Poultry Cooking Times

The proper cooking time and the correct cooking temperature are extremely important when preparing any type of poultry. The optimum flavor and tenderness of turkey, chicken, duck, or any other type of poultry can be consistently achieved when care is taken to follow the recommended cooking time and temperature guidelines. This will also 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
Type of Poultry	Oven Temperature	Weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
Chicken Chicken Chicken	350Â°F 350Â°F 350Â°F	2 1/2 - 3 lbs. 3 - 4 lbs. 4 - 6 lbs.	1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours 1 3/4 - 2 hours	1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours 1 3/4 - 2 hours 2 - 2 1/4 hours
Cornish hen	350Â°F	1 - 2 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours	1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours
Capon Capon	325Â°F 325Â°F	5 - 6 lbs. 6 - 8 lbs.	1 3/4 - 2 hours 2 1/4 - 3 1/2 hours	2 1/2 - 3 hours 3 - 4 hours
Turkey (whole) Turkey (whole) Turkey (whole) Turkey (whole) Turkey (whole) Turkey breast (half) Turkey breast (whole) Turkey breast (whole) Turkey drumsticks Turkey thighs Turkey wings	325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F 325Â°F	8 - 12 lbs. 12 - 14 lbs. 14 - 18 lbs. 18 - 20 lbs. 20 - 24 lbs. 2 - 3 lbs. 4 - 6 lbs. 6 - 8 lbs. 3/4 - 1 lb. 3/4 - 1 lb. 6 - 8 oz.	2 3/4 - 3 hours 3 - 3 3/4 hours 3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours 4 1/4 - 4 1/2 hours 4 1/2 - 5 hours 50 - 60 minutes 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 hours 2 1/4 - 3 1/4 hours 2 - 2 1/4 hours 1 3/4 - 2 hours 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 hours	3 - 3 1/2 hours 3 1/2 - 4 hours 4 - 4 1/4 hours 4 1/4 - 4 3/4 ours 4 3/4 - 5 1/2 hours
Goose	350Â°F	10 - 12 lbs.	2 3/4 - 3 1/4 hours	3 - 3 1/2 hours
Duck	350Â°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 175Â°- 180Â°F; the temperature will continue to rise as the meat stands.

Stewed Poultry
Type of Poultry	Weight	Approximate Cooking Time
Type of Poultry	Weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
Whole broiler fryer	3 - 4 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours	1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hours
Whole 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 (bone-in)	6 - 8 oz.	35 - 45 minutes
Breast half (boneless)	4 oz.	25 - 30 minutes
Leg or thigh	8 or 4 oz.	40 - 50 minutes
Drumstick	4 oz.	40 - 50 minutes
Wing or wingette/drumette	2 - 3 oz.	35 - 45 minutes
Grilled Poultry
Type of Poultry	Weight	Approximate Cooking Time (internal temperature 180Â°F)
Type of Poultry	Weight	Unstuffed	Stuffed
Whole broiler fryer (indirect heat)	3 - 4 lbs.	60 - 70 minutes	1 1/4 - 1 3/4 hours
Whole 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) Whole turkey (indirect heat)	8 - 12 lbs. 12 - 16 lbs.	2 - 3 hours 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 (bone-in)	6 - 8 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Breast half (boneless) Breast half (boneless)	4 oz. 6 - 8 oz.	8 - 10 minutes per side 10 - 15 minutes per side
Leg or thigh	8 or 4 oz.	10 - 15 minutes per side
Drumstick Drumstick	4 oz. 8 - 16 oz.	8 - 12 minutes per side 10 - 15 minutes per side
Wing or wingette/drumette	2 - 3 oz.	8 - 12 minutes per side

Poultry Cooked at 350Â°F in an Oven Bag
Type of Poultry	Total Weight	Approximate Cooking Time
Type of Poultry	Total Weight	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) Whole turkey (unstuffed) Whole turkey (unstuffed) Whole turkey (unstuffed)	8 - 12 lbs. 12 - 16 lbs. 16 - 20 lbs. 20 - 24 lbs.		1 1/2 - 2 hours	2 - 2 1/2 hours 2 1/2 - 3 hours 3 - 3 1/2 hours
Whole turkey (stuffed) Whole turkey (stuffed) Whole turkey (stuffed) Whole turkey (stuffed)	8 - 12 lbs. 12 - 16 lbs. 16 - 20 lbs. 20 - 24 lbs.		2 - 2 1/2 hours	2 1/2 - 3 hours 3 - 3 1/2 hours 3 1/2 - 4 hours
Turkey breast (bone-in) Turkey breast (bone-in)	4 - 8 lbs. 10 - 12 lbs.		1 1/4 - 2 hours	2 1/4 - 2 3/4 hours
Turkey breast (boneless) Turkey breast (boneless) Turkey breast (boneless)	2 1/2 - 3 lbs. 5 lbs. 8 - 12 lbs.	1 1/4-1 3/4 hrs	2-2 1/4 hrs	3 - 3 1/2 hours
Turkey drumsticks Turkey drumsticks	1 1/2 - 2 lbs. 2 - 3 lbs.	1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs	1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours
Chicken pieces Chicken pieces	2 - 2 1/4 lbs. 2 3/4 - 3 lbs.	45 - 50 minutes	45 - 50 minutes
Chicken thighs Chicken thighs	1/2 - 1 1/2 lbs. 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 lbs.	35 - 40 minutes	35 - 40 minutes
Chicken drumsticks Chicken drumsticks	1 - 1 1/2 lbs. 2 - 2 1/2 lbs.	35 - 40 minutes	35 - 40 minutes
Chicken breast half (bone-in) Chicken breast half (bone-in)	1 1/2 - 2 lbs. 2 - 2 1/2 lbs.	40 - 45 minutes	40 - 45 minutes
Chicken breast half (boneless) Chicken breast half (boneless)	3/4 - 1 lbs. 1 - 1 1/2 lbs.	25 - 30 minutes	25 - 30 minutes
Whole chicken Whole chicken	3 1/2 - 4 lbs. 5 - 7 lbs.	1 - 1 1/4 hours	1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours
Cornish hens Cornish hens	1 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs. 4 - 7 lbs.	40 - 45 minutes	55 - 60 minutes
Oven Bag Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350Â°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 180Â°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.