Turkey Thawing and Cooking Time Calculator

How the calculator works

The calculator does three separate things with the weight of your turkey. All of the figures come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Refrigerator thawing. The rule is approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. That is a range, so the calculator works out both ends and rounds each up to a whole day:

fewest days = weight in pounds / 5

most days = weight in pounds / 4

Cold water thawing. Approximately 30 minutes per pound:

hours = weight in pounds x 30 / 60

Roasting. There is no formula here. The calculator looks up your weight in the USDA timetable for roasting at 325 °F and reads the unstuffed or the stuffed column. The whole turkey rows run from 8 to 24 pounds, so the calculator gives no roasting time outside that range.

A weight that falls exactly on a boundary, such as 12 pounds, appears in two rows of the table. The calculator uses the lighter row, and you should start checking the temperature at the early end of the range.

Worked example

You have a 14 pound frozen turkey. Dinner is at 4:00 pm on Thursday, and you are roasting it unstuffed.

1. Thawing: 14 / 5 = 2.8 and 14 / 4 = 3.5. Rounded up, that is 3 to 4 days.
2. Plan on 4. The turkey moves from the freezer to the refrigerator on Sunday morning.
3. Roasting: 14 pounds is in the 12 to 14 pound row, which gives 3 to 3 3/4 hours.
4. Standing: 20 minutes before carving.
5. Working back from 4:00 pm: take off 20 minutes of standing time and 3 3/4 hours in the oven. The turkey goes into a hot oven by 11:55 am.

Starting the thaw on the early side costs nothing, because the USDA says a thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Thawing in the refrigerator

The refrigerator has to be at 40 °F or below. Keep the turkey in its original wrapper and put it on a tray or in a pan to catch any juices that leak.

The USDA table:

• 4 to 12 pounds: 1 to 3 days
• 12 to 16 pounds: 3 to 4 days
• 16 to 20 pounds: 4 to 5 days
• 20 to 24 pounds: 5 to 6 days

A turkey that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator may be refrozen if your plans change.

Thawing in cold water

Cold water is faster and needs you there. The USDA table:

• 4 to 12 pounds: 2 to 6 hours
• 12 to 16 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
• 16 to 20 pounds: 8 to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds: 10 to 12 hours

Wrap the turkey securely so that water cannot leak through the wrapping, and submerge it in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey immediately after it has thawed, and do not refreeze it.

A microwave oven is the third safe method, if the turkey fits. Check the owner’s manual for the size it will take, the minutes per pound and the power level. Cook the turkey immediately afterward.

After thawing by any method, remove the giblets from the cavities and cook them separately.

Roasting at 325 °F

Set the oven no lower than 325 °F and place the turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.

The timetable times are approximate. The USDA’s instruction is to always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey and the stuffing. If your turkey has a pop-up temperature indicator, check with a food thermometer as well.

Three optional hints from the same page:

• Tuck the wing tips under the shoulders of the bird for more even cooking.
• Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
• If the pan has no lid, a tent of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the turkey for the first 1 to 1 1/2 hours keeps it moist and reduces splatter.

For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. The juices set and it carves more easily.

Stuffed or unstuffed

A stuffed turkey takes longer. At 12 to 14 pounds it is 3 1/2 to 4 hours stuffed against 3 to 3 3/4 hours unstuffed, and at 20 to 24 pounds it is 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours against 4 1/2 to 5.

For optimum safety the USDA does not recommend stuffing a turkey. It recommends cooking the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole, which also cooks more evenly.

If you do stuff it, keep the wet and dry ingredients separate and chilled until the last moment. Mix them just before filling, fill the cavities loosely, and cook the turkey immediately. The center of the stuffing has to reach 165 °F.

Cooking from frozen

If the thaw did not finish, you can roast the turkey from frozen. The USDA says it is safe, and that the cooking time will be at least 50 percent longer than for a fully thawed turkey. A bird that would take 3 hours thawed needs at least 4 1/2. Take out the giblet packages partway through, carefully, with tongs or a fork.

The exception is a frozen pre-stuffed turkey. Do not thaw one before cooking. Cook it from frozen and follow the package directions.

Leftovers

Divide leftovers into smaller portions and refrigerate or freeze them in covered shallow containers so they cool quickly. Use refrigerated turkey, stuffing and gravy within 3 to 4 days. Frozen leftovers are best used within 2 to 6 months. Reheat turkey to an internal temperature of 165 °F.

Tips and common mistakes

Count the thawing days first. Most turkey problems start on Sunday, not Thursday.

Use the long end of the thawing range. The rule is a day for every 4 to 5 pounds, and 4 is the safer number to plan with.

Read the weight from the label. Everything on this page depends on it.

Check three places with the thermometer: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast.

Do not rely on the clock. The time range tells you when to start checking, and the thermometer tells you when to stop cooking.

Buy a fresh turkey only 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it, and allow 1 pound per person.