🍗 Cooking Time by Weight Calculator

Choose your meat type and weight to estimate total roasting time using common minutes-per-pound guidelines. Always confirm doneness with a food thermometer.

Meat

Weight (lb)

A minutes-per-pound rate for each meat

Pick the meat, type the weight in pounds, and the tool multiplies by the rate that goes with it, then splits the answer into hours and minutes:

total minutes = weight in lb × rate

turkey (unstuffed) 13 min/lb at 325°F    ham (fully cooked) 18 min/lb at 325°F
whole chicken      20 min/lb at 350°F    beef roast         20 min/lb at 325°F
pork roast         25 min/lb at 325°F

A 14 lb turkey comes out at 182 minutes, or 3h 2m. A 4 lb chicken is 80 minutes. The degrees in the dropdown are oven settings, not doneness targets - those are a separate number, and the one that actually matters.

Why the estimate drifts at the extremes

Minutes per pound is a straight line drawn through something that curves. Heat enters through the surface, and a bird twice as heavy is nowhere near twice as thick, so time rises more slowly than weight.

Large birds finish early. A 22 lb turkey is calculated at 4h 46m but often needs closer to 4h 15m. Start checking an hour before the estimate.
Small ones run late per pound, and a long thin pork loin cooks far faster than a compact roast of the same weight.
Stuffing adds 30-45 minutes and the stuffing itself must reach 165°F, which is the usual way a stuffed bird ends up overcooked.

Cook to temperature, not to the clock. Poultry is done at 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, away from bone; beef and pork roasts at 145°F with a three-minute rest; fully cooked ham needs only 140°F. Rest a roast 15-20 minutes - carryover heat adds another 5-10°F while it sits.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a 14 lb turkey take to cook?

About 3 hours at 325°F unstuffed, from 13 minutes a pound. Stuffed, allow closer to 3h 45m, and check the thigh and the stuffing separately.

Why is my roast done before the calculator says?

Shape and starting temperature. A flatter joint, a fan oven, or meat that sat out for an hour all cook quicker than the rate assumes. The estimate is a planning figure - the thermometer is the answer.

What temperature should meat reach inside?

165°F for any poultry, 145°F plus a rest for whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb, 160°F for anything minced, and 140°F to reheat a cooked ham.