How long do you cook a 25 pound stuffed turkey

Q: Do you cook a stuffed turkey at 325 or 350?

If youre determined to stuff the turkey, youll want to leave it in the oven at 325°F for 20-25 minutes per pound. Well also recommend covering the turkey (especially the wings and drumsticks) with a loose tent of aluminum foil to keep them from drying out or burning.

Giblets

Giblets are packaged in a plastic bag and are found either in the neck cavity or the body cavity. Remove and rinse in cold water before cooking.

Stuffing Preparation

Stuffing can be prepared separately and placed in a covered casserole dish to cook during the last hour of the turkey roasting time. For those who prefer to stuff their turkey: Prepare stuffing and spoon loosely into body cavity just before roasting, do not pack stuffing. Never stuff your turkey the day before. Remove stuffing prior to carving the turkey.

Seasoning and Roasting Your Turkey

Place turkey breast side up on a rack in roasting pan. Season the skin and inside the cavity with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, cayenne, thyme, rosemary or your favourite herbs and spices. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful to not touch the bone.

Roasting Your Turkey

Place in roaster and cover loosely with foil or roaster lid. Roast in a preheated oven 325° to 350° F (160° – 180° C) oven. If you choose to baste your turkey, limit the number of times you open and close your oven (once an hour is sufficient). To brown skin further, remove foil or roaster lid approximately 1 hour before done.General rule of thumb for oven cooking a stuffed turkey at 325° F is 15 minutes per pound (30 minutes per kilogram).

Many variables affect the roasting time. An accurate meat thermometer is recommended. Time will vary based on the temperature of the preheated oven, temperature of the bird going into the oven, the accuracy of the oven’s thermostat, how many times the oven door is opened during roasting and the type of roasting pan. We find stainless steel roasters cook more slowly than the darker speckled enamelware.

Begin checking for doneness about one hour before the end of the recommended roasting time.

Fresh turkeys cook faster.

Your turkey is done when:

meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 180° F (82° C) for a stuffed turkey
meat thermometer in the inner thigh reads 170° F (77° C) for an unstuffed turkey
when cooked to perfection the turkey meat and juices may have a slight pink tinge. The temperature of the meat is the most important sign of doneness.

When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven or barbecue. Cover it with foil and let it stand for 20-25 minutes before carving. Letting your turkey stand for at least 15 minutes will help lock in the natural juices, keeping the meat tender and easier to carve.
.

Approximate Times for Cooking

Weight	Stuffed Turkey	Unstuffed Turkey
13 – 16 lbs / 6.0 – 7.25 kg	3 ½ - 3 ¾ hours	3 ¼ - 3 ½ hours
16 – 19 lbs / 7.25 – 8.5 kg	4 – 4 ½ hours	3 ½ - 4 hours
10 – 22 lbs / 8.5 – 10 kg	4 ½ - 5 ¼ hours	4 – 4 ½ hours

Smaller birds require more minutes cooking time per pound.

When it comes to preparing the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, one size doesn't fit all. And while recipes and "package directions" usually offer some general guidance, they don't always cover all the important factors.

But fear not—you've found the perfect guide for roasting your best turkey, no matter the size. Just check out our handy charts below, and pay special attention the following tips to guarantee your Thanksgiving feast is a delicious success.

Fast Turkey Tips

Before we get started on the specifics of turkey roasting times, these handy Q&As may help you understand the numbers below.

What size turkey should I buy?

That depends on how many people you're feeding. On average, look to buy 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per Thanksgiving guest. For 10 people, you'll want a turkey between 10 and 15 pounds.

How long to cook a turkey per pound?

More on this below, but the standard rule of turkey roasting time says 13 minutes per pound for unstuffed birds and 15 minutes per pound for the stuffed ones.

At what temperature should I cook the turkey?

Techniques for cooking a turkey vary. Some cooks swear by starting the bird off at 450°F to get a crispy skin. We like a steady temperature the whole time, and 325°F is the ideal turkey roasting temperature in our books.

How will I know when a turkey is done?

Grab your meat thermometer, and stick the probe in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. When it reads 165°F, your bird is cooked.

How long should a turkey rest before carving?

Resting the turkey before carving is essential to prevent all that delicious moisture from escaping, so make sure you let the turkey rest at least 15 minutes once it's out of the oven.

To Baste or Not to Baste?

That is indeed the question, right? While basting your turkey may seem as close to Thanksgiving gospel as a Norman Rockwell painting, it isn't as necessary or as helpful as you may think.

