How to Bake Turkey in the Oven: Times, Temps & Easy Steps

Here's how to bake turkey in the oven: thaw it fully, pat it dry, rub it with butter and seasoning, and roast it breast-side up on a rack at 325°F. An unstuffed 12–14-lb turkey takes about 3 to 3¾ hours. It's done when a thermometer reads 165°F in the thigh, wing and thickest part of the breast. Rest it for 20–30 minutes before carving.

What You Need to Bake a Turkey

Ingredients

• A whole turkey, fully thawed, with the neck and giblets removed.
• Butter or oil: about ½ cup softened butter or ¼ cup oil for a 12–16-lb bird.
• Salt and pepper: about 1 tablespoon kosher salt per 5 lb if you dry-brine, less if the turkey is pre-brined or labeled "enhanced."
• Herbs and aromatics (optional): thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, an onion, a lemon and a few celery stalks for the cavity.
• Broth or water: about 1–2 cups for the bottom of the pan.

Tools

• Roasting pan with a rack: a heavy pan 2–3 inches deep (see our best roasting pans). The rack lifts the turkey so hot air reaches the bottom.
• Meat thermometer: the most important tool. A leave-in probe or wireless meat thermometer lets you track the temperature without opening the oven.
• Aluminum foil: to tent the breast if it browns too quickly and to cover the turkey while it rests.
• Kitchen twine (optional): to tie the legs together.
• Carving board and sharp knife: a board with a juice groove keeps the counter clean.

Before Thanksgiving, check that your oven heats accurately. Many ovens run 15–25°F off, which can add or remove a lot of time on a big bird. Here's how to test your oven temperature with an oven thermometer.

How Much Turkey Per Person

Plan about 1 to 1½ pounds of whole turkey per person. Use the higher number if you want leftovers or have big eaters. A whole turkey is about half bone, so 1 pound of raw turkey gives roughly ½ pound of cooked meat.

Very large turkeys (over 22 lb) take longer and are harder to cook evenly. For a big crowd, two medium turkeys are often easier. They also fit in most home ovens if you have a double oven or a second appliance. If oven space is tight, an electric roaster can cook the turkey on the counter. See our picks for the best ovens for roasting turkey.

How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey Safely

Never thaw a turkey on the counter. The outside warms into the danger zone (40–140°F) long before the inside thaws. Use one of these safe methods:

• Refrigerator (best): allow about 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds. Keep the turkey in its wrapper on a tray to catch drips. A thawed turkey keeps 1–2 days in the fridge.
• Cold water: allow about 30 minutes per pound. Keep the turkey in a leak-proof bag, submerge it breast-side down and change the water every 30 minutes. Cook it right away.
• Microwave: only if your microwave fits the bird and the manual gives directions. Cook it immediately.

Forgot to thaw it? You can safely roast a turkey from frozen. It takes at least 50% longer, and you remove the giblets once it has thawed enough partway through cooking.

How to Bake Turkey in the Oven, Step by Step

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Move a rack to the lowest third of the oven so the turkey sits in the center. USDA advises not roasting turkey below 325°F. See our guide on how to preheat your oven if you have a convection model.
2. Remove the giblets and neck. Check both the body cavity and the neck cavity. Save them for gravy or stock if you like.
3. Don't rinse the turkey. Washing raw poultry spreads bacteria around your sink and counter. Instead, pat the skin very dry with paper towels. Dry skin browns and crisps better.
4. Season it. Loosen the skin over the breast and spread some butter and herbs under it. Rub the rest over the outside and season well with salt and pepper. Add onion, lemon, garlic and herbs to the cavity if you like.
5. Tuck and tie. Tuck the wing tips under the body so they don't burn. Tie the legs loosely with twine, or tuck them into the band of skin if your turkey has one.
6. Set it on the rack, breast-side up. Place the turkey on the rack in the roasting pan and pour about 1 cup of broth or water into the pan.
7. Roast. Put the pan in the oven and roast using the time chart below as a guide. Add more liquid to the pan if it dries out so drippings don't burn.
8. Tent if needed. When the skin is golden brown, usually about two-thirds of the way through, cover the breast loosely with foil to stop it overbrowning.
9. Check the temperature early. Start checking 30–45 minutes before the earliest time on the chart. The turkey is done at 165°F in the thigh, wing and thickest part of the breast.
10. Rest, then carve. Move the turkey to a carving board, cover it loosely with foil and rest it for 20–30 minutes. Use this time to make gravy from the pan drippings.

