Free kitchen tool
Turkey calculator
How big a turkey you need for the people coming, the day to move it from the freezer to the fridge, and how long it roasts. Enter the number of people or the weight on the label, and your dinner date. The times and temperatures are the USDA's, the leftovers amount is University of Wyoming Extension's, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Your turkey
Every number is the USDA's, or a university extension's for leftovers. Sources
The calculator needs JavaScript, which is off in this browser. The tables below work without it: turkey size by number of people, thawing times and start days, and roasting times.
Quick answers
The turkey numbers to know.
- 1 lbof whole turkey per person
- 1½ lbper person with leftovers
- 24 hoursin the fridge for every 4 to 5 lb
- 1 to 2 daysa thawed turkey keeps in the fridge
- 30 minutesper lb to thaw in cold water
- 325°Foven, no lower (163°C)
- 165°Fin the thigh, wing and breast (74°C)
- 20 minutesstanding time before carving
How much to buy
How big a turkey do you need?
Plan on 1 lb of whole turkey per person, or 1½ lb if you want leftovers. For a bone-in breast, ¾ lb per person.
The 1 lb and ¾ lb figures are the USDA's, in its Thanksgiving countdown fact sheet; University of Wyoming Extension gives the same and adds 1½ lb for leftovers. Neither gives a leftovers amount for a breast, so the calculator sizes a breast at ¾ lb a person either way; buy a bigger one if you want leftovers. Weights are raw, as on the label.
The calculator rounds up to a whole pound. The USDA roasting timetable runs from 8 to 24 pounds for a whole turkey and 4 to 8 pounds for a breast, so a smaller group gets the smallest size (and leftovers), and a bigger one is split into equal birds that each fit the timetable.
Turkey size by number of people
| People | Whole turkey | Whole, with leftovers | Bone-in breast |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8 lb (smallest) | 8 lb (smallest) | 4 lb (smallest) |
| 4 | 8 lb (smallest) | 8 lb (smallest) | 4 lb (smallest) |
| 6 | 8 lb (smallest) | 9 lb | 5 lb |
| 8 | 8 lb | 12 lb | 6 lb |
| 10 | 10 lb | 15 lb | 8 lb |
| 12 | 12 lb | 18 lb | 2 × 5 lb |
| 14 | 14 lb | 21 lb | 2 × 6 lb |
| 16 | 16 lb | 24 lb | 2 × 6 lb |
| 18 | 18 lb | 2 × 14 lb | 2 × 7 lb |
| 20 | 20 lb | 2 × 15 lb | 2 × 8 lb |
| 24 | 24 lb | 2 × 18 lb | 3 × 6 lb |
| 30 | 2 × 15 lb | 2 × 23 lb | 3 × 8 lb |
Thawing
When to start thawing the turkey
In the fridge, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds. Once it's thawed, it keeps 1 to 2 days there before cooking. In cold water, allow about 30 minutes per pound, and cook it as soon as it's thawed.
Thawing times by weight (USDA)
| Whole turkey | In the fridge | In cold water |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 days | 2 to 6 hours |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 days | 6 to 8 hours |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 days | 8 to 10 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 days | 10 to 12 hours |
The day to start, for dinner on Thursday 26 November 2026
The first date leaves the most room for a cold fridge. The second is the last day that still thaws it by the morning of dinner.
| Turkey | In the fridge | In cold water | Move it to the fridge on | At the latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lb | 1 day | 2 hours | Tuesday 24 November | Wednesday 25 November |
| 6 lb | 1 to 1½ days | 3 hours | Monday 23 November | Tuesday 24 November |
| 8 lb | 1½ to 2 days | 4 hours | Monday 23 November | Tuesday 24 November |
| 10 lb | 2 to 2½ days | 5 hours | Sunday 22 November | Monday 23 November |
| 12 lb | 2½ to 3 days | 6 hours | Sunday 22 November | Monday 23 November |
| 14 lb | 3 to 3½ days | 7 hours | Sunday 22 November | Sunday 22 November |
| 16 lb | 3 to 4 days | 8 hours | Saturday 21 November | Sunday 22 November |
| 18 lb | 3½ to 4½ days | 9 hours | Saturday 21 November | Saturday 21 November |
| 20 lb | 4 to 5 days | 10 hours | Friday 20 November | Saturday 21 November |
| 22 lb | 4½ to 5½ days | 11 hours | Friday 20 November | Friday 20 November |
| 24 lb | 5 to 6 days | 12 hours | Friday 20 November | Friday 20 November |
- Fridge firstLeave it in its wrapper, on a tray on the bottom shelf, in a fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below. If your plans change, a turkey thawed in the fridge can go back in the freezer uncooked within those 1 to 2 days.
