How Long to Cook a 15-17 Pound Turkey

Everything you need to know about how long it takes to cook a turkey that is between 15 and 17 pounds. Roast it in the oven stuffed or unstuffed at just the right temperature and time. You don't need to be a pro to prep, cook, & carve up a gorgeous juicy holiday bird. Ensure it is moist, tender, & ready on time with this easy turkey recipe.

All the best tips and tricks for how best to cook a 15-pound or bigger turkey in the oven. Keep it succulent and flavorful at 325° or 350°. Everything you need to know and no guesswork. You just have to follow this simple recipe & use a quality meat thermometer. The best holiday or Thanksgiving turkey is just only a few hours away.

This recipe for a butter-basted and seasoned turkey with lots of flavors couldn't be easier. With a little prep, the oven does all the cooking.

You may want to smoke, deep-fry, or BBQ your turkey and that is great. However, all the temperatures and times shared here today are for cooking in the oven. If you are roasting a turkey and it weighs between 15 and 17 pounds (stuffing not included in the original weight), feel confident this recipe is all you need.

Jump to:

• Defrost Turkey
• How to Brine a Turkey
• How to Prep a Turkey for Roasting
• Cooking Time & Temperature for Turkey
• Best Instant-Read Thermometer
• Unstuffed Turkey
• Turkeys with Stuffing
• Turkey in a Roasting Bag
• 15 - 17-Pound Turkey Feeds How Many People?
• Storing Leftover Turkey
• Recipes for Leftover Turkey Slices
• TURKEY FAQS
• Other Turkey Cooking Tips
• How Long to Cook a 15-17 Pound Turkey

Defrost Turkey

Be sure your pound turkey is defrosted by the morning of the day you want to cook it. For instance, if you plan to roast it on Thanksgiving, I suggest getting it into the refrigerator the Friday before. This is because I love to start my simple dry brine on Sunday before and the turkey should not be solid frozen.

When thawing a 15, 16, or 17-pound turkey in the refrigerator, it takes 3 days to have it fully defrosted. If you want to brine it, add 3 more days to your calendar. This will help sure your turkey is ready.

How to Brine a Turkey

I always suggest you start defrosting early so you can do a dry brine. Brining the turkey will help keep it moist, and juicy, & develop a crispy skin when it cooks. For a turkey everyone will be wanting seconds, make sure you try my easy process for the best dry brine recipe. 

If you are making your turkey for Thanksgiving day, which in America always falls on a Thursday, you will need to start the dry brine on Sunday. Make sure your turkey has already started to thaw. It does not need to be completely defrosted but ½-way through is ok. The skin and outer meat will be ready to absorb the salt and that is perfect.

How to Prep a Turkey for Roasting

Once your turkey is defrosted, now it is time to prep it for the oven. Get out your large roasting pan and rack. If you are wondering how big a roasting pan you need for a turkey that is 15 pounds or larger, it is a pretty big one. Ideally use a 14-inch pan and a rack that fits in it.

The last step before roasting a turkey is to add seasoning. Use whatever recipe you like, but below I have outlined how I dress mine up. Simply remove the giblets in the cavity of the bird, and add some aromatics like citrus, garlic, & herbs. Then rub on some softened butter and a seasoning blend. I share my favorite in the recipe card below.

Cooking Time & Temperature for Turkey

You may cook a turkey at either 325° or 350° in the oven. Whether your turkey is unstuffed or full of stuffing, here are how many hours it will take to roast in the oven so it is ready on time for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or other holiday meal. Below is the information on how long to cook a turkey depending on the temperature and timing you want to use.

I recommend cooking your turkey both covered and uncovered. I like to loosely tent foil over the turkey for the first half of the cooking process. Once it is halfway done, I remove the foil and let the skin begin browning so it is crispy and amazing.

Best Instant-Read Thermometer

Always use a meat thermometer to check internal temperatures when cooking a roasted turkey. I always use an instant-read thermometer. I prefer this over leaving one in the turkey the entire time it cooks.

