Thanksgiving Turkey Calculator

Figure out how big a turkey to buy for your guest count and how long to roast it, based on USDA/Butterball roasting guidance.

Quick Facts

Method
USDA/Butterball 325°F roasting chart, portioned at 1–1.5 lb raw turkey per guest
Always confirm doneness with a meat thermometer: 165°F in the thigh and breast.

Your Results

Calculated
Turkey to buy
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Based on your guest count
Roast time
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At 325°F oven temperature, for the weight you entered
Servings from your turkey
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At your chosen lb-per-guest ratio

Ready

Enter your guest count and turkey weight, then calculate.

How to size and time your Thanksgiving turkey

This calculator answers the two questions nearly everyone asks before Thanksgiving: how big a turkey should I buy, and how long do I need to roast it? Both answers come from widely published USDA and Butterball guidance, not a guess — enter your guest count to get a target weight, or enter the weight of the turkey you already bought to get a roast time.

How much turkey to buy

The standard rule of thumb is 1 to 1.5 pounds of raw, whole turkey per person. Use the low end (about 1 lb/person) for large gatherings with lots of side dishes, and the high end (about 1.5 lb/person) if you want substantial leftovers or your crowd eats mostly turkey. This calculator defaults to 1.25 lb per person as a reasonable middle ground, and multiplies it by your guest count to suggest a target bird size.

How long to roast a turkey

At a 325°F oven temperature, the commonly published roasting times are:

  • Unstuffed: approximately 13 minutes per pound for turkeys in the typical 12–20 lb range (smaller birds run closer to 15–17 minutes per pound; larger birds run closer to 11–12 minutes per pound).
  • Stuffed: approximately 15 minutes per pound over the same range, since stuffing slows heat penetration to the cavity.

This calculator applies a per-pound rate that varies gently across three weight bands (under 12 lb, 12–20 lb, over 20 lb) to mirror the standard chart, rather than one flat multiplier for every size. Time is always an estimate — the only reliable way to confirm doneness is a meat thermometer reading 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh.

Why time-per-pound isn't perfectly linear

A 10 lb turkey and a 24 lb turkey don't roast at exactly the same rate per pound. Smaller birds have more surface area relative to their mass, so heat penetrates faster per pound; larger birds are more insulated at the center, so each additional pound adds proportionally less time. That's why published charts step the rate down as size increases instead of using one constant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much turkey do I need per person?
Plan on 1 to 1.5 pounds of raw, whole turkey per guest. A 10-person Thanksgiving typically calls for a 12.5 to 15 lb turkey; a 16-person gathering typically calls for a 20 to 24 lb turkey.
How long does it take to cook a turkey?
At 325°F, budget roughly 13 minutes per pound unstuffed or 15 minutes per pound stuffed, adjusted slightly by size band. A 14 lb unstuffed turkey takes about 3 hours; a 20 lb unstuffed turkey takes closer to 4 hours. Always verify with a thermometer — 165°F in the breast and thigh — since oven variance and starting temperature both shift real cook times.
Should I buy a bigger turkey for leftovers?
Yes — if you want leftovers for sandwiches, soup, or pot pie, size toward 1.5 lb per person instead of 1 lb. The extra weight mostly adds meat yield, not roast time, since larger birds cook faster per pound.
Does a stuffed turkey really take longer?
Yes. Stuffing inside the cavity insulates the center of the bird and slows heat transfer, so USDA guidance adds roughly 2 minutes per pound compared to an unstuffed bird of the same weight. For food safety, the stuffing itself must also reach 165°F, which is one reason many cooks bake stuffing separately.

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