Everything you need to know about how long it takes to cook a 22-23 pound turkey in the oven is all right here. No need to be a gourmet chef to prep, cook, & serve a juicy on the inside & crispy skin turkey. My tips, temperature & timing guides help ensure your holiday bird is moist, tender, & ready on time with this easy oven-roasted turkey recipe.
All the tips and tricks on how best to cook a 23-pound turkey in the oven. Keep it moist, juicy, and flavorful at 325° or 350°. No guesswork. You just have to follow this simple recipe & have a great meat thermometer on-hand. The best Thanksgiving turkey is just a few hours away.
This recipe for a seasoned turkey with lots of flavors couldn't be easier. With a little prep, the oven does all the roasting. If you are roasting a turkey and it weighs between 22-23 pounds (stuffing not included in the weight), feel confident this recipe is what you need.
NOTE: You may want to smoke, deep-fry, or BBQ your turkey and that is great, but these cooking temperature and times will NOT be the same as what I outline below.
Jump to:
- How Long to Defrost a Turkey
- How to Dry Brine a Turkey with Salt
- How to Prep a Turkey for Roasting
- Cooking Time & Temperature for 23-Pound Turkey
- Best Instant-Read Thermometer
- 23-Pound Unstuffed Turkey
- 23-Pound Turkey with Stuffing
- 23-Pound Turkey in a Roasting Bag
- 22-23 Pound Turkey Feeds How Many People?
- Storing & Reheating Leftover Turkey
- Recipes for Leftover Turkey
- TURKEY FAQS
- How Long to Cook a 23-Pound Turkey
- More Turkey Recipes
How Long to Defrost a Turkey
Be sure your turkey is defrosted by the morning of the day you want to cook it. For instance, if you want to roast it on Thanksgiving, I suggest getting it into the refrigerator the Saturday before. This is because I love to start the salt dry brine on Monday and the turkey should not be solid frozen.
When thawing in a refrigerator, it takes 4-5 days to have a fully defrosted turkey that weighs 20+ pounds. If you want to brine it, 3 of those days will be for this. This will help you have a turkey that is ready.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey with Salt
I always suggest you start defrosting early so you can brine your holiday bird. Brining the turkey will help keep it moist, juicy, & succulent. For a turkey everyone will be wanting seconds of, 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 falls on a Thursday every year, you will need to start the dry brine on Sunday or Monday. For Canadians the 2nd Monday of October is their Thanksgiving, so start the salt brine on the Thursday before for best results.
Make sure your turkey has already started to defrost. It does not need to be completely defrosted but around ½-way through is fine. The skin and outer meat layers will be ready to absorb the salt and that is perfect.
How to Prep a Turkey for Roasting
Once your turkey is defrosted, next up you want 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 23 pounds or larger, it is a pretty big one. Ideally use a 18-inch pan and a rack that fits in it.
The last step before roasting a turkey is to season it. Use whatever recipe you like, but below I have outlined how I dress mine up. Simply remove the parts in the cavity of the bird, and add some aromatics like citrus, garlic, & herbs. Then rub on some softened butter and a seasoning blend.
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR AMOUNTS, TEMPERATURE, & FULL COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Cooking Time & Temperature for 23-Pound Turkey
You can cook a turkey at either 325° or 350° in the oven. Below is the information on how long to cook a turkey depending on the temperature and timing you want to use. 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.
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 turkey. I like to 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.
23-Pound Unstuffed Turkey
Once the pound 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. It takes about 15 minutes per pound to cook turkey.
If you are cooking the turkey at 325°, it will take 5 -5 ½ hours to cook. At 350°, it will take 4 ½ - 5 hours. Place your turkey covered in foil in the oven and set a timer for 2 ½ hours.
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 4-hour mark. You want the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 175°.
Remember that at 325° it will take 30-60 minutes longer for the turkey to cook than if you cooked it at 350°. This is for a turkey without stuffing.
- 350° a 23-lb turkey takes 4 ½ -5 hours to cook in the oven
- 325° a 23-lb turkey takes 5-5 ½ hours to cook in the oven
23-Pound Turkey with Stuffing
If your 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. Instead of 15 minutes per pound, it takes 17-18 minutes when stuffed.
If you are cooking the turkey at 325°, it will take 6 ½ -7 hours to cook. At 350°, it will take 6 - 6 ½ hours.
