A frozen turkey needs much longer to thaw than most people expect. The USDA guideline is about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds.
Turkey thawing time chart
| Turkey weight | Thawing time in the fridge (24 hours per 4–5 lb) |
|---|---|
| 8 lb | 2–2 days |
| 10 lb | 2–3 days |
| 12 lb | 3–3 days |
| 14 lb | 3–4 days |
| 16 lb | 4–4 days |
| 18 lb | 4–5 days |
| 20 lb | 4–5 days |
| 22 lb | 5–6 days |
| 24 lb | 5–6 days |
Thaw it in its wrapping, on a tray, on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
USDA roasting times (unstuffed, 325°F)
| Turkey weight (unstuffed) | Roasting time at 325°F |
|---|---|
| 8–12 lb | 2h 45m to 3h |
| 12–14 lb | 3h to 3h 45m |
| 14–18 lb | 3h 45m to 4h 15m |
| 18–20 lb | 4h 15m to 4h 30m |
| 20–24 lb | 4h 30m to 5h |
The USDA recommends cooking stuffing separately. Check that the thickest part of the thigh, the wing and the thickest part of the breast reach 165°F on a food thermometer. Then rest the bird for 20–30 minutes before carving.
Example
A 14 lb frozen turkey for a 4:00 PM Thanksgiving dinner: move it to the fridge 4 days ahead (Sunday, November 22, 2026). It roasts for 3¾–4¼ hours, so with a 30-minute rest it goes in the oven at 11:15 AM.
Plan it in minutes
The Thanksgiving Dinner Planner does this maths for you: type the weight and dinner time to get the thaw date, oven time and a full day-of timeline, plus the menu, shopping list and guest list.
See the Thanksgiving Dinner Planner →