How to cook a turkey: roasting, grilling, smoking and frying, with times and temperatures

There are four common ways to cook a Thanksgiving turkey, and the one rule that does not change between them is the temperature at the end. USDA's guidance gives the same target for roasting, grilling, smoking and frying: 165°F as measured with a food thermometer. This page lays out what changes with each method: the heat, the time, and the cautions.

The one rule: 165°F in three places

Check the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast, and keep the thermometer away from bone because bone reads hotter and gives a false answer. A turkey with a pop-up timer should still get a thermometer check. USDA says some people choose a higher temperature for taste, but 165°F is the safety minimum.

Method 1: roasting in the oven (the default)

USDA says to set the oven no lower than 325°F, put the bird on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and cook until the thermometer reads 165°F. The approximate times at 325°F:

Turkey weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
4 to 8 lb (breast)	1½ to 3¼ hours	not usually applicable (4 to 6 lb); 2½ to 3½ hours (6 to 8 lb)
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 optional hints include tucking the wing tips under the shoulders, adding about ½ cup of water to the pan, and tenting loosely with foil if the skin browns too fast. Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. For a sequence that fits the sides around the bird, see our one-oven schedule.

Method 2: cooking from frozen

It is safe to roast a turkey that is still frozen. USDA says the cook will take at least 50 percent longer than the table above. A 14 to 18 lb bird that normally takes 3¾ to 4¼ hours should be planned at about 5¾ to 6½ hours. It is a rescue plan, not a preference: for the thaw schedule, use our thaw chart.

Method 3: grilling

On a covered gas or charcoal grill, the turkey cooks by indirect heat with a pan of water or a drip pan beneath it. USDA's grill range is an air temperature of 225 to 300°F, measured with an appliance thermometer on the rack, and it lists roughly 15 to 18 minutes per pound. Do not stuff a grilled turkey. In a charcoal grill, USDA says to replenish with about 15 briquettes every hour to hold the temperature. Cold weather lengthens the time.

Method 4: smoking

USDA says smoking can take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the bird, the temperature of the coals and the weather. The same rules apply as for grilling: hold the smoker at a steady low temperature that you check with a thermometer, do not stuff the bird, and finish at 165°F. A thawed turkey is the starting point for smoking, because a frozen bird takes too long to get through the unsafe temperature range at low heat.

Method 5: deep-fat frying (read the warning first)

USDA's instructions allow a completely thawed, unstuffed turkey of 12 pounds or less, fried outdoors in oil heated to 350°F for approximately 3 to 5 minutes per pound. The oil must cover the bird by 1 to 2 inches, and USDA suggests measuring the oil needed with a water test first. It also says never to leave hot oil unattended.

NFPA takes a stricter view. It says turkey fryers that use cooking oil are not safe and strongly discourages their use because of burns, and recommends buying a fried turkey or using a fryer that does not use oil. If you are choosing a method for the first time, roasting or a roaster oven is the lower-risk path. Our kitchen fire-safety checklist has NFPA's other advice for the day.

Which method to pick

• First-time host, one oven: roast, or use a roaster oven to free the oven for sides.
• Oven full of sides: grill or smoke, if you have the equipment and weather, and plan 15 to 18 minutes per pound or an all-day smoke.
• Smaller group: a turkey breast roasts faster; see our turkey-breast guide.
• Fried turkey: buy it ready-made, or follow USDA's limits and NFPA's warning very carefully.

Related

For timing everything around the bird, see the one-oven schedule. After dinner, the leftover rules cover the 2-hour and 4-day limits.