How Long To Cook A Turkey - Thirty Handmade Days

Want to cook the perfect turkey? Use this simple printable for all of the information on how long to cook a turkey!

How long to cook a turkey

The holidays are right around the corner and turkey is always the go to main meal in our family.  Yours too?  While I’ve hosted Thanksgiving at my house, I’m not usually the one in charge of making the turkey.  In all my 20+ years of being married, I’ve never made one on my own.  Crazy, right? It has always intimidated me a little bit.  I did some research and found all of the cooking times, thawing times and how many people per pound of turkey.  It’s all on one nice printable for you to use.  This one goes along perfectly with my HOW MANY CUPS IN A QUART? printables. Use them for all of your holiday cooking!

How long to thaw a turkey

One of the most surprising things to me is that you have to thaw a turkey for a long time.  I guess that seems obvious… but for a big turkey you have to thaw it for almost a week! If you’re hosting a large group for the holidays, make sure to account for that. The lighter it is, the less time you need to thaw. Here is a rough guideline for you to use:

• 4-12 lbs: 1-3 days
• 12-16 lbs: 3-4 days
• 16-20 lbs: 4-5 days
• 20-24 lbs: 5-6 days

How long do you cook a turkey

Much like letting a turkey thaw, how long you need to cook a turkey depends on the size of it.  Here are some more guidelines to go by:

• 9-11 lbs: 2 1/2 hours
• 12-14 lbs: 3 hours
• 15-17 lbs:  3 1/2 hours
• 18-20 lbs: 4 hours
• 21-23 lbs: 4 1/2 hours
• 24+ lbs: 5 hours

How to cook a turkey

There are about a million ways to cook a turkey.  Over the years we’ve tried turkey in the oven, deep fried turkey, roasted turkey and more.  We’re always open to trying new recipes and these recipes from my friends look so good! Try these out too:

• How to cook the perfect turkey by My Name is Snickerdoodle
• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast from Your Homebased Mom
• Instant Pot Turkey and Gravy from Tatertots and Jello

—->> Download this printable Turkey Guide.  For personal use only. 

Other turkey recipes

If you love this how to long to cook a turkey printable, you’re going to love these other turkey recipes. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

• Italian Turkey Soup
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• Leftover Turkey Recipes