Whole Turkey (Unstuffed)
cooking times
The answer
4 hr – 4 hr 25 minat 325°F
At the most common temperature, 325°F, a whole unstuffed turkey runs about 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min at 16 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 165°F internal.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·whole turkey (unstuffed) row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
USDA safe zone — 165°F and above
Done is a temperature, not a time. Every figure on this page is a planning range; the green band is the only part that decides. For a whole unstuffed turkey it opens at 165°F and a 20-minute rest.
Source—USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperatures—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Anchor. Start from what USDA FSIS publishes for a whole unstuffed turkey — its safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F, and the FSIS roasting timetable where one exists for this cut.
- Rate. Convert the anchor into a planning rate at 325°F: a published weight-bracket table, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 16 lb piece lands at 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min; the range is widened to cover source disagreement rather than averaged into false precision.
- First check. The first thermometer reading is set at 85% of the low end of the range — early enough that an under-reading costs nothing and a late one cannot cost the meal.
- Gate. The time is only a plan. It is not done until a food thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part, then rests about 20 minutes. Time never overrides temperature on this site.
- Round. Every printed figure is rounded to the nearest 5 minutes; precision beyond that would be invented.
plan_low = weight_lb × min min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × max min/lb
first_check = plan_low × 0.85
DONE ⟺ internal_temp ≥ 165°F AND rest ≥ 20 min
(USDA FSIS — the gate, not the clock)
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·safe minimum for this cut·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Pick your temperature
Every temperature this chart room holds for a whole unstuffed turkey, each with its own worked ledger.
The whole cut, temperature by temperature
| Oven temp | Time for a 16 lb whole turkey (unstuffed) | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 325°F | 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min | bracket table |
| 350°F | 3 hr 40 min – 4 hr 5 min | bracket table |
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
When it is actually done
165°F internal
The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 165°F, followed by a rest of about 20 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
Source note: The 325°F bracket times are the USDA FSIS published timetable for a fresh or fully thawed unstuffed turkey. 350°F times are derived from that anchor (roughly 8–10% shorter) — FSIS itself only publishes 325°F.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·whole turkey (unstuffed) row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the ledger does not tell you
- A stuffed bird adds 30–60 minutes AND the centre of the stuffing must independently reach 165°F — the bird being done does not make the stuffing safe.
- Thaw in the fridge: 24 hours per 4–5 lb. A 20 lb turkey needs 4–5 days — this is the step people run out of time on.
- Take the temperature in three places: the thickest thigh, the wing joint and the thickest breast. The lowest reading is your number.
- The 20-minute rest is not optional at this scale — carving straight from the oven pours the juices onto the board instead of keeping them in the slices.
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
