More than 5 hours at 325 °F, unstuffed.
USDA’s timetable stops at 24 pounds, so there is no official time for 25 pounds. Its top row (20 to 24 pounds) says 5 to 5 hours unstuffed and 5¼ to 5¼ hours stuffed; a 25-pound bird takes longer than that. Start checking the temperature at 5 hours and take it out when it reads 165 °F in the thigh, the wing and the thickest part of the breast.
For a schedule we plan 25 pounds at 5½ hours (our margin, not USDA’s): for dinner at 3:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving, that is in the oven by 9:00 a.m.
Change the dinner time, turn on stuffing or pick a cold-water thaw; every time follows.
Every step with its time, from the fridge to the leftovers, as a checklist the whole family can see.
The checklist is a free Online List Maker list: share the link with whoever is cooking, tick things off, and it updates on every phone. No sign-up.
Oven at 325 °F, turkey on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Your weight is highlighted.
| Turkey weight | Time at 325 °F |
|---|---|
| 4 to 8 pounds (breast) | 1½ to 3¼ hours |
| 8 to 12 pounds | 2¾ to 3 hours |
| 12 to 14 pounds | 3 to 3¾ hours |
| 14 to 18 pounds | 3¾ to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 pounds | 4¼ to 4½ hours |
| 20 to 24 pounds | 4½ to 5 hours |
| Turkey weight | Time at 325 °F |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 pounds (breast) | 2½ to 3½ hours |
| 8 to 12 pounds | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 12 to 14 pounds | 3½ to 4 hours |
| 14 to 18 pounds | 4 to 4¼ hours |
| 18 to 20 pounds | 4¼ to 4¾ hours |
| 20 to 24 pounds | 4¾ to 5¼ hours |
USDA’s chart stops at 24 pounds. Cooking from frozen takes at least 50% longer than the times above.
Thawing: how long to thaw a 25 lb turkey · thawing calculator · how much turkey per person
At least 50% longer than a thawed one, per USDA, and USDA gives no thawed time above 24 pounds. Go by the thermometer: 165 °F in the thigh, wing and breast.
About 25 people. USDA says to allow 1 pound of turkey per person. If you want leftovers, plan on fewer people per bird; we use 1½ pounds a person for that.
About 5 to 6¼ days in the refrigerator (24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds), or about 12½ hours in cold water with the water changed every 30 minutes.
Check with a food thermometer too, USDA says: 165 °F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
No. USDA says to set the oven no lower than 325 °F.
Times and temperatures: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey. USDA’s times are approximate; the thermometer decides. Questions on the day: USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-674-6854.