What temperature do you cook a turkey?

Happy Turkey (cooking) Day. Before you call your mom, here’s the right temperature (and cooking time) for your Thanksgiving turkey.

A roast turkey is the centerpiece of any Thanksgiving meal and it’s of the utmost importance you get it right. So let’s start with the basics: While cook time varies by weight, Butterball lists 325° Fahrenheit (162° Celsius, if you’re outside the U.S. and celebrate Thanksgiving and also have an oven that is large enough to accommodate a turkey) as the preheat temperature for its turkeys.

You will also use a meat thermometer to check the turkey is done. Your turkey should be at 180° F in the thigh and 170° F in breast or stuffing. (Allrecipes, however, suggests an internal temp of 165° F for both thigh and stuffing.) If you don’t have a meat thermometer and don’t want to run out to one of the stores already open for Black Friday, you can slice the turkey and if the juices run clear, your bird is cooked.

Again, per Butterball, here are the cook times for unstuffed and stuffed turkeys at 325 F:

6-7 lbs. — 2-2½ hrs. (unstuffed) or 2¼-2¾ hrs. (stuffed)
7-10 lbs. — 2½-3 hrs. (unstuffed) or 2¾-3½ hrs. (stuffed)
10-18 lbs. — 3-3½ hrs. (unstuffed) or 3¾-4½ hrs. (stuffed)
18-22 lbs. — 3½-4 hrs. (unstuffed) or 4½-5 hrs. (stuffed)
22-24 lbs. — 4-4½ hrs. (unstuffed) or 5-5½ hrs. (stuffed)
24-30 lbs. — 4½-5 hrs. (unstuffed) or 5½-6¼ hrs. (stuffed)

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Of course, before you even get to roasting, you’ll want to make sure your turkey is defrosted. Most chefs and mothers will recommend doing so in the fridge in a bowl or on a baking pan or platter, allowing as long as one day for every four pounds of turkey. Meaning, if you’re just getting around to defrosting your turkey now, on Thanksgiving morning, you may be in trouble.

You can also thaw a frozen turkey in cold water, which requires about 30 minutes per pound so you are still looking at anywhere from 3 to 12 hours, depending on how large a turkey you’re serving. Don’t thaw your turkey in the microwave. It’s an option, but a last resort.