An instant-read thermometer is the best way to check that your turkey is ready. With an instant-read thermometer, you can check several places on your turkey in a few seconds. It is best to check your turkey at the breast, thigh, & stuffing if your bird is stuffed. These recommendations for checking doneness are even shared by Butterball.

ALL TIMES SHARED HERE ARE ESTIMATES - EVERY TURKEY, OVEN TEMPERATURE, ROASTING PAN, ELEVATION, AND MORE CAN ALTER THE COOKING TIMES.

Unstuffed Turkey

Once your turkey is in the pan and ready to go into the oven, make sure you set a timer to be sure you check it on time. Below is an easy guide for how long a midsized turkey will take to cook. This works for any turkey that is 15, 16, or 17 pounds.

If you are cooking the turkey at 325°, it will take anywhere between 4-5 hours to cook. At 350°, it will take between 3 ½ - 4 ½ hours. Place your turkey covered in foil in the oven and set a timer at the midpoint.

Once the halfway point is done, remove the foil so the turkey can cook uncovered for the final cooking time. I suggest using an instant-read thermometer and starting checking the thickest part of the thigh around the 2-hour mark. You want the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 175°.

Remember that at 325° it will take longer for the turkey to cook than if you cooked it at 350°. This is for a turkey without stuffing.

15-Pound or 16-Pound Unstuffed Turkey

Here is a quick reference guide for how long it will take to cook a 15-pound or 16-pound turkey without stuffing. Both of these weights tend to cook roughly in the same amount of time. Follow these times & temperatures for oven-roasting the turkey.

• 350° a 15-lb turkey takes 3 ½ - 3 ¾ hours to cook in the oven
• 325° a 15-lb turkey takes 4 - 4 ¼ hours to cook in the oven

17-Pound Unstuffed Turkey

Here is a quick reference guide for how long it will take to cook a 17-pound turkey without stuffing. Follow these times & temperatures for oven-roasting the turkey.

• 350° a 17-lb turkey takes 3 ¾ - 4 hours to cook in the oven
• 325° a 17-lb turkey takes 4 ¼ - 4 ½ hours to cook in the oven

Turkeys with Stuffing

If your 15-17 pound turkey is stuffed, in the pan, and ready for the preheated oven, time to set your timer. A stuffed turkey takes longer to cook than one that is unstuffed. If you are cooking the turkey at 325°, it will take longer than one cooked at 350°.

Place the stuffed turkey covered in foil in the oven and set a timer for 2 hours. Remove the foil and reset the timer for the remaining time based on the guide below.

Use an instant-read thermometer and start checking the thickest part of the thigh around the 3-hour mark.

15-17 Pounds Unstuffed Turkey

Here is a quick reference guide for how long it will take to cook a 15-17 pound turkey with stuffing. Follow these times & temperatures for oven-roasting your dressed holiday bird.

• 350° a 15-17lb stuffed turkey takes 3 ¾ - 4 ½ hours to cook in an oven
• 325° a 15-17lb stuffed turkey takes 4 ½ - 5 hours to cook in an oven

Turkey in a Roasting Bag

If you like to cook your turkey in a bag, such as Reynold's bag, here is how long it will take for a 15, 16, or 17-lb turkey. Cooking a turkey in an oven bag does speed up the cooking time. Since a turkey cooked in one of them cooks faster, I do not recommend stuffing a turkey when you cook in a bag.

I suggest using the guides above for an unstuffed turkey. Keep in mind there is a good chance your turkey will be done at least 30 minutes earlier. The roasting bag will cook your bird quicker so check the internal temperature early.

15 - 17-Pound Turkey Feeds How Many People?

When estimating how many pounds of turkey per person, it is best to take into account those you are inviting. A combination of children, teens, and adults will feed more than a party with all adults that are big eaters.

On average, it is best to estimate 1 - 1 ½ pounds per person. For a family of adults and children that are average eaters, a 15-pound turkey will feed 12 people. If it is all adults or big eaters, estimate it to feed 10 people.

With several hearty sides and part of a large Thanksgiving meal, a 15-pound turkey will feed roughly 12-14. After all, everyone wants to save room for dessert, right!?!

