Meat & Seafood Department
Turkey Serving Suggestion
The general rule for turkey buying is one pound per person—one-and-a-half if you want leftovers. The chart below gives more specific weight ranges.
| Number of Guests | Size of Turkey |
| 8 people | 12-14 pounds |
| 10 people | 15-16 pounds |
| 12 people | 18-20 pounds |
| 14 people | 21-22 pounds |
| 16 people | 24 pounds |
Approximate Cooking Times
| Turkey Weight | Unstuffed | Stuffed |
| 6-8 pounds | 2.5-3 hours | 3-3.5 hours |
| 8-12 pounds | 3-4 hours | 3.5-4.5 hours |
| 12-16 pounds | 4-5 hours | 4.5-5.5 hours |
| 16 to 20 pounds | 5-5.5 hours | 5.5-6 hours |
| 20-24 pounds | 5.5-6 hours | 6-6.5 hours |
Turkey Roasting Instructions:
- Set the oven temperature no lower than 325F. Preheating is not necessary.
- Your Sendik’s turkey has been chilled for shipping to 26F. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed.
- Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 ½ inches deep.
Optional Steps
- Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird (called “akimbo”).
- Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
- In the beginning, a tent of aluminium foil may be placed loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1 ½ hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown.
- If a meat thermometer is not available, cook stuffing in a casserole. Mix ingredients just before stuffing a turkey, stuff loosely. Additional time is required for the turkey and stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature (see chart).
- For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer. The temperature must reach 180F in the thigh of a whole turkey (center of the stuffing should reach 165F) before removing it from the oven. Cook a turkey breast to 170F.
- Juices should be clear. In the absence of a meat thermometer, pierce an unstuffed turkey with a fork in several places, juices should be clear with no trace of pink.
- Let the bird stand 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.
