Cooking A Turkey At 325 Degrees. Use a meat thermometer to determine the proper doneness which is at least 170 f for the breast and 180 f for the thigh. This chart assumes you are cooking the turkey at 325 f which the usda recommends as the minimum oven temperature to use.
The general rule for cooking a large bird is about 20 minutes a pound. In addition to checking the temperature of the turkey you need to check the. For a turkey in the 14 to 20 pound range this will take 4 to 5 hours.
After removing the turkey from the oven the temperature of the meat will increase by about 5 as the turkey rests.
Roast your turkey uncovered in a 325 f oven allowing around 15 minutes per pound. Low roasting temperatures are a remnant from the days of wood coal fi. If you are deep frying your turkey the times will range as the temperature of your oil can vary. Check the wrapper to see how much the turkey weighs and determine approximate cooking time see chart below.
