Poultry Cooking Times - Cooking Tips

Using the recommended time and temperature guidelines will ensure that the meat is cooked to the minimum safe internal temperature, which is critical in preventing food-borne illness that can be caused by undercooked poultry. Using an accurate meat thermometer is the best way to ensure the proper doneness of poultry.

Use the following chart as a cooking time and temperature guide for various types of poultry that are oven baked or roasted, stewed, grilled, or are inserted into an oven bag prior to cooking. See the articles, "Chicken - Checking Doneness" and "Turkey Doneness" for additional information on determining the proper doneness of these types of meat.

POULTRY Cooking Times and Temperatures
Oven Baked or Roasted Poultry
Type of Poultry	Oven Temperature	Weight	Approximate Cooking Time
			Unstuffed	Stuffed
Chicken	350°F	2 1/2 - 3 lbs.	1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours	1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours
Chicken	350°F	3 - 4 lbs.	1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours	1 3/4 - 2 hours
Chicken	350°F	4 - 6 lbs.	1 3/4 - 2 hours	2 - 2 1/4 hours
Cornish hen	350°F	1 - 2 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours	1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours
Capon	325°F	5 - 6 lbs.	1 3/4 - 2 hours	2 1/2 - 3 hours
Capon	325°F	6 - 8 lbs.	2 1/4 - 3 1/2 hours	3 - 4 hours
Turkey (whole)	325°F	8 - 12 lbs.	2 3/4 - 3 hours	3 - 3 1/2 hours
Turkey (whole)	325°F	12 - 14 lbs.	3 - 3 3/4 hours	3 1/2 - 4 hours
Turkey (whole)	325°F	14 - 18 lbs.	3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours	4 - 4 1/4 hours
Turkey (whole)	325°F	18 - 20 lbs.	4 1/4 - 4 1/2 hours	4 1/4 - 4 3/4 hours
Turkey (whole)	325°F	20 - 24 lbs.	4 1/2 - 5 hours	4 3/4 - 5 1/2 hours
Turkey breast (half)	325°F	2 - 3 lbs.	50 - 60 minutes
Turkey breast (whole)	325°F	4 - 6 lbs.	1 1/2 - 2 1/4 hours
Turkey breast (whole)	325°F	6 - 8 lbs.	2 1/4 - 3 1/4 hours
Turkey drumsticks	325°F	3/4 - 1 lb.	2 - 2 1/4 hours
Turkey thighs	325°F	3/4 - 1 lb.	1 3/4 - 2 hours
Turkey wings	325°F	6 - 8 oz.	1 3/4 - 2 1/4 hours
Goose	350°F	10 - 12 lbs.	2 3/4 - 3 1/4 hours	3 - 3 1/2 hours
Duck	350°F	4 - 5 lbs.	2 - 2 1/2 hours	2 1/2 - 2 3/4 hours
Note: Start with meat at refrigerator temperature. Remove the meat from the oven when the meat thermometer reads 175°- 180°F; the temperature will continue to rise as the meat stands.
Stewed Poultry
Type of Poultry		Weight	Approximate Cooking Time
			Unstuffed	Stuffed
Whole chicken, broiler fryer		3 - 4 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours	1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hours
Whole chicken, roaster		5 - 7 lbs.	1 3/4 - 2 hours	2 - 2 1/2 hours
Whole Cornish hens		18 - 24 oz.	35 - 40 minutes	50 - 70 minutes
Breast half, chicken (bone-in)		6 - 8 oz.	35 - 45 minutes
Breast half, chicken (boneless)		4 oz.	25 - 30 minutes
Leg or thigh, chicken		8 or 4 oz.	40 - 50 minutes
Drumstick, chicken		4 oz.	40 - 50 minutes
Wing or wingette/drumette, chicken		2 - 3 oz.	35 - 45 minutes
Grilled Poultry
Type of Poultry		Weight	Approximate Cooking Time (internal temperature 180°F)
			Unstuffed	Stuffed
Whole chicken, broiler fryer (indirect heat)		3 - 4 lbs.	60 - 70 minutes	1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hours
Whole chicken, roaster (indirect heat)		5 - 7 lbs.	18 - 25 minutes per lb.	23 - 55 minutes per lb.
Whole cornish hens (indirect heat)		18 - 24 oz.	45 - 55 minutes	1 - 1 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (indirect heat)		8 - 12 lbs.	2 - 3 hours