Turkey Cooking Time Chart: How Long to Bake a Turkey

These times are for a fully thawed turkey roasted at 325°F, based on USDA guidance. They're estimates: oven accuracy, how cold the turkey is and how often you open the door all change the real time. Always go by temperature.

Bone-in turkey breast at 325°F: about 1½–2¼ hours for 4–6 lb and 2¼–3¼ hours for 6–8 lb.

Convection oven: roast at 300–325°F, or keep 325°F and expect the turkey to finish about 25% sooner. Convection browns faster, so tent the breast earlier. Baking at 350°F works too and takes roughly 10–15% less time, but the outside can dry out before the thighs are done, so watch the temperature closely.

How to Tell When Turkey Is Done

Don't rely on clear juices, wiggly legs or a pop-up timer. Pop-up timers often pop late, after the breast has dried out, and juice color doesn't tell you whether the turkey is safe. A good instant-read or leave-in thermometer is the only reliable test. If you're not sure yours reads correctly, test it in ice water: it should show 32°F.

The temperature keeps rising a few degrees while the turkey rests. Many cooks take it out when the breast reads 165°F and let the thighs, which handle extra heat well, climb to 170–175°F during resting.

Thanksgiving Day Timeline

Here's a sample schedule for an unstuffed 14-lb turkey you plan to serve at 4:00 PM. For other sizes, adjust the roasting time with the calculator above.

1. 4 days beforeStart thawingMove the frozen turkey to the fridge on a tray.
2. Night beforePrep and dry-brineRemove the giblets, pat the turkey dry, salt it all over and leave it uncovered in the fridge.
3. 11:00 AMPreheat to 325°FSet the rack low, butter and season the turkey.
4. 11:30 AMTurkey goes inBreast-side up on a rack, with broth in the pan.
5. 1:30 PMCheck the colorTent the breast with foil if it's already deep golden.
6. 2:15 PMStart checking temperatureCheck every 15–20 minutes from here.
7. 2:30–3:15 PMTake it out at 165°FMove it to a carving board and cover loosely.
8. 3:15 PMRest and make gravyUse the free oven to warm sides and bake rolls.
9. 3:45 PMCarveStart with the legs, then slice the breast.
10. 4:00 PMServePour warm gravy over the sliced meat.

Build in 30 minutes of buffer. A turkey that finishes early can rest, covered, for up to an hour and stay hot enough to serve. One that finishes late holds up dinner.

Tips for Juicy Turkey and Crisp Skin

Dry-brine the night before

Salting the turkey 12–48 hours ahead seasons the meat deeply and helps it hold on to moisture. Leaving it uncovered in the fridge also dries the skin, which is the secret to crisp, golden skin. Skip this step if your turkey is kosher, pre-brined or "enhanced" with a salt solution.

Butter under the skin

Butter on top of the skin mostly melts into the pan. Butter under the skin bastes the breast meat directly and helps it brown evenly.

Don't over-baste

Basting doesn't make the meat juicier, and every time you open the door the oven loses heat and the turkey takes longer. Baste once or twice at most, or skip it and brush the skin with melted butter near the end.

Keep the breast from drying out

The breast cooks faster than the legs. Tent it with foil once it's brown, and start checking the temperature early. Taking the turkey out at exactly 165°F, not 180°F, is the single biggest step toward juicy meat.

