Whether you’re roasting your first turkey or are a seasoned pro, use this as your guide on how to properly oven-roast a turkey. You’ll also find the cook times for both stuffed and unstuffed turkeys!
It’s amusing when I hear people discussing the preparation of a turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas. A state of panic sets in, but why? My approach when I cook a bird is pretty straightforward. To me, it’s just a big chicken. It’s bigger, fatter, heavier, and stuffed with more stuff. So, I adjust my cooking times and temperature and let my oven work its magic. That being said, I went straight to my trusty source to gather the facts and share them with you.
Chef Lori’s Tips For The Best Oven-Roasted Turkey
- When you put your turkey in a roasting pan, ensure it is on a roasting rack, breast side up. If you don’t have a rack, crumple up some tin foil and line the bottom of the pan. You don’t want the bird to sit on the bottom of the pan.
- Your turkey is done when the temperature, as measured with a meat thermometer, reaches 180° F in the thigh and 165° F in the breast or stuffing.
- Cover the neck and exposed stuffing with foil to prevent over-browning for turkey breasts.
- When the turkey is about 2/3 done, loosely cover the breast and top of drumsticks with a piece of foil to prevent overcooking.
- When your turkey reaches the proper temperature, remove it from the oven and the roasting pan. Place on a platter and let it rest for at least 25 minutes before carving.
Oven Roasted Turkey Cooking Temperature
This is a significant debate, to be honest. Even the manufacturers differ between 325°F and 350°F. I personally recommend 325°F, as that aligns with the USDA guidelines. Let me share the differences:
- Roasting at 325°F promotes even cooking and helps prevent the outside from burning before the meat is fully cooked. You’ll also get a more tender and moist bird. The downside is that it will take longer, and you won’t get a super crispy skin.
- Roasting at 350°F reduces the cooking time and will yield a crispier skin; however, you run a greater risk of the breast meat drying out before the rest of the bird finishes cooking.
- Alternative Roast is where you initially start the bird off at 425°F for the first 30-45 minutes to crisp the skin, then lower the temperature to 325°F to finish the cooking.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cooking Times
Below, I’m listing a few options for cooking your turkey in the oven – stuffed, unstuffed, convection, and regular, as well as the time it takes to make a turkey breast.
For more details, see the USDA site about turkey cooking.
| Roasting a Whole Turkey in a Regular Oven | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Cook Time (Unstuffed) | Cook Time (Stuffed) |
| 4 1/2 – 7 lbs | 2 – 2 1/2 hrs | 2 1/4 -2 3/4 hrs |
| 7 – 10 lbs | 2 1/2 -3 hrs | 2 3/4 -3 1/2 hrs |
| 10 – 18 lbs | 3 – 3 1/2 hrs | 3 3/4 – 4 1/2 hrs |
| 18 – 22 lbs | 3 1/2 – 4 hrs | 4 1/2 – 5 hrs |
| 22 – 24 lbs | 4 – 4 1/2 hrs | 5 – 5 1/2 hrs |
| 24 – 30 lbs | 4 1/2 – 5 hrs | 5 1/2 – 6 1/4 hrs |
| Roasting a Whole Turkey in a Convection Oven | ||
| Weight | Cook Time (Unstuffed) | Cook Time (Stuffed) |
| 6 – 10 lbs | 1 1/2 – 2 hrs | 1 3/4 – 2 1/2 hrs |
| 10 – 18 lbs | 2 – 2 1/2 hrs | 2 1/2 – 3 1/4 hrs |
| 18 – 22 lbs | 3 1/2 – 4 hrs | 4 1/2 – 5 hrs |
| 22 – 24 lbs | 3 – 3 1/2 hrs | 3 3/4 – 4 1/4 hrs |
| Roasting a Turkey Breast in a Regular Oven | ||
| Weight | Cook Time (Unstuffed) | Cook Time (Stuffed) |
| 3 – 5 1/2 lbs | 1 1/2 – 2 1/4 hrs | 2 – 2 3/4 hrs |
| 5 1/2 – 9 lbs | 2 – 2 3/4 hrs | 2 3/4 – 3 1/4 hrs |
| Roasting a Turkey Breast in a Convection Oven | ||
| Weight | Cook Time (Unstuffed) | Cook Time (Stuffed) |
| 3 – 5 1/2 lbs | 1 1/2 – 2 hrs | 1 3/4 – 2 1/2 hrs |
| 5 1/2 – 9 lbs | 2 – 2 1/2 hrs | 2 1/2 – 3 1/ 4 hrs |
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