You're cooking a 30-pound turkey? Lucky you—you're blessed with an abundance of family and friends, and they'll soon be gathered around your table. The trouble is, while many great turkey recipes tell you how to roast a 10- to 12-pound turkey, or even 16 to 18 pounds, few tell you how long to cook a 30-pounder. We're here to help. We'll give you the most accurate cooking time, along with the information you need, including the right internal temperature for doneness and the best-tasting meat.
Turkey Math: As a general rule, plan on 1 pound of turkey per person. If you like leftovers, make it 1½ to 2 pounds per person. Therefore, a 30-pound turkey can serve up to 30 people (but realistically, more like 15 to 20 if you want leftovers, and you probably do!).
Plan ahead. Before you can roast your 30-pound turkey, you must defrost it. It will take at least 7 days to thaw such a large turkey completely (turkeys injected with a solution of water, salt, and/or spices take even longer—another day or so). While there is a cold-water method for thawing turkey, it's somewhat hands-on. We prefer to let our fridge do the work.
Our Classic Roast Turkey recipe explains how to prep your turkey for roasting. You'll also need to insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle, making sure the probe does not touch the bone.
When you're ready to roast your turkey, here is what our Test Kitchen and the folks at Butterball suggest for 24- to 30-pound turkeys:
24- to 30-pound turkey cooking time (unstuffed): Cook for 4½ to 5 hours at 325°F.
24- to 30-pound turkey cooking time (stuffed): Cook for 5½ to 6¼ hours at 325°F.
Test Kitchen Tip: Toward the end of the cooking time, your recipe might instruct you to cut the string you've used to tie the drumsticks together and remove the foil covering the breast. Be sure to follow these steps.
When Is a 30-Pound Turkey Done?
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture specifies that turkey meat is safe to eat at 165°F, in our Test Kitchen, we found turkeys look and taste better when the temperature reaches 175°F in the dark meat and 165°F in the breast. (At this point, the juices should run clear, and the drumsticks should move easily in their sockets.) Also, if your turkey is stuffed, the center of stuffing must register 165°F.
Before carving with your carving set, let the turkey stand as directed in your recipe (usually 15 to 20 minutes). This allows the meat to get firmer, so it's easier to cut. The resting time also allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey.
The only downside to roasting a 30-pound turkey is that you won't have much room in your oven for anything else. The solution? Try some slow-cooker Thanksgiving sides and Instant Pot Thanksgiving side dishes. Or, have guests bring their own favorite Thanksgiving sides and desserts.
turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2–3 hr. For a 24–27-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3–3 3/4 hr. For a 28–30-lb turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3 1/2–4 1/2 hr.
turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2–3 hr. For a 24–27-lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3–3 3/4 hr. For a 28–30-lb turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 3 1/2–4 1/2 hr.
We recommend roasting turkey at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed turkey. We've done the math for you — check out the chart below to determine both turkey cook times and estimated servings (with leftovers!).
The simplest way to roast a whole turkey: The most straightforward approach is to roast an unstuffed turkey, breast-side up, for 13 minutes per pound of turkey at 350°.
To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.
We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.
Pull it out as soon as the temperature hits 165, or even a little lower. The amount of resting time depends on the size of the bird, but at least 20 minutes is needed. A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.
These times are based on a room temperature turkey at 325 degrees F the entire time; plan on about 15 to 17 minutes per pound (the times below are based on 15 minutes per pound).
Hens commonly reach a live weight of 15 lb. at 14 weeks of age, and toms (males) weigh about 28 to 30 lb. at 17 to 18 weeks. Smaller weights can be achieved by raising the turkeys for a shorter period of time.
Place turkey in pre-heated oven and heat until hot (140° F). Cover pan completely with foil for the entire cooking time. Cover breast loosely with foil after 1 to 1 1/4 hours to prevent over-browning and drying. Begin checking the turkey for doneness about 30 minutes before the recommended cook time.
Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.
Calculate turkey cooking time and temperature. The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that's about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb. turkey), or 15 minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.
That depends on if you mean domestic turkeys or wild turkeys. A huge wild turkey is upwards of 30 pounds. Domestic turkeys get bigger and fatter and can reach upwards of 60–80 pounds.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place roasting rack or foil ring on pan, and place turkey on top. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, salt, thyme, and parsley.
Then, lift the whole turkey (still on the rack) and transfer it to a clean cutting board. Tent the turkey loosely with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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