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Thanksgiving Dinner Timeline: A Schedule Worked Back from Dinner Time

Enter when dinner is served, the turkey size, and how many dishes need the oven. Get a day-of schedule for the turkey, the sides, the gravy and the carving, plus a dated countdown from three weeks out. Print either one.

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Your dinner

Sample choices are filled in. Change anything and the schedule rebuilds.

Day-of schedule

    Countdown from 3 weeks out

      How the schedule is worked out

      Everything is counted back from the time you sit down to eat. The turkey comes out 30 minutes before dinner to rest. It goes in the long end of the 325°F roasting range for its weight before that: 4.5 to 7 lb is 2 to 2.5 hours, 7 to 9 lb 2.5 to 3, 9 to 18 lb 3 to 3.5, 18 to 22 lb 3.5 to 4, 22 to 24 lb 4 to 4.5 and 24 to 30 lb 4.5 to 5, from the Butterball chart for an unstuffed turkey. The Butterball chart is one published chart; USDA's chart runs longer (about 3¾–4¼ hours for 14–18 lb), so plan from the long end and start checking early. The calculator schedules from the long end of the Butterball range and also shows the short end of the range as the earliest it could finish, and reminds you to preheat 20 minutes before it goes in.

      The sides use the oven the turkey just left. We assume about 3 dishes fit at once and each needs about 30 minutes, which are our own planning estimates. For example, 4 oven dishes need 2 rounds of 30 minutes, so the turkey comes out 60 minutes before dinner instead of 30. At a 5:00 pm dinner with a 15 lb turkey (3 to 3.5 hours): the oven preheats at 12:10 pm, the turkey goes in at 12:30 pm, comes out at 4:00 pm, the first dishes go in at 4:00 pm and the second at 4:30 pm, gravy is made at 4:30 pm, the turkey is carved at 4:45 pm and dinner is served at 5:00 pm.

      The countdown

      The countdown subtracts days from the dinner date: invitations at 3 weeks, RSVPs and diets at 2 weeks, shopping for non-perishables at 1 week, the fridge-thaw start (1 day per 4 lb rounded up, plus a spare day, which follows USDA's 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds), then 3 days, 2 days and the day before. Items that already fell before today are marked. If you are closer than 3 weeks, start from the first date still ahead and combine the earlier items.

      These are starting times

      Ovens, turkeys and kitchens differ. Use the schedule as a first draft, and trust a thermometer: 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost parts of the thigh and wing. Put leftovers away within 2 hours of serving. Roasting times are from Butterball and the safety numbers are from USDA (fsis.usda.gov). The turkey size and thaw calculator works out the size, and the potluck planner covers who brings what.

      Questions

      What time should the turkey go in the oven?
      Work backward from dinner. The calculator takes the time you will eat, subtracts a 30 minute rest, and subtracts the long end of the roasting range for your turkey weight at 325°F (for example 3.5 hours for a 15 pound unstuffed turkey). Dinner at 5:00 pm means out at 4:30 pm and in at 1:00 pm. Check with a thermometer: USDA's chart runs longer (about 3¾–4¼ hours for 14–18 lb), so plan from the long end and start checking early. The turkey is done at 165°F, measured in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost parts of the thigh and wing.
      How do I get the side dishes hot when the turkey has the oven?
      The turkey comes out to rest, and the freed oven takes the side dishes. This schedule assumes about 3 dishes fit in the oven at once and each takes about 30 minutes to heat or bake, both our own planning estimates. With 4 to 6 oven dishes the turkey rests longer under foil to make room for a second round. Beyond 6, move dishes to the stovetop, a slow cooker or the microwave, or ask guests to bring them hot.
      How long should a turkey rest before carving?
      This tool uses 30 minutes when the oven is needed once. A rested bird is easier to carve and the juices settle. If your turkey is done early, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest longer. The same food safety clock applies: do not leave cooked food out for more than 2 hours.
      When should I start planning Thanksgiving dinner?
      The countdown starts 3 weeks out: set the date and send invitations, collect RSVPs and diets at 2 weeks, shop for non-perishables at 1 week, start thawing the turkey in the fridge (the date depends on its weight), then prep the day before. A frozen turkey needs about a day in the fridge for every 4 pounds plus a spare day, so a 20 pound bird starts thawing 6 days out.
      How long do Thanksgiving leftovers last?
      USDA says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, which is about an hour after you sit down, and use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Gravy is shorter, about 1 to 2 days. The schedule adds a reminder to put food away.
      Can I print the schedule?
      Yes. Use the Print button under the schedule. The page prints only the day-of schedule and the countdown, without the rest of the site.

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