20 minutes. For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.
For a 5:00 PM dinner on Thursday, November 26, 2026, the rest starts at 4:40 PM, and carving starts at dinner time. The rest is the same 20 minutes for every weight: the calculator stamps it as its own step, after the oven and before the table. Use the wait for gravy and sides, not for slicing early.
| Weight | Turkey goes in the oven | Rest starts |
|---|---|---|
| 12 lb | 1:47 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 16 lb | 12:40 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 20 lb | 12:17 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 24 lb | 11:55 AM | 4:40 PM |
Oven-in times come from the calculator engine, which adds the 20 minute rest to the roast before stamping the oven time. Full roast bands are on how long to cook a turkey.
Resting does not finish cooking the bird, and it does not replace the thermometer. No. A meat thermometer: 165 F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh, and the innermost wing. Color is not a reliable signal. Check before the rest starts, then let it stand. If the stuffing came out with the bird, take it out during the rest, and use the leftovers clock on how long turkey leftovers last from dinner onward.
USDA's third safe way is the microwave: follow your oven manual for size and timing, and cook the turkey right after it thaws. Never thaw a turkey on the counter. The outside warms up hours before the inside thaws. Bacteria grow in that warm layer.
Tell the calculator your weight and dinner time. It stamps the thaw, the oven time, and the rest. Or ask in your own words: "16 lb turkey, dinner Thursday at 5."
For quality, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily.
For a 5:00 PM dinner on Thursday, November 26, 2026, the rest starts at 4:40 PM, and carving starts at dinner time.
No. A meat thermometer: 165 F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh, and the innermost wing. Color is not a reliable signal.