Read more about our take on basting, but the gist is this: The more you open that oven door to baste your bird, the longer it's going to take to roast evenly. And if you have a long line of Thanksgiving side dishes waiting to bake up golden brown and bubbly, that's precious time you don't want to waste. So keep that oven door closed as much as possible.

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

There are a lot of food safety debates when it comes to filling your turkey with stuffing (we all know it's dressing, right?), so we won't get into that right at this moment. But we'd be remiss to not point out that baking a stuffed-to-the-brim bird takes longer than baking an unstuffed bird.

Stuff or don't stuff—that's totally up to you. Just know it does take a bit longer to bake. Don't worry: The handy charts below cover that, too!

How Big Is Too Big?

If you haven't already bought your turkey, we advise that you buy a turkey that's between 12 and 15 pounds—anything larger could result in uneven cooking. If you must buy a 24-pound turkey, we'll still provide a time range, but we recommend buying two smaller birds instead.

The Right Temp to Cook a Turkey

If you'd like to keep things simple, set your oven temperature to 325°F for a for a slow, steady roast. Preheat your oven to 325°F, and use the timetable below.

You can also find more information on FoodSafety.gov. If you're more adventurous, there's more than one way to roast a turkey. But if you already have enough on your plate (and it's Thanksgiving, so you surely do!), stick to a trusty 325°F.

How to Tell When a Turkey Is Done

When it comes to the cooking time for your bird, focus on the temperature of the meat rather than the actual time. The times listed below are a guideline to help you plan the approximate time required to cook your Thanksgiving turkey to the right temperature, but we highly recommend using a meat thermometer to determine doneness. Remove the turkey from the oven when a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the breast registers 165°F.

Southern Living

8 – 12 lb Turkey Cooking Time:

2 hours, 45 minutes to 3 hours (unstuffed)

3 hours to 3 hours, 30 minutes (stuffed)

12 – 14 lb Turkey Cooking Time:

3 hours to 3 hours, 45 minutes (unstuffed)

3 hours, 30 minutes to 4 hours (stuffed)

14 – 18 lb Turkey Cooking Time:

3 hours, 45 minutes to 4 hours, 15 minutes (unstuffed)

4 hours to 4 hours, 15 minutes (stuffed)

18 – 20 lb Turkey Cooking Time:

4 hours, 15 minutes to 4 hours, 30 minutes (unstuffed)

4 hours, 15 minutes to 4 hours, 45 minutes (stuffed)

20 – 24 lb Turkey Cooking Time:

4 hours, 30 minutes to 5 hours (unstuffed)

4 hours, 45 minutes to 5 hours, 15 minutes (stuffed)

Turkey Size	Unstuffed Cooking Time	Stuffed Cooking Time
8 - 12 pounds	2 hours, 45 minutes - 3 hours	3 hours - 3 hours, 30 minutes
12 - 14 pounds	3 hours - 3 hours, 45 minutes	3 hours, 30 minutes - 4 hours
14 - 18 pounds	3 hours, 45 minutes - 4 hours, 15 minutes	4 hours - 4 hours, 15 minutes
18 - 20 pounds	4 hours, 15 minutes - 4 hours, 30 minutes	4 hours, 15 minutes - 4 hours, 45 minutes
20 - 24 pounds	4 hours, 30 minutes - 5 hours	4 hours, 45 minutes - 5 hours, 15 minutes

How long does it take to cook a 25 lb stuffed turkey at 325 degrees?

A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than an unstuffed turkey. Assuming you are roasting your turkey in a 325°F oven, plan on 15 to 17 minutes of cooking time for each pound of an unstuffed turkey. Plan on 20 to 22 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Do you cook a stuffed turkey at 325 or 350?

If you're determined to stuff the turkey, you'll want to leave it in the oven at 325°F for 20-25 minutes per pound. We'll also recommend covering the turkey (especially the wings and drumsticks) with a loose tent of aluminum foil to keep them from drying out or burning.

How long do you cook a 24lb stuffed turkey?

For 14- to 18-pound turkey, roast 4 to 4¼ hours. For 18- to 20-pound turkey, roast 4¼ to 4¾ hours. For 20- to 24-pound turkey, roast 4¾ to 5¼ hours.

How long does it take to cook a 25 pound turkey at 350 degrees?

*For other sizes: 2-1/4-3 hours for 10-14 lbs (at 350°F), 3-4 hours for 15-22 lbs, 4-4.5 hours for 23-25 lbs and 4.5-5 hours for 26-29 lbs. Reduce by 15-30% for a convection oven. If you're stuffing your turkey, add the weight of the stuffing to the overall weight used to calculate the cooking time.