Size Matters—Here's How To Know What Size Turkey You Need For Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

Size Matters—Here's How To Know What Size Turkey You Need For Thanksgiving? ›

The general rule of thumb is 1–1½ pounds turkey per person. If that seems like a lot, remember that a whole turkey comes with a lot of parts that don't end up getting eaten. “When you buy a whole turkey, a lot of it is bone,” says recipe developer (and former BA staffer) Jessie YuChen.

The general rule is to plan for 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per guest. If you're buying boneless meat, assume about 8 ounces per guest. To buy the right size turkey for your party, simply tally up the turkey-eating guests.

8 to 10 people = 8- to 15-lb. turkey.

10 lbs should be plenty turkey for 7 people with some leftovers. If you want lots of turkey left, go for 12–14 lbs.

A 20-pound turkey will feed between 12 and 14 people.

The flavor of a bird is determined by several additional factors, which may actually be more important than whether your turkey is fresh or frozen. Size is key — smaller birds tend to be more tender; if you have a lot of guests coming, think about cooking two small turkeys instead of one large one.

However, a common guideline is to estimate about 1 to 1.5 pounds (0.45 to 0.68 kilograms) of turkey per person. This takes into account the weight of the turkey before cooking. The average Thanksgiving turkey for an American family typically weighs between 12 to 24 pounds.

For smaller gatherings, Jessie recommends scaling up to 2 pounds per person to maximize leftovers (more on that later). “For four to six people, 11 to 13 pounds is a good range,” Jessie says. (Most of our recipes call for a 12-to-14-pound bird.)

Ground turkey that is “93/7” means the product is 93 percent lean and 7 percent fat. Other popular products are 85/15, 90/10, 98/2 or 99/1. The leaner the product, the larger the first number listed. Ground turkey can also be a combination of white meat and dark meat.

Is 20 lb turkey too big? ›

Here at Delish we believe in hitting the sweet spot. While 1 pound per person could feel like too little, and 1 1/2 pounds for each guest might be over-doing it, 1 1/4 pounds of turkey per mouth is the perfect balance. At that rate, feeding a large party of 15 or more people requires 20+ pounds of turkey.

How Much Turkey Breast to Buy. One (3-pound) half-breast will feed two to four people. A whole (six- to seven-pound) turkey breast (two breasts, still joined at the breast bone) will feed six to eight people. This method will work for either amount of meat.

A huge wild turkey is upwards of 30 pounds. Domestic turkeys get bigger and fatter and can reach upwards of 60–80 pounds. Not many people need a turkey that big for thanksgiving so the larger ones get processed into deli meats or turkey burger etc. Most thanksgiving turkeys range from 12–20 pounds.

Bring on that 20-pound bird! This 17 3/4-by-21½-inch platter is wider than the other options and can hold the turkey and its accompaniments.