A stuffed 16 lb turkey needs about 4 to 4¼ hours at 325 °F, the USDA timetable row for a 14 to 18 lb bird with stuffing, a little more than the 3¾ to 4¼ hours it would take empty. The calculator above is set to a 16 lb turkey with stuffing cooked inside: it shows how much stuffing to make, schedules stuffing it just before it goes in, and adds the stuffing to the thermometer checks.
Two things must reach 165 °F
With a stuffed bird the meat is often done before the middle of the stuffing. Check the innermost thigh, the innermost wing and the thickest part of the breast, then push the thermometer into the center of the stuffing: it also has to read 165 °F. If it doesn’t, keep going. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before you take the stuffing out and carve.
Packing it safely
Mix the stuffing right before it goes in, with the wet ingredients chilled until then, and spoon it in loosely, about ¾ cup per pound: USDA asks for a loosely filled cavity. USDA’s advice is that cooking stuffing in a separate casserole is safer and cooks more evenly, so many cooks put a little in the bird for flavor and bake the rest.
What the calculator won’t plan
USDA publishes no stuffed time for breasts under 6 lb, and stuffing a turkey you cook from frozen, smoke or deep-fry is out. In those cases the plan switches to a separate dish and says why.
Stuffed vs unstuffed roasting time
| Turkey | Unstuffed | Stuffed | Stuffing to make |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 hours | 3 to 3½ hours | 6 cups to 9 cups |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ hours | 3½ to 4 hours | 9 cups to 10½ cups |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ hours | 4 to 4¼ hours | 10½ cups to 13½ cups |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ hours | 4¼ to 4¾ hours | 13½ cups to 15 cups |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 hours | 4¾ to 5¼ hours | 15 cups to 18 cups |
USDA FSIS timetable for a thawed whole turkey at 325 °F. Stuffing at about ¾ cup per lb of turkey, packed loosely. The center of the stuffing must reach 165 °F as well as the thigh, wing and breast.