Turkey and Roast Cooking Time

How to use the turkey and roast cooking time calculator

1. Choose Metric (kg, °C) or Imperial (lb, °F).
2. In What are you roasting?, pick a whole turkey (unstuffed or stuffed), a whole chicken, a beef rib or round roast, a leg of lamb or a pork loin roast. An example weight is filled in; type your own Weight.
3. For beef and lamb, choose the Doneness. For pork, choose the target temperature.
4. Pick the Food-safety reference: Health Canada or USDA (United States). Both are shown in the table at the bottom of the tool.
5. Optionally enter a Serving time (optional) to see when to Put it in the oven by.
6. Read the Estimated roasting time, the Oven temperature, the temperature to Take it out at (thermometer) and how long to Rest before carving. For poultry, the tool also shows Thawing in the fridge and Thawing in cold water.

Where the times come from

The times are planning estimates, not doneness tests. For turkey, the tool uses the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service roasting timetable at 325 °F (163 °C): for example 3 to 3¾ hours for an unstuffed 12 to 14 lb (5.4 to 6.4 kg) bird, and 3½ to 4 hours stuffed. Inside a weight band the tool also interpolates a middle value. Whole chickens use the USDA figures at 350 °F (177 °C): 1¼ to 1½ hours for 3 to 4 lb and 2 to 2¼ hours for 5 to 7 lb.

Roasts use the minutes-per-pound values of the FoodSafety.gov roasting chart, which are for 145 °F (63 °C): beef rib roast 23–25 min/lb bone-in and 28–33 min/lb boneless, round or rump roast 30–35 min/lb, leg of lamb 20–25 min/lb bone-in and 25–30 min/lb boneless, all at 325 °F; pork loin 20 min/lb at 350 °F. Medium and well-done times are estimated at +20% and +35%, and they are labelled as such in the steps. When your weight falls outside a timetable, the estimate is extrapolated and flagged.

Safe internal temperatures: Health Canada and USDA

The only way to know that meat is safely cooked is a food thermometer placed in the thickest part, away from bone. The two agencies agree on most values but not all:

• Whole poultry: Health Canada recommends 82 °C (180 °F); the USDA recommends 74 °C (165 °F), checked in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost part of the thigh and wing.
• Poultry pieces, ground poultry, stuffing and leftovers: 74 °C (165 °F) for both.
• Pork, whole cuts: Health Canada 71 °C (160 °F); USDA 63 °C (145 °F) followed by at least 3 minutes of rest.
• Beef, veal and lamb, whole cuts: Health Canada lists 63 °C (145 °F) medium-rare, 71 °C (160 °F) medium and 77 °C (170 °F) well done; the USDA minimum is 63 °C (145 °F) plus a 3-minute rest.
• Ground meat: 71 °C (160 °F) for both.

Sources: Health Canada, Safe internal cooking temperatures; USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. Values checked in September 2026. Choose the reference used where you live; if you want to follow the stricter one, use Health Canada’s.

Resting and thawing

Resting lets the juices settle and the heat even out: the tool suggests 20 to 30 minutes for a turkey, 10 to 15 minutes for a chicken and 10 to 20 minutes for a roast (at least 3 minutes is part of the USDA guideline for beef, lamb and pork at 63 °C). Cover loosely with foil.

Thaw a frozen bird in the fridge: Health Canada allows 24 hours per 2.5 kg (5 lb), the USDA 24 hours per 4 to 5 lb. In a hurry, the USDA cold-water method takes about 30 minutes per pound: keep the bird in its wrapping, submerge it in cold water, change the water every 30 minutes and cook it right away. Never thaw poultry on the counter.