Turkey Size Per Person Calculator: How Big a Turkey to Buy

How it works

Turkey (lb) = adults × per-adult amount + children × half of it, rounded up · per adult: whole bird 1 lb, pre-stuffed 1.25 lb, bone-in breast 0.75 lb, boneless 0.5 lb · × 1.5 for leftovers · fridge thawing = 1 day per 4–5 lb · cold water = 30 min per lb

USDA and most turkey brands plan about 1 pound of whole raw turkey per person for the meal. That figure is much more than anyone eats because a whole bird is largely bone, skin and drippings. Children eat about half an adult portion. If you want leftovers for sandwiches, multiply by 1.5 (about 1.5 lb per adult). Cuts with less bone need less: about ¾ lb of bone-in breast or ½ lb of boneless breast per adult, while frozen pre-stuffed turkeys need about 1¼ lb because the stuffing is part of the weight. The calculator rounds up to a whole pound and to a realistic smallest whole bird (8 lb). Above 20 lb it suggests two smaller birds, which cook more evenly and fit standard ovens. The thawing and roasting times come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 to 5 pounds, 30 minutes per pound in cold water, and the 325 °F roasting timetable. Always finish with a thermometer: 165 °F in the breast, thigh and wing.

Worked example

Default: 8 adults and 4 children, leftovers, whole turkey. Per adult = 1 lb × 1.5 = 1.5 lb; per child = 0.75 lb. Total = 8 × 1.5 + 4 × 0.75 = 12 + 3 = 15 lb, so buy a 15 lb turkey. A 15 lb bird needs 3–4 days to thaw in the fridge (or 7 h 30 min in cold water) and roasts in 3 h 45 min–4 h 15 min at 325 °F unstuffed. Without leftovers the same group needs 10 lb.

Sources: USDA FSIS "Let's Talk Turkey" (buying, thawing and roasting tables), via UW Extension · Omni Calculator: turkey size calculator · LiveNOW from FOX: pounds of turkey per person and thawing times · Well Plated: how much turkey per person (whole and boneless breast)

Frequently asked questions