Calculators
Turkey Calculator
Enter your guest count and dinner time to get the turkey size to buy, when to start thawing, when it goes in the oven, and the 165 °F done temperature.
1. How big a turkey?
Buy about
10 lb (4.5 kg)
10 guests × 1 lb raw whole turkey per person.
2. Plan the thaw and the roast
Leave the weight blank to use the size above, or type the weight on your turkey’s label.
Your countdown
Mon, Nov 23, 11:00 PM — move the frozen turkey to the refrigerator
Latest start for a fridge thaw at 40 °F or below (4 °C): about 24 hours per 4–5 lb, planned at the slower 4 lb a day. A day earlier is a sensible buffer — a thawed turkey keeps 1–2 days in the fridge. Leave it in its wrapper on a tray.
Or Thu, Nov 26, 6:40 AM — start a cold-water thaw
Only if the fridge thaw was missed: about 30 minutes per lb in its leak-proof wrapper, submerged in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes (about 9 changes) and cook it as soon as it has thawed. Never thaw on the counter.
Thu, Nov 26, 11:40 AM — turkey into a 325 °F (163 °C) oven
10 lb (4.5 kg) unstuffed (8 to 12 lb row): 2 h 45 min to 3 h. Timed on the long end so the bird is ready early rather than late. Take out the giblet packages first.
Thu, Nov 26, 2:25 PM — start checking the temperature
Done when a food thermometer reads at least 165 °F (74 °C) in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Don’t rely on a pop-up indicator alone.
Thu, Nov 26, 2:40 PM — out of the oven, rest 20 minutes
If it reached 165 °F (74 °C) sooner, take it out then. Resting lets the juices set and makes carving easier.
Thu, Nov 26, 3:00 PM — carve and serve
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3–4 days.
A turkey roasted straight from frozen takes at least 50% longer than the times above. Times are approximate; the thermometer decides.
Where these figures come from
Source: Portions, thawing rates, the 325 °F roasting timetable, the 165 °F safe minimum internal temperature and the 20-minute rest are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture: Let’s Talk Turkey — A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey; Turkey from Farm to Table; Turkey FUNdamentals: Planning for Thanksgiving. Whole-bird times follow the FSIS chart; bone-in breast times follow the Turkey from Farm to Table chart. Figures checked September 2026.
Limitations: Roasting times assume a fully thawed bird on a rack in a shallow pan at 325 °F. Oven accuracy, an oven bag, convection or opening the door can all change the time. Questions? The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline is 1-888-674-6854. Calculated in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere.
Works in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
How much turkey do I need per person?
USDA guidance is to allow about 1 pound of raw turkey per person, or 1½ pounds per person for hearty eaters or if you want plenty of leftovers. That weight includes the bone, which is why it is more than a serving of meat: USDA notes a pound of uncooked whole turkey yields roughly 0.71 pounds of edible meat after roasting. For 12 guests, that means a 12 lb bird, or 18 lb with leftovers. USDA does not publish a separate figure for bone-in breast, so the calculator applies the same rule, which is on the generous side for breast meat.
How long does it take to thaw a turkey?
In the refrigerator at 40 °F or below, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds — a 20 lb turkey needs 4 to 5 days. The calculator plans on the slower rate of 4 lb a day. In cold water, allow about 30 minutes per pound with the turkey in leak-proof wrapping, change the water every 30 minutes, and cook it as soon as it has thawed. A refrigerator-thawed turkey can stay in the fridge another 1 to 2 days. Never thaw a turkey on the counter.
How long do I cook a turkey at 325 °F?
From the USDA FSIS timetable for an unstuffed whole turkey: 8–12 lb, 2¾ to 3 hours; 12–14 lb, 3 to 3¾ hours; 14–18 lb, 3¾ to 4¼ hours; 18–20 lb, 4¼ to 4½ hours; 20–24 lb, 4½ to 5 hours. A stuffed bird takes longer: 3 to 3½, 3½ to 4, 4 to 4¼, 4¼ to 4¾ and 4¾ to 5¼ hours for the same weights. The times are approximate — a turkey is done by temperature, not by the clock.
What temperature is turkey safe to eat?
A turkey is safe at a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. If the bird is stuffed, the center of the stuffing must also reach 165 °F. Check with a thermometer even if the turkey has a pop-up indicator. You may cook it to a higher temperature for personal preference, but not a lower one.
Can I cook a turkey that is still frozen?
Yes. USDA FSIS says it is safe to roast a turkey from the frozen state, but it takes at least 50% longer than the times for a fully thawed bird. Remove the giblet packages during cooking, carefully, with tongs or a fork, and check the 165 °F temperature in the thigh, wing and breast as usual.
About this tool
This turkey calculator strings together the three questions every Thanksgiving cook works through: how big a bird to buy, when it has to start thawing, and when it has to go into the oven. Start from the headcount and the time you want to carve, and it works backwards — 20 minutes of resting, then the roasting time from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) timetable for a 325 °F oven, then the refrigerator thaw before that. For Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026, a 15 lb unstuffed turkey carved at 3:00 PM goes into the oven by 10:25 AM, and it has to be in the fridge by Sunday afternoon.
The roasting schedule deliberately uses the long end of each FSIS time range, so the turkey is ready early rather than late, and it tells you when the short end arrives so you know when to start checking the temperature. A turkey that reaches 165 °F in the thigh, wing and breast ahead of schedule can come out early and rest; one that hasn’t reached it stays in, whatever the clock says. Ovens run hot or cold, and an oven bag or a convection fan shifts the time — the thermometer settles it.
Two thawing methods are shown side by side. The refrigerator is the method FSIS recommends planning for: about a day for every 4 to 5 pounds, which the calculator rounds to the slower 4 lb a day. The cold-water method is the fallback when the fridge thaw was missed: about 30 minutes per pound, with the water changed every 30 minutes so it stays cold, and the turkey cooked immediately afterwards. The timetable covers whole birds from 8 to 24 lb and bone-in breasts from 2 to 8 lb; for a larger crowd the calculator suggests two birds instead of one oversized one.
Every figure on this page comes from USDA consumer guidance, linked in the source note under the calculator: the portions from USDA’s Thanksgiving planning guide, and the thawing rates, roasting times, 165 °F safe minimum internal temperature and 20-minute rest from the FSIS guides Let’s Talk Turkey and Turkey from Farm to Table. Switch between pounds and kilograms or °F and °C at any time. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Updated · Novpix LLC
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