A stuffed turkey needs more time than an unstuffed one, plain and simple. The stuffing sitting inside that cavity takes forever to heat through, and you cannot serve it until it hits 165°F. Here’s exactly how long it takes, what temperature to use, and how to know when both turkey and stuffing are truly ready.
The Golden Rule: 15 Minutes Per Pound at 325°F
The formula: multiply your turkey’s weight by 15 minutes, roast at 325°F. A 12-pound bird needs 3 hours. A 16-pounder takes 4 hours. A 20-pound turkey sits in the oven for 5 hours.
This rule assumes your turkey started fully thawed and your stuffing went in at room temperature or slightly warm.
Cooking Time Chart by Turkey Weight
| Turkey Weight | Cooking Time | When to Start Checking |
|---|---|---|
| 10 to 12 lbs | 2¾ to 3¼ hours | At 2½ hours |
| 12 to 14 lbs | 3¼ to 3¾ hours | At 3 hours |
| 14 to 16 lbs | 3¾ to 4¼ hours | At 3½ hours |
| 16 to 18 lbs | 4¼ to 4¾ hours | At 4 hours |
| 18 to 20 lbs | 4¾ to 5¼ hours | At 4½ hours |
| 20 to 24 lbs | 5¼ to 6 hours | At 5 hours |
These times are for 325°F oven temperature with stuffing inside. Always build in a 15 to 30 minute buffer.
Why Stuffed Turkey Takes Longer
The stuffing is the problem. It starts cold and dense, buried in the center of the bird where heat barely reaches. While the breast meat cooks happily at the edges, that stuffing ball just sits there, slowly warming up.
An unstuffed turkey cooks at 13 minutes per pound. Add stuffing and you’re at 15 minutes per pound. That’s 30 extra minutes on a 15-pound turkey.
The center of the stuffing is the last place to reach safe temperature. That’s why you can’t just rely on the meat being done.
The Critical Temperature: 165°F for Stuffing
Your turkey can be cooked. Your stuffing must be safe. Check the temperature deep in the center of the stuffing, not near the edges. 165°F minimum, no exceptions.
The turkey meat can reach 165 to 175°F in the breast and even 180°F in the thighs while you wait for that stuffing to catch up. That’s normal. The dark meat handles those higher temperatures beautifully thanks to its fat content.
Insert your thermometer straight into the cavity and push the probe deep into the center of the stuffing. If it reads 160°F, that’s not good enough. Back in the oven it goes.
When to Start Checking Temperature
Start checking 30 minutes before your calculated time is up. Use a probe thermometer: one reading in the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone, one deep into the center of the stuffing.
If the turkey hits temperature but the stuffing is still at 150°F, you have two options: keep roasting and tent the breast with foil if it’s getting too dark, or scoop out the stuffing and finish it in a baking dish at 350°F.
Never rely on the timer alone. Every oven runs different, every turkey is unique.
What If the Stuffing Isn’t Ready?
This happens. The breast looks gorgeous and golden, the thigh registers 170°F, but the stuffing is stuck at 155°F. Do not panic. Do not serve it.
Option 1: Tent the breast loosely with foil to slow down browning and keep roasting until stuffing hits 165°F. Expect another 15 to 30 minutes.
Option 2: Pull the turkey, scoop out the stuffing into a buttered baking dish, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes while the turkey rests. This method prevents overcooking the meat.
The second option also gives you stuffing with crispy edges, which nobody complains about.
Should You Stuff at All?
Honest answer: stuffing separately is faster, safer, and gives you crispier stuffing edges. But if you want that classic presentation and those drippings soaking into the bread, go ahead and stuff. Just follow the timing, check the temperature, and never pack the cavity too tightly.
Loose stuffing cooks more evenly than a brick of bread cubes jammed inside. Fill generously, not aggressively.
Many cooks split the difference: a small amount of stuffing inside for aroma and tradition, the rest in a dish for speed and capacity.
Other Factors That Change Cooking Time
Starting temperature: a turkey straight from the fridge versus room temperature makes a difference. Add 15 to 30 minutes if your bird is ice cold.
Oven accuracy: if your oven runs cool, everything takes longer. Invest in an oven thermometer if you’re uncertain.
Pan depth: a deep roasting pan with high sides traps heat and can slow roasting. Use a shallow pan when possible.
Foil covering: if you tent the turkey for the entire cooking time, expect an extra 30 to 45 minutes. Better to start uncovered and tent just the breast if it browns too fast.
Altitude: at higher elevations, water boils at lower temperatures and cooking takes longer. Add roughly 5% more time for every 1,000 feet above sea level.
Resting Time Matters
After you pull the turkey, let it rest 20 to 30 minutes before carving. The stuffing temperature will continue rising by a few degrees. The juices redistribute. The meat stays moist.
If you carved immediately, all those juices run straight onto the cutting board and your turkey tastes like cardboard. Resting is non-negotiable.
Tent it loosely with foil during the rest. Not tightly, or the skin loses its crispness. Just draped over the top.
Visual Cues Aren’t Enough
Golden skin means nothing. Legs that wiggle easily are a good sign but not a guarantee. Juices running clear? Still not enough. Only the thermometer tells the truth.
You can have a gorgeous looking turkey on the outside with stuffing still at 150°F in the center. That’s exactly the kind of situation that sends people to the emergency room the next day.
Stick that thermometer in. Check twice. Serve with confidence.
The Secret to Perfectly Cooked Stuffing
Never pack it tight. Fill the cavity without compressing. Air needs to circulate between the bread pieces, or the center stays cold while the edges cook.
Make your stuffing just before stuffing the bird. Not the night before. Cold stuffing from the fridge slows cooking even more and increases risk.
If your recipe contains raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs or skip them entirely. The stuffing is already spending time in contact with raw poultry, no need to add another risk factor.
Adjusting for Bigger or Smaller Birds
The 15 minutes per pound rule works up to about 24 pounds. Beyond that, cooking becomes unpredictable. For a massive 28 or 30 pound turkey, you’re better off cooking two medium birds or leaving it unstuffed.
For a small turkey under 10 pounds, count on closer to 18 minutes per pound if stuffed. Small birds lose heat faster and the stuffing represents a bigger proportion of the total mass.
Either way, the thermometer is your best friend. The calculation gives you an estimate, the temperature tells you when it’s actually ready.
The Classic Mistake: Opening the Oven Too Often
Every time you open that door, the temperature drops 25 to 30°F. The oven takes 5 to 10 minutes to recover. Open it three times in an hour and you’ve easily added 30 minutes to your total time.
Resist the urge to check every 20 minutes. Trust the process. Start checking only when your timer tells you to.
If your oven has a window and a light, use them. Look without opening.
A stuffed turkey is timing, temperature, and patience. Budget 15 minutes per pound, start checking early, and never guess on that stuffing temperature. The extra hour of roasting is worth it when you spoon out that herb-scented, dripping-soaked stuffing that tastes like Thanksgiving itself.