Use the right rack and pan

A low-sided roasting pan with a rack lets heat reach the whole bird. Deep pans steam the bottom and leave pale, soft skin. In a pinch, a bed of thick-sliced onions, carrots and celery works as a rack.

Let it rest

Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat. Carve too soon and those juices end up on the board instead of in the slices.

Faster Options: Spatchcock Turkey and Turkey Breast

Spatchcocked (butterflied) turkey cooks much faster because it lies flat. Cut out the backbone with poultry shears, press the bird flat on a rack set over a sheet pan and roast at 425–450°F. A 12–14-lb spatchcocked turkey often finishes in about 1½ hours, with very crisp skin. You'll need a large sheet pan that fits your oven.

Bone-in turkey breast is ideal for small groups. Roast it at 325°F for about 1½–2¼ hours for a 4–6-lb breast, or until it reaches 165°F. A large countertop convection oven can handle a breast or a small turkey. Our best air fryer oven guide includes models big enough.

How to Make Gravy from the Drippings

While the turkey rests, turn the pan drippings into gravy. This makes about 4 cups.

1. Separate the fat. Pour the drippings into a fat separator or a large measuring cup and let the fat rise to the top. Spoon off about ¼ cup of fat and keep the juices.
2. Make a roux. Heat the ¼ cup of fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup of flour and cook for 2–3 minutes, until it smells nutty.
3. Add liquid. Slowly whisk in the turkey juices plus enough broth to make about 4 cups. Scrape the browned bits from the roasting pan with a little broth and add them too.
4. Simmer and season. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste before adding salt, especially if you dry-brined the turkey.

What to Serve with Oven Baked Turkey

Classic sides for an oven baked turkey include mashed potatoes, stuffing or dressing, green bean casserole, roasted vegetables, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and dinner rolls. Bake the stuffing in a separate dish so the turkey cooks faster and the top gets crisp.

Plan your oven time: while the turkey roasts, the oven is full. Make casseroles ahead and reheat them while the turkey rests, or use a second oven or countertop oven for rolls and sides. Most casseroles reheat well at 350°F in 25–35 minutes.

Common Mistakes When Baking Turkey

• Not thawing it fully. A partly frozen turkey cooks unevenly. The outside dries out before the center is safe.
• Rinsing the turkey. It spreads bacteria and doesn't make it cleaner. Cooking to 165°F kills bacteria.
• Forgetting the giblets. Check both cavities before roasting.
• Roasting too hot or too low. Very high heat burns the skin before the inside cooks. Below 325°F, the turkey stays in the danger zone too long.
• Skipping the thermometer. Cooking by time alone is the main reason turkeys end up dry or undercooked.
• Opening the oven too often. Each peek lets out heat and adds time.
• Stuffing it the night before. Stuff the turkey just before it goes in the oven, or bake the stuffing separately in a dish.
• Carving immediately. Rest it for at least 20 minutes.

How to Carve a Turkey

1. Remove the legs. Pull a leg away from the body and cut through the skin. Pop the thigh joint and cut through it. Separate the drumstick from the thigh at the joint.
2. Slice the thigh meat. Cut the meat off the thigh bone and slice it.
3. Remove the wings. Pull each wing out and cut through the joint where it meets the body.
4. Remove each breast in one piece. Cut down along one side of the breastbone, then follow the rib cage with your knife to lift the whole breast off.
5. Slice across the grain. Cut the breast into ½-inch slices across the grain for the most tender meat. Arrange everything on a warm platter.

Save the carcass. It makes a great stock for soup the next day.

Storing and Reheating Leftover Turkey

• Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Cut the meat off the bone and store it in shallow containers so it cools quickly.
• Use within 3–4 days from the fridge, or freeze it. Frozen cooked turkey keeps its best quality for about 2–6 months.
• Reheat to 165°F. In the oven, put the slices in a covered dish with a splash of broth and heat at 325°F until hot. Covering it keeps the meat from drying out.

After the holiday, our guide to cleaning oven racks helps with greasy racks and pan spills.

How to Bake Turkey in the Oven: FAQs