In the American South, deep-frying your turkey at 350°F oil is a crispy, chaotic art form—just make sure it’s fully thawed, or you’ll have a fireball that’ll make the neighbors talk. Meanwhile, in the UK, turkey is often cooked at a higher 190°C (about 375°F) for a shorter time, served with pigs in blankets. It’s a testament to how one bird can mean a thousand traditions.
Turkey Temperature Chart | Free Tools by Xenia
Fun fact: The largest turkey ever cooked weighed in at 86 pounds, which would need about eight hours at 325°F. Hope you brought snacks. For the rest of us, a 12-to-14-pound bird takes roughly three hours—give or take 15 minutes per pound. Just remember: never trust a timer over a thermometer.
What about stuffing?
After 90 minutes on a baking sheet at 350°F, those crunchy bits on top are pure gold.
If you insist on stuffing the bird (a bold move), the stuffing itself must also hit 165°F. That often means the turkey cooks longer, which dries out the breast—a classic holiday heartbreak. Do yourself a favor: cook stuffing separately. It’s less stressful, and you get more crispy edges, which is objectively the best part.