Refrigerator
- Input
- 5 kg (11 lb) | 20 lb (9.1 kg)
- Expected output
- 1-3 d | 5-6 d
The second figure is the 20 lb bird. The tool plans with the top, 6 days.
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20 lb turkey thawing and cooking time
A 20 lb turkey sits on the edge of two USDA brackets, and the tool takes the longer one: 5 to 6 days in the fridge, 10 to 12 hours in cold water and 4 h 30 min to 5 h in a 325 °F oven unstuffed. It feeds about 20 adults, or 13 with leftovers. Below is the hour-by-hour sum for a 5 PM dinner.
The second figure is the 20 lb bird. The tool plans with the top, 6 days.
Change the water every 30 minutes and roast right after.
Oven at 325 °F, about 165 °C.
The USDA prefers stuffing baked separately.
At least 50 percent longer, unstuffed.
Plan on 1 pound of whole turkey per person, which is the USDA figure, and up to 1½ pounds per person if you want leftovers. For 10 adults that is a 10 lb bird, or 15 lb with leftovers. This calculator counts a child as half a portion, a planning choice rather than a USDA number, so 8 adults and 2 children need 9 lb.
About 20 adults at 1 pound per person, or 13 if you want leftovers at 1½ pounds per adult. With each child counted as half a portion, that is up to 40 children with no leftovers.
Not in the fridge: the USDA gives 5 to 6 days for that bracket. In cold water it takes 10 to 12 hours, so an overnight thaw is possible if you change the water every 30 minutes.
The tool uses the longer 20 to 24 lb row: 5 to 6 days in the fridge, 10 to 12 hours in cold water and 4 h 30 min to 5 h unstuffed. The shorter rows would give 4 to 5 days, 8 to 10 hours and 4 h 15 min to 4 h 30 min.
165 °F (74 °C) in the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. The lowest of the three readings is the one that counts.
A 9 lb bird feeds about 9 adults or 18 children.
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Calculating your plan...
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Tables: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey (roasting and thawing). Preheat and carving times are planning assumptions.
Tables checked on 2026-11-10 against a government-archived copy of the USDA guide and two state reprints. Birds outside 4 to 24 lb are not covered.