USDA Roasting Guidelines

Roast the turkey at 325°F, unstuffed, for 13 minutes per pound — 15 minutes per pound when stuffed. A 14 lb unstuffed bird therefore needs about 3 hours in the oven. Whatever the math says, the real deadline is temperature: the thickest part of the thigh must reach 165°F (74°C), and stuffed birds require the stuffing to hit 165°F too.

Plan the Thaw First

Most turkey mishaps are thawing problems, not roasting problems. Refrigerator thawing takes 24 hours per 4 pounds — start a 14 lb bird 4 days out. Cold water thawing is faster (30 minutes per pound, water changed every 30 minutes) but requires attention. Never thaw on the counter: the surface reaches unsafe temperatures while the center is still frozen.

Rest Before Carving

Resting 20–30 minutes lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of pooling on the board. The internal temperature will also climb 5–10°F during rest (carryover cooking), so you can pull the bird when the thigh reads 160–162°F and let it finish on its own.