How to roast a 16 lb turkey

Table of Contents Show

Instructions
Conventional Oven Cooking FAQs
Hungry for More?
Approximate Timetable for Roasting a Turkey at 350°F (177°C)*
Convection Oven
Approximate Timetable for Roasting a Turkey in a Convection Oven 300°F (149°C)
Using a Meat Thermometer
How long does it take to roast 16 lb turkey?
Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?
Do you cook a 16 lb turkey at 325 or 350?
How long do you cook a Butterball 16 lb turkey?

Whole Turkey: Roasting Times (at 325ºF)
6 to 8 pounds	2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours
8 to 12 pounds	2 3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds	3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds	3 3/4 hours to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds	4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds	4 1/2 hours to 5 hours
24 to 28 pounds	5 to 5 1/2 hours

Instructions

Place turkey breast-side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush breast with vegetable oil or melted butter.
When breast is golden, cover with a loose tent of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
The turkey is done when the internal temperature is 165°F in both the thickest part of the breast (without touching the bone) and in the thighs.
For easier slicing, let stand for 10 minutes.

Conventional Oven Cooking FAQs

Covering your turkey with foil or a lid is a preference. You can cook your turkey with or without covering the top. If you decide to cover your turkey, we recommend you remove the covering during the last hour of cook time for browning.

Yes! Oven bags are a great way to cook your turkey. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines on the oven bag package.

You can cook two turkeys or turkey breasts at one time. We recommend using two that are similar in weight and cooking them in separate shallow pans to ensure adequate heat circulation. The cooking time and the temperature are the same as cooking one turkey or turkey breast.

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Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
If stuffing the turkey, do so while the oven is preheating. Spoon stuffing lightly into turkey instead of packing firmly because stuffing expands while cooking. (Allow ½ cup (125 ml) of stuffing per pound (500 g) of turkey.)
Place turkey breast-up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
Roast uncovered, or loosely covered with foil. If you choose to baste your turkey, limit the number of times you open and close your oven (once per hour is sufficient).
Turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer reads 170°F (77°C) for an unstuffed turkey, or 180°F (82°C) for a stuffed turkey and the juices run clear. Insert meat thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh, but not touching the bone.
When roasting, any stuffing placed in the cavity of the bird should read and internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C).
Remove the turkey from the oven when cooking is completed and let stand 20 minutes to allow the juices to set.

Approximate Timetable for Roasting a Turkey at 350°F (177°C)*

Weight	Stuffed	Unstuffed
8 – 10 lbs (3.6 – 4.5 kg)	2 h 40 min – 3 h 30 min	2 h – 2 h 30 min
11 – 13 lbs (5.0 – 5.9 kg)	3 h 40 min – 4 h 20 min	2 h 45 min – 3 h 15 min
14 – 16 lbs (6.4 – 7.3 kg)	4 h 40 min – 5 h 20 min	3 h 30 min – 4 h
17 – 19 lbs (7.7 – 8.6 kg)	5 h 40 min – 6 h 20 min	4 h 15 min – 4 h 45 min
20 – 22 lbs (9.1 – 10.0 kg)	6 h 40 min – 7 h 20 min	5 h – 5 h 30 min
23 – 24 lbs (10.4 – 10.9 kg)	7 h 40 min – 8 h	5 h 45 min to 6 h

*cooking times approximate at 350°F (177°C).

Cooking times may vary depending on: the temperature of the bird going into the oven, the accuracy of the oven’s thermostat, how many times the oven door is opened during roasting, the type and size of roasting pan used and the size of the turkey in relation to the size of the oven.

Download our Cooking Times quick fact sheet.

Convection Oven

The Turkey Farmers of Canada recommend that consumers check with their manufacturer as to how much faster and hotter their oven might be compared to a conventional oven. Generally speaking, convection oven cooking temperatures should be 25-50°F (3.9-10°C) lower than conventional oven temperatures to prevent overbrowning due to surface drying. Convection cooking does typically cause greater moisture loss in turkey.
The result of roasting a turkey is the same in conventional or convection ovens in that the turkey is done when the endpoint temperature is reached. Your turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 180°F (82°C) for a stuffed turkey or 170°F (77°C) for an unstuffed turkey. The drumsticks should also move easily in the joints at this point.
Avoid overcrowding in the oven when roasting in a convection oven as crowding may inhibit air circulation and slow cooking.

Approximate Timetable for Roasting a Turkey in a Convection Oven 300°F (149°C)

Cooking Temperature	Weight Unstuffed	Estimated Cooking Time	Weight Stuffed	Estimated Cooking Time
300ºF	14-18 lbs.	2¼ – 2½ hours	14-18 lbs.	2½ – 3 hours
300ºF	18-22 lbs.	2½ – 3 hours	18-22 lbs.	3 – 3½ hours

Using a Meat Thermometer

Prior to cooking, insert stem of oven-proof thermometer (stem will need to be at least 4 1/2″ (11 cm) long) into the thickest part of the inner thigh meat, not touching thigh bone. OR near end of cooking, remove from heat and insert instant-read thermometer stem or fork thermometer tines into inner thigh meat (as above). If stuffed, check stuffing temperature by inserting thermometer stem into centre of stuffing.

Always wash the tongs, plate and thermometer stem used in checking partially cooked meats/poultry before using again.

How long does it take to roast 16 lb turkey?

The simplest way to figure out turkey roasting times is to calculate 13 minutes per pound at 350°F for an unstuffed turkey (that's about 3 hours for a 12- to 14-lb..

425°F for 3 to 3¼ hours..

400°F for 3¼ to 3½ hours..

350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours..

325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours..

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Roast the turkey uncovered at a temperature ranging from 325°F to 350°F. Higher temperatures may cause the meat to dry out, but this is preferable to temperatures that are too low which may not allow the interior of the turkey to cook to a safe temperature.

Do you cook a 16 lb turkey at 325 or 350?

turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 350° oven for 1 1/2-2 1/4 hr. For a 14-23 lb. turkey (weight with giblets): Bake in a 325° oven for 2-3 hr. For a 24-27 lb.

How long do you cook a Butterball 16 lb turkey?

16-18 lbs. - 2 1/4-2 1/2 hrs. / 3 1/4-4 hrs. / 2-2 1/2 hrs. Turkey breasts cook up tender and delicious, and are easy to roast when you follow these instructions: Preheat oven to 325° F.