A whole turkey is the centerpiece of many holiday meals. But if you’ve never cooked one before, it can be tricky to know what size to buy Turkeys come in a wide range of weights from small 8-10 pound birds to massive 30 pound giants. So how much does the average whole turkey weigh?
The weight depends on a few key factors
Sex of the Turkey
- Toms (males) are significantly larger than hens (females).
- Toms average around 24 pounds while hens average about 12 pounds.
Breed of Turkey
- Heritage breed turkeys are smaller than commercial broad-breasted turkeys.
- Heritage toms average 22 pounds and hens 12 pounds.
- Commercial toms average 30 pounds and hens 16 pounds.
Age of the Turkey
- Younger “fryer” turkeys are smaller than mature adult turkeys.
- Juvenile toms range from 8-18 pounds compared to 16-30 pounds for adults.
- Juvenile hens range from 4-10 pounds compared to 8-16 pounds for adults.
Time of Year
- Holiday turkeys are larger since they are older birds being slaughtered later in the year.
- Whole turkeys average 2-3 pounds lighter at other times of the year.
So you can see there’s no simple answer to “how much does a turkey weigh?” But here are some general guidelines on common whole turkey sizes:
Small Turkeys (8-16 pounds)
- Good for gatherings with 4-8 people.
- Best for smaller families, couples, and singles.
- Typically a hen turkey.
- Fits easily in a standard oven.
Medium Turkeys (16-24 pounds)
- Feeds 8-12 guests comfortably.
- The most common size for Thanksgiving.
- Could be a hen or tom depending on exact weight.
- Requires a large roasting pan.
Large Turkeys (24-30 pounds)
- Ideal for feeding 12+ guests with leftovers.
- Almost always a male tom turkey.
- Difficult to fit in some standard ovens.
- Requires heavy duty roasting equipment.
Picking the Right Turkey Size
When estimating what size turkey you need, plan on about 1-1.5 pounds per person. For a more accurate amount, weigh out your recipe stuffing ahead of time and add that to the per person poundage.
Here are some tips for choosing the perfect turkey:
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Allow 1 pound per person for smaller appetites and 15 pounds per person for heartier eaters,
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Add 1 pound for every 2 pounds of stuffing/dressing you expect to make.
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Opt for a smaller hen turkey if oven space is limited.
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Buy a little larger than you think you need for tasty leftovers.
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Consider ordering extra turkey breasts to supplement if buying a whole bird.
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Double check appliance capacity before purchasing an extra large tom.
Confirming Weight at Home
Once you’ve purchased your turkey, it’s a good idea to weigh it yourself before cooking. Here’s a simple method:
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Place a baking sheet on your kitchen scale and hit tare to zero it out.
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Remove turkey from packaging and place directly on baking sheet.
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Allow weight reading to stabilize then take note of weight.
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Refer back to this weight while prepping and cooking.
Why the weight is important
There are many reasons an accurate weight is important — for any kind of food product. For one thing, you need to get what you’re paying for (pretty basic!).
In the case of a turkey, obviously you need to know that you’ll have enough for your guests. One to one and a half pounds of turkey per person is a good rule of thumb when it comes to whole birds. If I were cooking for 10 people and picked an 11-pound bird, that should have been enough. What if it was less than 8 pounds, though? It might not be enough for Thanksgiving.
Then there’s the prep and cooking. If you dry-brine, or salt the bird a few days before roasting it to get juicy, flavorful meat and crispy, golden skin, you need to know the exact weight of the bird to know how much salt to rub on it.
The weight of the turkey will tell you about how long it needs to roast, whether it was dry-brined, wet-brined, or not brined at all. The temperature inside an oven can vary a lot, and most of them don’t heat evenly or keep an even temperature for a long time. But at least the weight will let you know when to start checking to see if the turkey is done.
A 12-pound turkey usually roasts in about 2 hours and 45 minutes using our Cooks Without Borders recipe. But I always check after about 2 hours, just in case. For the breast, if you miss the mark or test it too late, it will go from done to dry and overcooked very quickly.
It’s best for the dark meat to be at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). At that point, the white meat will already be a bit more done than ideal, which is why many cooks spatchcock. I love the presentation of a whole bird, so I live with less-than-perfect white meat. It’s a choice. It’s still delicious. But not if you go must past that dark-meat-is-done point.
The case of the mis-labeled turkey
In order to find out how my turkey got the wrong label, the “Meat Team Leader” at my local Whole Foods called someone in corporate. The call went all the way up to a District Vice-President, who called me and said he would look into it and get back to me. I had to tell him that still no one had offered to give me back the money I had paid too much.
He did, and gave me a $25 Whole Foods gift card for my trouble.
After calling the processing center, he also called me back and told me that they had looked into it thoroughly and found that my bird’s wrong label was an isolated incident—there was no systemic problem. Much appreciated, and I hope he’s right. Please weigh your bird.
If you’re dry-brining your turkey, today is the day to buy it. That way, it will be ready to salt on Monday morning. (Or you could purchase first thing Monday and get it going by mid-day. ) Here’s the recipe, to guide you, along with recipes for savory sides and appetizers.
How to Deep Fry a Whole Turkey – Step by Step Tutorial by @BigPaulOnTheGrill
FAQ
Is a 20 lb turkey enough for 10 people?
What is the average weight of a frozen turkey?
How many people will a 14 lb turkey feed?
How much is a 5 pound turkey?
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Turkey Size
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How many does it feed?
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Turkey Price
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5 lb. Temporarily Unavailable
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10 to 15
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$35.50
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6 lb.
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12 to 18
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$42.00
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7 lb.
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14 to 21
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$48.50
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8 lb.
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16 to 24
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$55.00
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How much does a turkey weigh?
When it comes to how much a turkey weighs, there’s no fixed answer. Turkey sizes vary based on sex, age, type, diet, and other factors. On average, a typical tom turkey will weigh 16-30 lbs compared to 8-16 lbs for hens. Younger birds skew towards the lower end of the ranges. For holiday dinners, plan on about 1 lb of turkey per guest.
How much does a turkey weigh in a store?
When a turkey is slaughtered and prepared for sale, parts of the turkey are removed. This is why the live weights are so much higher than the average weight in the store. A turkey which was 41 lbs at slaughter, will be about 24 lbs. in the store. This means a turkey in the store is about 10-15 lbs. less of its live weight.
How much does a commercial turkey weigh?
The average weight of a commercial turkey flock is 20lbs. Smaller-scale domestic turkeys are produced locally in the United States. These tend to be a bit smaller than commercially raised turkeys. This includes types of wild turkey or organically raised on small farm fields.
How much does a heritage turkey weigh?
Heritage turkeys are smaller and often weigh less than commercial turkeys. While heritage turkeys can range from 8 to 16 pounds (3.6 to 7.3 kilograms), commercial turkeys are generally bigger. 8. Does the age of a turkey affect its weight? Yes, as turkeys grow older, they tend to gain weight. Younger turkeys will weigh less than fully matured ones.
Is there a weight difference between frozen and fresh turkeys?
There is generally no significant difference in weight between frozen and fresh turkeys. The weight difference would only arise due to the moisture loss in the frozen turkey during storage. 11. Are there weight variations among various parts of a turkey?
Is a 16 pound turkey a hen or a Tom?
If you’re at the store pondering over a turkey, here’s a handy tip: a 16-24 pound turkey is likely a tom, while an 8-16 pound bird is probably a hen. The humble turkey, often viewed as a simple holiday staple, holds a surprising depth of complexity.