Whole Turkey (Unstuffed)
at 325°F
The answer
4 hr – 4 hr 25 minat 325°F
a Whole Unstuffed Turkey take about 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min in a 325°F oven. Done is 165°F on a food thermometer, plus a 20-minute rest — never the clock alone.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·325°F planning range derived·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
Time by weight at 325°F
Planning ranges for a fully thawed, fridge-temperature whole turkey (unstuffed). The right-hand column is when to take the first thermometer reading.
| Weight | Estimated time at 325°F | Check thermometer from |
|---|---|---|
| 8 lb | 2 hr 45 min – 3 hr | 2 hr 20 min in |
| 9 lb | 2 hr 50 min – 3 hr 10 min | 2 hr 25 min in |
| 10 lb | 2 hr 55 min – 3 hr 25 min | 2 hr 25 min in |
| 11 lb | 2 hr 55 min – 3 hr 35 min | 2 hr 30 min in |
| 12 lb | 3 hr – 3 hr 45 min | 2 hr 35 min in |
| 13 lb | 3 hr 25 min – 4 hr | 2 hr 50 min in |
| 14 lb | 3 hr 45 min – 4 hr 15 min | 3 hr 10 min in |
| 15 lb | 3 hr 55 min – 4 hr 20 min | 3 hr 20 min in |
| 16 lb | 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min | 3 hr 25 min in |
| 17 lb | 4 hr 10 min – 4 hr 25 min | 3 hr 30 min in |
| 18 lb | 4 hr 15 min – 4 hr 30 min | 3 hr 35 min in |
| 19 lb | 4 hr 25 min – 4 hr 40 min | 3 hr 45 min in |
| 20 lb | 4 hr 30 min – 4 hr 45 min | 3 hr 50 min in |
| 21 lb | 4 hr 35 min – 4 hr 55 min | 3 hr 55 min in |
| 22 lb | 4 hr 40 min – 5 hr | 3 hr 55 min in |
| 23 lb | 4 hr 40 min – 5 hr 10 min | 4 hr in |
| 24 lb | 4 hr 45 min – 5 hr 15 min | 4 hr in |
Start checking the internal temperature well before the low end of the range — an early check costs nothing; a late one costs the meal. Done means 165°F on a food thermometer.
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
325°F vs the other temperatures
Same cut, every temperature this site publishes for it.
| Oven temp | Time for a 16 lb whole turkey (unstuffed) | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 325°F (this page) | 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
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
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.
Answers people ask
How long does a whole unstuffed turkey take at 325°F?
About 4 hr – 4 hr 25 min at 325°F. It is done at 165°F internal on a food thermometer, not by the clock.
What internal temperature is a whole unstuffed turkey done at?
165°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part, then rested about 20 minutes. That is the USDA FSIS safe minimum.
Is 325°F a good temperature for a whole unstuffed turkey?
It is one of 2 temperatures this site publishes for this cut (325°F, 350°F). It is the most commonly used.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·doneness figures quoted in these answers·REVIEWED JUL 2026
More turkey timings
Where these numbers come from
Ranges are anchored to USDA FSIS published timetables where they exist, and derived from that anchor plus cross-checked published sources where they do not — widened to cover the disagreement between sources rather than split down the middle. The full reasoning is on the method page. If a figure here looks wrong, say so — corrections are prioritised.
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
