Free tool
Turkey thaw and roast times
Type your turkey's weight and when you want to eat. This works out the day it goes into the refrigerator (or when to start a cold-water thaw), when it goes into the oven at 325 F, and when to start checking the temperature. Every number comes from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service tables below.
The USDA FSIS chart
| Turkey weight | Days |
|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 days |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 days |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 days |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 days |
| Turkey weight | Hours |
|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 2 to 6 hours |
| 12 to 16 lb | 6 to 8 hours |
| 16 to 20 lb | 8 to 10 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 10 to 12 hours |
| Turkey weight | Time |
|---|---|
| 4 to 8 lb (breast) | 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 hours |
| 8 to 12 lb | 2 3/4 to 3 hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3 3/4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4 1/2 to 5 hours |
| Turkey weight | Time |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 lb (breast) | Not usually applicable |
| 6 to 8 lb (breast) | 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours |
| 8 to 12 lb | 3 to 3 1/2 hours |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 1/2 to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 lb | 4 to 4 1/4 hours |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours |
- Refrigerator: allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, at 40 F or below.
- Cold water: about 30 minutes a pound; change the water every 30 minutes and cook the turkey right after it thaws.
- Done means 165 F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Let it stand 20 minutes before carving.
- No time to thaw? A turkey can be cooked from frozen; it takes at least 50 percent longer.
- Stuffing a turkey is not recommended for optimum safety; a casserole of stuffing is the safer choice. Stuffing in the bird must reach 165 F too.
- Plan about 1 pound of turkey per person (1 1/4 pounds for a frozen pre-stuffed turkey).
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them.
Sources: USDA FSIS, Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey; Stuffing and Food Safety; Leftovers and Food Safety. Checked 22 October 2026. This page plans your timing; it does not decide whether food is safe.
Plan the whole day, not just the bird
The From-Scratch Thanksgiving Planner works back from dinner for everything: a three-week countdown, a menu scaler, a from-scratch pantry pull list, these thaw and roast tables with worksheets, and a half-hour oven and stovetop schedule. 12 fillable pages, $5.50 $4.12.