Thanksgiving dinner at 4 p.m.: when to start everything
A clock-time plan for a 14-lb turkey and dinner at 4:00, worked back from the table to the freezer, with the safety checks built in.
Turkey in by 11:45 a.m. for a 14-lb unstuffed bird and dinner at 4:00 p.m., after 3 to 4 days of thawing in the fridge.
The time
This plan is built for the most common Thanksgiving setup: a 14-lb (6.4 kg) unstuffed turkey roasted at 325°F (163°C), dinner on the table at 4:00 p.m., and one oven. USDA's roasting time for 12 to 14 lb is 3 to 3¾ hours, so the plan allows the full 3¾ hours. If the turkey finishes early, it simply rests longer, and that window is when the sides go in the oven.
With a bigger turkey, adjust: for 14 to 18 lb, move every turkey step 30 minutes earlier. For 18 to 20 lb, move them an hour earlier.
USDA suggests about 1 lb of turkey per person, so a 14-lb turkey covers 14 guests, or a table of 10 with leftovers for the weekend. If you buy a fresh turkey instead of a frozen one, skip the thaw and buy it on Tuesday or Wednesday, no more than 1 to 2 days before you cook it.
The week before
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Sunday 22 Nov, morning | Move the frozen turkey to the fridge, in its wrapper, on a tray. A 12- to 16-lb bird needs 3 to 4 days. |
| Wednesday 25 Nov | Bake the pies, make the cranberry sauce, chop onions and celery, and set the table. |
| Wednesday 25 Nov, evening | Check the turkey is thawed: the giblet bag pulls out and there is no icy core. |
Thanksgiving Day, Thursday 26 Nov
| Clock | Step |
|---|---|
| 11:15 a.m. | Take the giblets and neck out. Pat the turkey dry, season it, set it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. |
| 11:25 a.m. | Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). |
| 11:45 a.m. | Turkey in the oven. |
| 2:45 p.m. | First thermometer check, at 3 hours. Check every 15 minutes from here. |
| about 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. | Turkey out when the breast, inner thigh and inner wing all read 165°F (74°C). Cover loosely with foil. |
| as soon as the turkey is out | Turn the oven to the temperature your sides need. Stuffing (in a dish), casseroles and rolls go in. |
| 3:35 p.m. | Make the gravy from the pan drippings on the stove. |
| 3:50 p.m. | Carve, after at least 20 minutes of rest. |
| 4:00 p.m. | Eat. |
| by 6:00 p.m. | Leftovers in the fridge, in small shallow containers. |
How to tell it is done
The clock gets you close; the thermometer decides. The turkey is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. Stuffing, whether in a dish or in the bird, must also reach 165°F at its center.
Work it back
Want a different dinner time? Count back from it:
- Eat: your dinner time.
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Preheat | 20 minutes before the turkey goes in |
| Turkey in | 4¼ hours before dinner, for 12 to 14 lb |
| Turkey out | 30 minutes before dinner at the latest (20 minutes of rest, then carving) |
| Carve | 10 minutes before dinner |
So dinner at 2:00 p.m. means the turkey goes in at 9:45 a.m., and dinner at 6:00 p.m. means 1:45 p.m.
Food safety
- Thaw only in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter.
- Cooking stuffing in a separate dish is the safer and more even choice.
- Put leftovers away within 2 hours of the turkey coming out, or 1 hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C).
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Let's Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (thawing times, roasting timetable, temperatures, resting and leftovers).