Place the stuffed turkey covered in foil in the oven and set a timer for 3 hours. Remove the foil and reset the timer for 3 more hours. Use an instant-read thermometer and start checking the thickest part of the thigh around the 5 ½ hour (total time) mark. You want the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 175°.
Remember that at 325° it will take 30 minutes longer for the turkey to cook than if you cooked it at 350°. This is for a turkey with stuffing.
- 350° a 23-lb stuffed turkey takes 6 - 6 ½ hours to cook in an oven
- 325° a 23-lb stuffed turkey takes 6 ½ -7 hours to cook in an oven
23-Pound 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 22-23 lb large 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. The stuffing tends to not cook properly (safe temperature) and comes out soggy and unpleasant.
When cooking a 23-pound turkey in an oven bag at 350°, it takes 3 - 3 ½ hours. I suggest starting to check the internal temperature of the turkey at the 3-hour mark. If the thickest part of the thigh is 175°, it is done.
NOTE: there will not be any crispy brown skin when you cook it in an oven-roasting bag. It will be more steamed. For crispy skin remove it from the bag for the final 20-30 minutes and place it back in the roasting pan and into the oven.
22-23 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 23-pound turkey will feed 20 people with a bit of leftovers.
Storing & Reheating Leftover Turkey
Leftover turkey stores well in the refrigerator. Place slices and turkey pieces in an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
No need to remove the bones before storing but you can if you wish. Save those bones to make bone broth using poultry bones in a pressure cooker!
To defrost the leftover frozen turkey, place your container 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
Here is the best way to enjoy slices or diced up leftover turkey. My favorite is swapping out the chicken for turkey in this Fall Arugula Salad Recipe. Or add it to one of these simple ideas:
TURKEY FAQS
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 is juicy every year. I do not recommend cooking it at a higher temperature to speed things up. It simply dries out the skin and outer meat too fast while the internal meat like the thigh could still be unsafe & undercooked.
Here are my top tips for helping keep your turkey moist and juicy. Begin with a dry brine for several days before cooking. Before cooking the turkey, coat the skin with softened butter. Also, cover the turkey in foil for the first ½ of cooking to keep the moisture from escaping.
Finally, make sure you let the turkey rest for at least a half hour before carving it. Even the breast will be moist after oven cooking. All of these ideas are the best way to keep a turkey from drying out.
If you do all the above things I described, your turkey will be moist. Adding water to the pan when cooking, is not one of those things. You do not want to "steam" your bird, you want to roast it slowly and evenly. The water at the bottom will add steam to the oven plus it will be like a hot bath that the turkey is sitting in.
Even if just a few inches, that lower part of the bird will almost boil and 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.
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.
How Long to Cook a 23-Pound Turkey
Equipment
- large roasting pan & rack 18" or larger pan
Ingredients
- 23 pound turkey defrosted
- 1 stick salted butter softened at room temperature
- 2 lemons cut in half
- 2 heads garlic cut in half
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon ground sage
Instructions
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Defrost your turkey for 5-6 days in the refrigerator.If using a dry brine, start the salting process 3 days before cooking your turkey. Links above on the dry brine process I recommend. See recipe link in note below for the dry salt brine recipe & steps.
- Preheat the oven to 325°.
- While the oven is preheating, prepare the turkey. Place the turkey in a roasting pan on a rack. Remove any parts in the cavity. Place the lemon and garlic pieces inside the turkey cavity.23 pound turkey, 2 lemons, 2 heads garlic
- Coat the skin of the turkey with softened butter. Next, combine all the spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle the turkey seasoning blend over the butter.1 stick salted butter, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes, 1 tablespoon ground sage
- Place a large sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the turkey. Place it in the oven and cook for 3 hours.Baste twice during the first half of cooking, at about the 1 & 2 hour marks.
- Midway through the cooking, remove the foil and continue to cook another 2 - 2 ½ hours. Continue basting once every 30 minutes. Do not do it any more than that as the oven will lose heat and the skin will not crisp up.
- To check for doneness, place an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. If it is 175°, the turkey is ready.
- Remove the turkey carefully from the oven. Let it rest while covered loosely with foil for 30-60 minutes.
- Place the turkey on a carving board or platter to serve. Remove the lemons and garlic from the cavity carefully and discard.
- Serve with your favorite side dishes and Enjoy!
More Turkey Recipes
Here are similar recipes for making a whole turkey or turkey breast:
HOWARD P DUBIN says
Great help to reinforce timing..and crispy skin.Thankyou.
Angela says
Thank you for the comment and glad the turkey recipe was great.