How Long To Bake a Turkey at 350 | Times By Weight

A turkey baked at 350°F usually needs about 13 to 15 minutes per pound, until the thickest parts reach 165°F.

Turkey gets easier once you stop guessing and start with weight, oven temperature, and one simple temperature target. At 350°F, most whole birds cook at a steady pace, which is why this oven setting is so common for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals.

The catch is that “done” is not the same as “looks done.” Skin color, pop-up timers, and pan juices can fool you. The bird is ready when the breast, thigh, and stuffing each hit the right temperature, not when the clock says so.

This article gives you the timing, what changes that timing, and how to keep the meat juicy while still cooking it all the way through.

How Long To Bake a Turkey at 350 In a Standard Oven

A whole unstuffed turkey at 350°F usually takes about 13 to 15 minutes per pound. A stuffed turkey often needs closer to 15 to 17 minutes per pound because the filling slows the heat moving through the center.

That gives you a planning range, not a finish line. Your pan depth, turkey shape, oven accuracy, and whether the bird went into the oven fully chilled all affect the total bake time.

General Timing Rule

• Unstuffed turkey: about 13 to 15 minutes per pound at 350°F
• Stuffed turkey: about 15 to 17 minutes per pound at 350°F
• Safe finish temperature: 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, thigh, and stuffing
• Rest time: 20 to 30 minutes before carving

That rest time matters. The juices settle, carryover heat finishes the center, and carving gets cleaner. Slice too soon and the board fills up with moisture that should have stayed in the meat.

Turkey Baking Time At 350 By Weight And Size

Weight is the best starting point for timing. A compact 12-pound turkey and a broad 12-pound turkey can still cook a little differently, though this chart gets you close enough to plan the day.

Estimated Oven Times At 350°F

Turkey Weight	Unstuffed Time	Stuffed Time
8 to 10 pounds	2 to 2¾ hours	2¾ to 3 hours
10 to 12 pounds	2¾ to 3 hours	3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3¾ hours	3½ to 4 hours
14 to 16 pounds	3¾ to 4¼ hours	4 to 4¾ hours
16 to 18 pounds	4 to 4½ hours	4¾ to 5 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4¼ to 4¾ hours	5 to 5¼ hours
20 to 24 pounds	4¾ to 5¼ hours	5¼ to 5¾ hours

Use the chart to set your meal schedule, then let the thermometer make the final call. The USDA turkey basics page gives the same overall approach: start with weight-based timing, then confirm doneness by temperature.

What Changes Turkey Cook Time At 350

Not every turkey cooks on the same clock. A bird that went from fridge to roasting pan may need longer than one that sat out briefly while you prepped it. A stuffed cavity slows cooking too. So does foil over the breast for a long stretch.

Here’s what tends to shift the timing most:

• Stuffing: adds time because the center stays cooler longer
• Starting temperature: a colder bird cooks slower
• Roasting pan: tall pan sides can trap steam and slow browning
• Foil cover: shields the breast and softens browning
• Oven accuracy: many home ovens run hot or cool by 15 to 25 degrees
• Convection setting: often cooks faster than a standard bake setting

If your turkey starts browning too early, tent the top loosely with foil. If it looks pale late in the cook, remove the foil and let the dry oven heat color the skin.

How To Know When The Turkey Is Done

The only reliable finish test is temperature. The USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart says poultry must reach 165°F.

Check the turkey in more than one place:

• Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast
• Check the innermost part of the thigh without touching bone
• Check the wing joint area if the bird is large
• If stuffed, check the center of the stuffing too

If one area is still below 165°F, keep roasting and test again after 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t rely on the pop-up timer alone. It can help, but it should not replace a good digital thermometer.

Best Roasting Steps For A Juicy Turkey

Good turkey is less about fancy tricks and more about steady heat, dry skin, and stopping at the right moment. A few small moves make a clear difference.

Simple Method That Works

1. Pat the turkey dry, inside and out.
2. Season the cavity and skin well with salt, pepper, and butter or oil.
3. Tuck the wing tips under the bird.
4. Set the turkey on a rack so hot air can move around it.
5. Roast at 350°F until the thickest parts reach 165°F.
6. Rest the turkey 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Basting is optional. It can add surface color and flavor, though opening the oven often can stretch the cook time. If you baste, do it quickly and not every 20 minutes like older recipes sometimes say.

Step	What To Do	Why It Helps
Dry the skin	Blot with paper towels before seasoning	Skin browns better in the oven
Use a rack	Lift the bird above the pan bottom	Heat moves more evenly
Tent with foil if needed	Cover loosely when the top browns too fast	Breast meat stays from overcooking
Rest before carving	Wait 20 to 30 minutes	Juices stay in the meat

Stuffed Vs Unstuffed Turkey At 350

A stuffed turkey can taste great, though it adds a little stress. The stuffing must reach 165°F too, which means the turkey may stay in the oven longer. That can push the breast meat closer to dry if you are not checking temperatures carefully.

If you want the easier path, bake the stuffing in a separate dish. You get more control, faster turkey cooking, and more crisp edges on the dressing. The FoodSafety.gov safe cooking temperature chart also says stuffing should hit 165°F.

Which Option Is Easier?

• Unstuffed turkey: cooks faster and more evenly
• Stuffed turkey: takes longer and needs closer temperature checks
• Stuffing on the side: gives the safest, simplest timing

Common Timing Mistakes That Dry Out Turkey

The biggest mistake is roasting by hours alone. A bird can look photo-ready and still be undercooked near the bone. Or it can stay in too long because the cook wants “just a little more color.” That extra half hour can wreck the breast meat.

Watch out for these slip-ups:

• Putting a partly frozen turkey in the oven
• Skipping the thermometer
• Roasting straight from a tiny pan with no airflow
• Carving right away
• Keeping the turkey covered the whole time and then blasting heat late

If you’re planning ahead, thawing matters almost as much as roasting. A turkey that is still icy in the center will throw off every time estimate you started with.

Serving Timeline For A Smooth Meal

Want the turkey on the table at 6:00 p.m.? Work backward. A 16-pound unstuffed turkey may need about 4 to 4½ hours in the oven, plus 20 to 30 minutes to rest. Add a little buffer so you’re not carving in a panic.

A simple schedule for that bird might look like this:

• 1:00 p.m.: turkey goes into the oven
• 4:15 p.m.: start checking temperature
• 5:00 p.m.: turkey likely done or close
• 5:00 to 5:30 p.m.: rest the bird
• 5:30 to 5:45 p.m.: carve
• 6:00 p.m.: serve

That cushion helps because some birds race to the finish while others drag. A rested turkey holds heat well, so being early is easier to handle than being late.

Final Take On Turkey At 350

If you want a solid rule, bake an unstuffed turkey at 350°F for about 13 to 15 minutes per pound and a stuffed turkey for about 15 to 17 minutes per pound. Then confirm 165°F in the breast, thigh, and stuffing before you pull it from the oven.

That’s the whole game: weight for planning, temperature for doneness, and rest time for juicy slices. Get those three right, and your turkey is in good shape.