A 16-17 pound turkey will feed a bit more than a 15-pound one will. It will typically feed 14 people when it is a combo of adults and children. Again, use the 1 - 1 ½ pounds per person calculation.

Storing Leftover Turkey

Leftover turkey stores easily in the refrigerator. Place sliced turkey or pieces in an air-tight container. It will store well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. No need to remove the bones before storing but you can if you want to. Save those bones to make healthy bone broth using poultry bones in a pressure cooker!

Turkey also freezes well and it is so easy. Place the leftover Thanksgiving turkey in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag. Store it with or without the bones. I prefer removing the meat from the bones before freezing. It saves freezer space but it also helps it defrost faster and more evenly later.

To defrost the frozen turkey, place it in the refrigerator. Let it thaw for 1-3 days, depending on the amount. Enjoy cold in a sandwich or salad. I love it in a bowl of comforting Pot Pie Soup.

Or reheat leftover turkey in a toaster oven or oven at 350° for 5-20 minutes depending on how much you are warming up (and if it thin slices or the whole turkey leg - haha!)

Recipes for Leftover Turkey Slices

Besides hot and cold sandwiches, here are some great recipes for using up leftover turkey slices & pieces. Trade out the protein or add the turkey to the existing recipes below and continue getting your turkey fix for days after Thanksgiving or Christmas. (The kale salad or the curry are my favorite ways to use turkey!)

• Pot Pie Soup
• Butternut Squash, Apple, and Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
• Zucchini, Chickpea, and Potato Curry
• Toaster Oven Grilled Cheese Sandwich

TURKEY FAQS

Is it best to cook a turkey at 325° or 350°?

You can cook a turkey at either temperature, 325° or 350°. I personally cook at 325° for a low and slow oven-roasted turkey that's juicy every year. I don't recommend cooking it at a higher temperature to speed things up. All you get is a dry turkey.

How do I keep my turkey moist when cooking?

Here are my top tips for helping keep your turkey moist and juicy. Begin with a dry brine before cooking. Also, coat the skin with softened butter. Cover the turkey in foil for the first ½ of cooking to keep the moisture from escaping.

Finally, let the turkey rest for at least a half hour before carving it. Even the breast will be moist. All of these ideas are the best way to keep a turkey from drying out.

Can you put water in the pan to cook a turkey?

If you do all the above things I described, your turkey will be moist. Adding water to the pan when cooking, is not something I recommend. You don't want to "steam" your bird. It should roast slowly and get crispy skin. The water at the bottom will add steam to the oven. Plus it will be like a hot wet sauna that the turkey shouldn't be in.

Most importantly, adding water will keep your turkey from cooking evenly. Just a few inches of water at the bottom will cause the lower part of the bird to boil in that hot liquid. It will cook faster than the rest of the turkey.

Also, as the turkey juices and melted butter collect at the bottom of the pan, why would you want them watered down? They taste so much better when concentrated with full flavor.

What internal temperature should a cooked turkey be?

There are 3 places you may check your turkey for doneness and each has a different reading. Using an instant-read thermometer, you want the turkey breast to read 165° and the thickest part of a thigh to read 175°. If you have stuffing, check that as well for a temperature of 165° also.

IMPORTANT - turkey will continue to "cook" while it rests. It will likely go up another 5° during that time and that IS OK! It is best to let the turkey rest for about 30 minutes before cutting into it & it will be perfectly moist and done. Tent it with foil and wait until later before you start carving it. If you carve it too soon, the juices will run out and dry out the meat.

If your bird has stuffing, the stuffing needs to be safe to eat as well. You do not want undercooked stuffing. It will be harmful to consume. Make sure the stuffing is 165° so that any turkey juices that have dripped into it are also safe.

Other Turkey Cooking Tips

Here are some other guides on how best to cook a turkey for many other sizes. No matter what size turkey you have, I got you covered. If you have two turkeys and one is a bitter bigger, the cook times for an 18-pound turkey are similar to this recipe.

• How Long to Cook a 12-pound Turkey
• How Long to Cook a 20-Pound Turkey
• How Long to Cook a 25-Pound Turkey