Thanksgiving Timeline for 14 People

For 14 guests, buy an 18 lb turkey and move it from the freezer to the refrigerator by Friday, November 20. For dinner at 3 pm it goes into a 325°F oven at 10:15 am, comes out to rest at 2:30 pm, and the pies and cranberry sauce are made on Wednesday, November 25.

Jump to your result ↓

Results

Example job shown. Change the numbers to match yours.

Turkey to buy

18 pounds

Buy 18 lb

Servings: 14 people

Thawing

Thaw in the refrigerator24 hours for every 4 to 5 lb (we use 4 lb, rounded up), at 40°F or below. The safest way: 5 days
Thaw in cold water (faster than the refrigerator)30 minutes a lb in a sealed bag, changing the water every 30 minutes. Cook it right away: 9.0 hours

Roasting

Roast at 325°F, unstuffedCheck with a thermometer, not the clock: 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min
Safe internal temperatureIn the thickest part of the breast and thigh, and the stuffing: 165°F
Rest before carvingCover loosely with foil: 20 to 30 min

A whole turkey for 14 servings. Source: USDA FSIS, Let’s Talk Turkey (roasting and thawing guidance). Roasting times are its 325°F timetable (unstuffed, or its stuffed column when ticked) and change with the oven, the pan and the bird, so cook to temperature. Never thaw a turkey on the counter. A frozen turkey can be cooked from frozen, but takes about 50% longer.

Blueprint

18 lb · 1 bird

Countdown for 14 guests, dinner at 3 pm

A frozen turkey at 1.25 lb a person (the dinner calculator's standard appetite) and Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Times in bold are on the day; amounts come from the Thanksgiving dinner calculator.

When	What	Notes
Friday, November 20	Frozen turkey into the refrigerator	5 days for 18 lb at about 24 hours per 4 to 5 lb, plus a spare day.
Wednesday, November 25	Pies, cranberry sauce, chopping	3 pies, 3.5 cups of cranberry sauce, the onions and celery for 11 cups of stuffing.
9:55 am	Oven on to 325°F	20 minutes before the turkey goes in, a margin over the 12 to 15 minutes KitchenAid gives for a normal preheat. Giblets out; pat the bird dry.
10:15 am	Turkey in, unstuffed	Allows the full 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min.
2:00 pm	First temperature check	165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
2:15 pm	Potatoes on to boil	7 lb for mashing.
2:30 pm	Turkey out to rest	30 minutes under foil; stuffing and casseroles into the oven.
2:40 pm	Gravy and rolls	6 cups of gravy, 21 rolls.
3:00 pm	Carve and serve

The 18 lb turkey at other dinner times

Each time uses the long end of the USDA range at 325°F and a 30 minute rest, so a fast bird just rests longer.

Dinner at	Oven on	Turkey in	First check	Out to rest
1:00 pm	7:55 am	8:15 am	12:00 pm	12:30 pm
2:00 pm	8:55 am	9:15 am	1:00 pm	1:30 pm
3:00 pm	9:55 am	10:15 am	2:00 pm	2:30 pm
4:00 pm	10:55 am	11:15 am	3:00 pm	3:30 pm
5:00 pm	11:55 am	12:15 pm	4:00 pm	4:30 pm

Fourteen guests: when to shop for the bird

A frozen 18 lb turkey needs 5 days in the refrigerator, so it has to be bought and moved to a shelf by Friday, November 20, 6 days ahead with a spare day. A bird bought on Sunday, November 22 gets fewer than the 5 days the calculator allows, and may still be icy inside on the morning.

A fresh turkey skips the thaw, but USDA advises buying it only 1 to 2 days before cooking, on Tuesday, November 24 or Wednesday, November 25, and many stores take orders for that. Either way, 18 lb roasts 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min unstuffed, so for a 3 pm dinner it goes in at 10:15 am. For leftovers, 1.5 lb a person makes it 21 lb and 6 days in the refrigerator.

Also cooking a ham for 14?

As a second meat beside the turkey, the ham size calculator at the low USDA serving, 1/3 lb of bone-in ham a person, gives 5 lb for 14 guests.

A fully cooked half ham reheats at 325°F, the same oven temperature as the turkey, at 18 to 24 minutes a pound: 1 h 30 min to 2 h for 5 lb. Put it in at 12:30 pm so it reaches 140°F as the turkey comes out at 2:30 pm, then rest both under foil while the stuffing bakes. No room? USDA says a cooked ham from an inspected plant is safe to serve cold. More in how much ham per person.

How much turkey a person? The USDA's consumer guide allows about 1 lb of whole turkey a person for a fresh or frozen bird and 1¼ lb for a pre-stuffed one; this page uses 1.25 lb. See how big a turkey for 14 people and the one-oven Thanksgiving cooking schedule.

Want to change anything else? The calculator above is the full Turkey Size Calculator: How Big a Turkey for Thanksgiving?: edit any number and the results update instantly.

Tools & materials for this project

Affiliate links As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These links do not change what you pay.

Gravy separator

Frequently asked questions

What is the Thanksgiving timeline for 14 people?

Move a frozen 18 lb turkey to the refrigerator by Friday, November 20, make the pies and cranberry sauce on Wednesday, November 25, and for a 3 pm dinner put the turkey in at 10:15 am with the oven on at 9:55 am.

What size turkey for 14 people?

An 18 lb turkey at 1.25 lb a person, or 21 lb at 1.5 lb if you want leftovers. The smaller bird thaws in 5 days in the refrigerator and roasts 3 h 45 min to 4 h 15 min at 325°F.

When should I buy a fresh turkey for 14?

USDA advises buying a fresh turkey only 1 to 2 days before you cook it, so Tuesday, November 24 or Wednesday, November 25. A frozen 18 lb bird has to be in the refrigerator by Friday, November 20.

Can I cook a ham and a turkey for 14 in the same oven?

Yes, both cook at 325°F. A cooked half ham of 5 lb reheats in 1 h 30 min to 2 h, so for a 3 pm dinner it goes in at 12:30 pm and reaches 140°F as the turkey comes out at 2:30 pm.

Related sizes and guides

Estimates only. Results assume standard materials and simple shapes. Supplier products vary, and the final call on quantity, structure and safety is yours. Check your local code and your supplier's guidance before ordering.

Your project