkey. After about 1 to 1 ½ hours of cooking, it is recommended to baste the turkey with the drippings. This will ensure, that the turkey does not become very dry. Good Luck!