- Cold water when you're short of timeKeep it wrapped (in a leak-proof bag if the wrapper is torn), cover it with cold tap water, and change the water every 30 minutes. Cook it as soon as it's thawed.
- Never on the counterNot in the garage, on the porch or in warm water either. The outside warms up while the middle is still frozen.
- Still frozen on the day?It can be roasted from frozen: the USDA says that takes at least 50% longer. Cooking a partially frozen turkey has the times.
How long it can wait once it's soft all the way through, and what to do if it thawed too early: how long a thawed turkey keeps in the fridge.
Roasting
How long to roast a turkey at 325°F
The USDA's timetable for a fresh or thawed turkey in a 325°F (163°C) oven, the lowest temperature it recommends. The times are approximate: start checking with a food thermometer at the short end.
Unstuffed turkey
| Weight | Hours at 325°F |
|---|---|
| 4 to 8 lb breast | 1½ to 3¼ hours |
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 hours |
Stuffed turkey
| Weight | Hours at 325°F |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 lb breast | Not usually applicable |
| 6 to 8 lb breast | 2½ to 3½ hours |
| 8 to 12 lb | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 4 to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4¾ hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4¾ to 5¼ hours |
When is it done?
When a food thermometer reads 165°F (74°C) in all three places, whatever the clock or a pop-up timer says. Any meat that's still pink is safe once it's there.
- Check the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. Each must reach 165°F.
- If it's stuffed, the center of the stuffing must reach 165°F too. Stuff it loosely, just before it goes in the oven. Baking the stuffing in a dish is the safer route.
- Let it stand 20 minutes out of the oven, then take out the stuffing and carve. A big bird stays hot for much longer than that: how long to rest a turkey has the times by size.
- Times are for each bird. With two in the oven, check each one.
About these numbers
How the calculator works.
- Size: people × pounds per person (1 lb, or 1½ lb with leftovers, for a whole turkey; ¾ lb for a breast), rounded up to a whole pound. Past 24 pounds (8 for a breast) it's split into equal birds.
- The day to start: the earliest day that still cooks the turkey within 2 days of thawing if it thaws at the quick end of the USDA's rate (24 hours per 5 pounds). The last day is the one that thaws it by the morning of your dinner at the slow end (24 hours per 4 pounds). A fridge that runs cold thaws more slowly, which is why the calculator suggests the earlier day.
- Cold water: 30 minutes per pound, rounded up to the half hour. Roasting: the USDA's row for the weight. A weight on the line between two rows, like 12 pounds, takes the row it ends; the two rows meet there anyway.
- It runs in your browser and uses your device's date to tell you when a start day has already passed. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Sources
- USDA FSIS: Let's Talk Turkey, a consumer guide to safely roasting a turkey: the roasting timetables, 325°F, 165°F and where to check it, the 20 minutes' standing time.
- USDA FSIS: Turkey Basics, Safe Thawing: 24 hours in the fridge per 4 to 5 pounds, 1 to 2 days once thawed, 30 minutes per pound in cold water.
- USDA FSIS: Countdown to the Thanksgiving Holiday (fact sheet, as reprinted by UC Cooperative Extension): 1 pound per person for a whole turkey, ¾ pound for a breast.
- University of Wyoming Extension: Let's talk turkey (MP-135): 1 pound per person, or 1½ pounds with leftovers.
FAQ
What people ask about the turkey.
More Thanksgiving help:
How big a turkey do I need for 10 people?
A 10-pound whole turkey for the meal, or 15 pounds if you want leftovers. That's 1 lb of whole turkey per person (USDA), or 1½ lb with leftovers (University of Wyoming Extension). For a bone-in breast, plan on ¾ lb per person.
When should I take the turkey out of the freezer for Thanksgiving?
For dinner on Thursday 26 November 2026, move a 12-pound turkey to the fridge on Sunday 22 November, a 16-pound turkey on Saturday 21 November and a 20-pound turkey on Friday 20 November. The USDA allows about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, and a thawed turkey keeps 1 to 2 days, so those days leave room for a cold fridge.
How long does a 16-pound turkey take to roast?
3¾ to 4¼ hours unstuffed at 325°F, or 4 to 4¼ hours stuffed, by the USDA timetable for a fresh or thawed 14 to 18 lb bird. It's done when a food thermometer reads 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
How long does a turkey take to thaw in cold water?
About 30 minutes per pound, so 8 hours for a 16-pound turkey. Keep it in its wrapper, cover it with cold tap water, change the water every 30 minutes, and cook it as soon as it's thawed.
Is the turkey calculator free?
Yes. It's free, needs no account, and runs in your browser, so nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Plan the rest of Thanksgiving in Hedgehog Chef.
The turkey calculator is free and needs no account. Hedgehog Chef is where you plan the menu, scale each recipe to the people coming and shop from one combined list. 14 days free, no card needed.