325 F. That is the floor, not a suggestion. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F and be sure the turkey is completely thawed.
Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. The rack lifts the bird out of its own juices. The bottom then cooks at the same speed as the top. A deep pan traps steam around the lower half. That slows the bottom down.
The USDA roasting chart the calculator uses is set at 325 F, for a thawed, unstuffed turkey. The full job, with oven-in times for Thanksgiving 2026, is on how long to cook a turkey.
| Weight | Time at 325 F |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 lb | 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours |
| 13 to 14 lb | 3 hours to 3 hours 45 minutes |
| 15 to 18 lb | 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes |
| 19 to 20 lb | 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes |
| 21 to 24 lb | 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours |
The dial starts the roast. The thermometer ends it. 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. A pop-up timer does not replace that check: can you trust the pop-up timer on a turkey.
There is no low overnight roast in the plan. The USDA rule sets a floor under the oven. It does not just name a standard setting. If timing is the problem, the same 325 F covers the other path. A turkey can go in from frozen. It takes at least 50 percent longer. See can you cook a turkey from frozen.
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."
Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F and be sure the turkey is completely thawed.
No. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 F and be sure the turkey is completely thawed. A roast set below 325 F breaks that rule, however long it runs.
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.