How to stuff a turkey safely: how much, when to stuff it, the stuffed roasting times and what USDA says never to do

Stuffing the bird is the one Thanksgiving tradition USDA openly discourages. Its reason is simple: stuffing in the middle of a turkey heats last, and a cavity full of moist bread and turkey juices is a good place for bacteria if it doesn't get hot enough. USDA FSIS still publishes rules for doing it safely, because plenty of families won't give it up. Here they are in one place.

The rules, in order

1. Prep the parts ahead, not the mix. USDA says the dry ingredients (bread cubes, herbs) and the wet ones (butter, cooked onions and celery, broth, eggs) can be prepared ahead, as long as the wet ones are chilled and the two stay apart. Don't stuff the bird the night before.
2. Precook anything raw. Sausage, giblets, oysters or other shellfish go into the stuffing cooked. USDA FSIS specifically says to cook oysters first.
3. Mix just before stuffing. Combine wet and dry only when the turkey is ready to go in. USDA says it's fine to put warm, just-mixed stuffing in the cavity; don't cool it first. Don't stuff the bird with stuffing you cooked earlier or with leftovers.
4. Keep it moist and loose. USDA wants the stuffing moist, not dry, because heat kills bacteria faster in a moist mix. Spoon it in loosely, about 3/4 cup per pound. Packed stuffing heats slowly.
5. Into the oven right away, at 325°F or higher. No waiting on the counter.
6. Check the stuffing, not just the turkey. The center of the stuffing has to reach 165°F, the same as the innermost thigh, innermost wing and thickest part of the breast. The thermometer guide covers placement.
7. Rest 20 minutes, then empty the cavity. USDA and CDC both say to let the bird stand 20 minutes before taking the stuffing out; it keeps cooking. Then remove all of it.
8. Refrigerate within 2 hours, the stuffing in its own container, separate from the meat.

USDA's blog adds one practical point: smaller and medium birds are easier to stuff safely, because a big cavity means going much deeper to get a true reading in the center.

How much stuffing for your turkey (USDA)

USDA's general guide is 1/2 to 1 cup per pound of raw bird; its rule of thumb for a loosely packed turkey is about 3/4 cup per pound.

Turkey weight	Stuffing
8 to 12 lb	6 to 9 cups
12 to 16 lb	9 to 12 cups
16 to 20 lb	12 to 15 cups
20 to 24 lb	15 to 18 cups
Baked in a dish	At least 1/2 cup per person

Most families want more stuffing than the cavity holds. Bake the extra in a dish; the gravy, stuffing and sides guide shows where it fits in the last 90 minutes.

Stuffed roasting times (USDA, 325°F)

These are USDA's estimates from Let's Talk Turkey for a stuffed whole turkey in an open pan. The unstuffed column is there for comparison.

Turkey weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
8 to 12 lb	2¾ to 3 hours	3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 lb	3 to 3¾ hours	3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 lb	3¾ to 4¼ hours	4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 lb	4¼ to 4½ hours	4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 lb	4½ to 5 hours	4¾ to 5¼ hours

USDA's stuffing page also lists a stuffed bird wrapped in heavy-duty foil at 450°F (2¾ to 3¼ hours for 12 to 16 lb) and a stuffed bird in an oven cooking bag at 350°F (2½ to 3 hours for 12 to 16 lb). The oven bag guide has the bag method. If the meat reaches 165°F first, the stuffing still needs more time: leave the bird in, or move the stuffing to a dish to finish.

Make-ahead stuffing: what's safe and what isn't

Plan	Safe?	USDA's rule
Dry and wet ingredients prepped separately, chilled	Yes	Mix just before stuffing or baking
Raw stuffing mixed and refrigerated overnight	No	Never refrigerate uncooked stuffing
Raw stuffing mixed and frozen right away	Yes	Freeze in a shallow container; bake from frozen (don't thaw) to 165°F
Stuffing cooked ahead, chilled within 2 hours	Yes	Use within 3 to 4 days; reheat to 165°F in a dish
Cooked or leftover stuffing put inside a raw bird	No	Don't stuff poultry with cooked stuffing
Bird stuffed the night before	No	Stuff right before it goes in the oven

For the rest of the make-ahead menu, see what keeps and what doesn't.

Store-bought stuffing and pre-stuffed turkeys

• Premixed stuffing from the store: USDA FSIS says don't buy it if it's uncooked. Cooked and refrigerated is fine; reheat it to 165°F.
• Frozen, pre-stuffed turkey with a USDA or state inspection mark: safe to buy. Do not thaw it. Cook it from frozen following the package. If one thaws completely in the fridge, FSIS says to throw out both the turkey and the stuffing.
• Cooked turkey dinner, picked up hot: eat it within 2 hours or keep it at 140°F or above. If it'll be longer, take the stuffing out, cut up the turkey and refrigerate everything in shallow containers.
• Cooked dinner picked up cold: don't accept a whole turkey with the stuffing inside. FSIS also says not to refrigerate a whole cooked turkey with stuffing inside, because the center can't cool fast enough. The precooked dinner guide covers reheating.

When not to stuff at all

USDA's alternate-methods page says do not stuff a turkey that's going on a grill or into a smoker (the low heat takes too long to get the stuffing to 165°F, and smoked stuffing tastes off), into a deep fryer (the bird fries too fast for heat to reach the center), or into the microwave. USDA's cook-from-frozen method is also written for an unstuffed bird. Bake the stuffing separately for all of these; the cooking methods guide has each method's times.

Stuffing in a slow cooker is fine by USDA's rules if the stuffing is very moist, the cooker is no more than two-thirds full with a tight lid, and it runs on high for at least the first hour before dropping to low, until the center reads 165°F. The slow-cooker sides guide has the rest of the rules.

Leftover stuffing

Take every bit out of the bird, refrigerate it in a sealed container within 2 hours, and use it or freeze it within 3 to 4 days. USDA says to reheat it in the microwave or an oven set no lower than 325°F until the center hits 165°F, not in a slow cooker. The leftovers guide has the rest of the meal.

Related

Questions on the day? The turkey hotlines page lists USDA's and Butterball's numbers and Thanksgiving hours.