Whole turkey (indirect heat)		12 - 16 lbs.	3 - 4 hours
Whole duckling (indirect heat)		4 1/2 lbs.	2 1/2 hours
Whole goose (indirect heat)		8 - 12 lbs.	18 - 20 minutes per lb.
Whole capon (indirect heat)		4 - 8 lbs.	15 - 20 minutes per lb.
Breast half, chicken (bone-in)		6 - 8 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Breast half, chicken (boneless)		4 oz.	8 - 10 minutes per side
Breast half, chicken (boneless)		6 - 8 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Leg or thigh, chicken		8 or 4 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Drumstick, chicken		4 oz.	8 - 12 minutes per side
Drumstick, chicken		8 - 16 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Wing or wingette/drumette, chicken		2 - 3 oz.	8 - 12 minutes per side
Note: When grilling with Indirect Heat generally the coals (or burners on a gas grill) are heated to a high heat. When grilling with Direct Heat the coals (or burners on a gas grill) are heated to a medium heat. Use these heat settings unless you have a recipe that states something different. See how to test the grill temperature.
Poultry Cooked at 350°F in an Oven Bag
Type of Poultry	Total Weight	Approximate Cooking Time
		Regular-Size Oven Bag 10" x 16"	Large-Size Oven Bag 14" x 20"	Turkey-Size Oven Bag 19" x 23 1/2"
Whole turkey (unstuffed)	8 - 12 lbs.		1 1/2 - 2 hours
Whole turkey (unstuffed)	12 - 16 lbs.			2 - 2 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (unstuffed)	16 - 20 lbs.			2 1/2 - 3 hours
Whole turkey (unstuffed)	20 - 24 lbs.			3 - 3 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (stuffed)	8 - 12 lbs.		2 - 2 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (stuffed)	12 - 16 lbs.			2 1/2 - 3 hours
Whole turkey (stuffed)	16 - 20 lbs.			3 - 3 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (stuffed)	20 - 24 lbs.			3 1/2 - 4 hours
Turkey breast (bone-in)	4 - 8 lbs.		1 1/4 - 2 hours
Turkey breast (bone-in)	10 - 12 lbs.			2 1/4 - 2 3/4 hours
Turkey breast (boneless)	2 1/2 - 3 lbs.	1 1/4-1 3/4 hours
Turkey breast (boneless)	5 lbs.		2-2 1/4 hours
Turkey breast (boneless)	8 - 12 lbs.			3 - 3 1/2 hours
Turkey drumsticks	1 1/2 - 2 lbs.	1 1/2-1 3/4 hours
Turkey drumsticks	2 - 3 lbs.		1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours
Chicken pieces	2 - 2 1/4 lbs.	45 - 50 minutes
Chicken pieces	2 3/4 - 3 lbs.		45 - 50 minutes
Chicken thighs	1/2 - 1 1/2 lbs.	35 - 40 minutes
Chicken thighs	1 1/2 - 2 1/4 lbs.		35 - 40 minutes
Chicken drumsticks	1 - 1 1/2 lbs.	35 - 40 minutes
Chicken drumsticks	2 - 2 1/2 lbs.		35 - 40 minutes
Chicken breast half (bone-in)	1 1/2 - 2 lbs.	40 - 45 minutes
Chicken breast half (bone-in)	2 - 2 1/2 lbs.		40 - 45 minutes
Chicken breast half (boneless)	3/4 - 1 lbs.	25 - 30 minutes
Chicken breast half (boneless)	1 - 1 1/2 lbs.		25 - 30 minutes
Whole chicken	3 1/2 - 4 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours
Whole chicken	5 - 7 lbs.		1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours
Cornish hens	1 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs.	40 - 45 minutes
Cornish hens	4 - 7 lbs.		55 - 60 minutes
Oven Bag Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add 1 tablespoon flour to the oven bag and distribute evenly on the inside of the bag prior to inserting the poultry. Brush the poultry with vegetable oil or butter. Remove the poultry from the oven when the meat thermometer reaches 180°F. If using a turkey-size oven bag for poultry smaller than 12 lbs., gather the oven bag loosely around the meat allowing room for heat circulation; then close the bag with a nylon tie, and cut away any excess oven bag.