So what’s the final answer to “how long to cook a turkey at 325 per pound?” It depends. (I know, I know. But that’s cooking. Science is flexible.)
For a unstuffed, average-shaped turkey at 325°F: 15 minutes per pound. Stuffed? 20 minutes per pound. And for the love of gravy, use a meat thermometer. Don’t trust the pop-up timer that came with the bird. That thing is a lie designed to keep you buying more turkeys.
Remember my grandmother’s “feel the leg” trick? It works—if the leg wobbles freely, it’s done. But she was also the woman who kept a turkey in the oven for six hours because she forgot it. We’ve all been there.
Now go forth, cranberry sauce in hand, and conquer that bird. You’ve got this. And if you don’t? That’s what takeout pizza is for. (No judgment, friend.)
