Determining the weight of your turkey is an important part of preparing for a delicious Thanksgiving meal. The size of the bird will impact cooking time amount of seasoning needed and how many people it will serve. While pre-packaged turkeys from the grocery store often have the weight printed on the label, weighing a fresh turkey from a farm or one you’ve raised yourself requires a few simple techniques. Follow this comprehensive guide to accurately weigh your turkey, whether it’s alive or already processed.
Why Weight Matters
There are several reasons you need an accurate turkey weight:
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To calculate cooking time. Larger birds take longer to roast You need the weight to determine the minutes per pound.
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To buy the right size turkey for your gathering. Plan for 1-1.5 pounds per person.
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To apply the correct amount of salt or brine. Proper seasoning prevents dry meat.
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To determine when to start checking for doneness. Weight gives you an estimate, since oven temps vary.
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To ensure you get the size you pay for from a farm or butcher. Match weight to price.
Buying the right size bird and cooking it properly gives you juicy, flavorful meat to feed your whole party. So weighing matters!
Supplies Needed
To weigh your turkey, you’ll need:
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A food scale, body scale, or hanging scale with the capacity for your turkey’s estimated weight
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Something to contain or lift the turkey, like a clean box, bag, rope, or net
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A sturdy surface or structure for overhead weighing
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A notebook and pen to record the weight
Weighing a Whole Raw Turkey
For store-bought birds, the simplest method is:
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Place your food or body scale on a level surface. Digital scales are easiest to read.
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Zero out the scale without the turkey on it.
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Carefully set the whole raw turkey on the center of the scale.
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Wait for the dial or display to stabilize, then read and record the weight.
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Double check the weight reading to ensure accuracy.
This gives you the total weight in pounds to use for cooking calculations. Make sure to keep the turkey cold until you’re ready to cook it.
Weighing a Live Turkey
For home-raised or locally-sourced live birds, there are a few options:
Bathroom Scale Method
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Place a sturdy box or crate on the scale and zero it out.
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Gently set your calm turkey inside the box.
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Once the weight stabilizes, read and record it.
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Subtract the box’s weight to get the turkey’s weight.
Hanging Scale Method
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Secure a hanging scale overhead on a rafter, tree branch, etc.
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Attach the hook to the turkey’s legs via a rope or cord.
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Carefully lift to suspend the turkey and get the weight.
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Record the weight reading on the scale.
Estimating Weight
If an actual weight is impossible, estimate based on the turkey’s breed, age, and size. Small turkeys are under 12 lbs, medium 12-16 lbs, and large 16-20 lbs. It’s not exact but better than no weight at all.
Key Tips
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Handle live birds gently to avoid injury or stress.
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Move slowly and calmly so you don’t startle the turkey.
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Weigh as close to cooking as possible for accuracy.
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If in doubt, estimate a higher weight to avoid undercooking.
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Include weight of giblets and neck when calculating the total.
Weighing your turkey is simple with the right tools. Accurately determining the weight leads to perfect roasting times and a delicious holiday meal the whole family will love.
The case of the mis-labeled turkey
In an effort to find out how my turkey was mislabeled, my local Whole Foods’ “Meat Team Leader” contacted someone in corporate, and it went all the way up to a District Vice-President, who personally called me, promising to get to the bottom of it and get back to me. I had to point out to him that still, no one had offered to refund what I had overpaid.
He did, and gave me a $25 Whole Foods gift card for my trouble.
He also got back to me, after contacting the processing center, and told me that they thoroughly looked into it, and determined that my mislabeled bird was an isolated incident — there was no systemic problem. Much appreciated, and I hope he’s right. Please weigh your bird.
Today’s the day to purchase your turkey if you’re dry-brining; that way you’ll have it ready to salt Monday morning. (Or you could purchase first thing Monday and get it going by mid-day.) Here’s the recipe, to guide you, along with recipes for savory sides and appetizers.
Why the weight is important
There are many reasons an accurate weight is important — for any kind of food product. For one thing, you need to get what you’re paying for (pretty basic!).
In the case of a turkey, obviously you need to know that you’ll have enough for your guests. The general rule-of-thumb is one to one and a half pounds of turkey per person (when you’re talking about a whole bird). If I were serving 10 guests and chose what was labeled an 11+ pound bird, that should have been ample. But if it were actually under 8 pounds? Might be a bit sparse — not what you want on Thanksgiving.
Then there’s the prep and cooking. If you dry-brine — that is, salt the bird a few days in advance of roasting for succulent, flavorful meat and crisp, golden skin — you need an accurate weight to know how much salt to rub on.
Whether you have dry-brined, wet brined or not brined at all, the weight will tell you approximately how long the turkey will need to roast. It won’t be anything like exact — oven temperatures very wildly, and most ovens do not heat evenly or maintain even heat during a long stretch. But at least the weight will help you know at what point to start checking on the turkey for doneness.
Using our Cooks Without Borders recipe, a 12-pound turkey usually roasts in about 2 hours and 45 minutes, but I always start checking at about the 2-hour mark, just in case. Miss the mark, start testing too late, and it’ll quickly go from done to dry and overcooked, particularly the breast.
You want the dark meat to reach 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C, but not go beyond that. The white meat will already be a bit more cooked than ideal at that temperature (which is why many cooks spatchcock). I love the presentation of a whole bird, so I live with less-than-perfect white meat. It’s a choice. It’s still delicious. But not if you go must past that dark-meat-is-done point.
How to Score a Turkey Based Off the NWTF Scoring System
FAQ
How many people will a 14 lb turkey feed?
Does turkey weight include neck and giblets?
How much meat do you get off of a 14 lb turkey?
How do you calculate turkey per person in pounds?
How much does a turkey weigh?
On average, a male turkey (also known as a tom) weighs around 16 to 30 pounds, while a female turkey (a hen) tends to be smaller, weighing between 8 to 16 pounds. Remember that these are just approximations; individual turkeys can fall outside of these ranges. To give you some examples: Several factors can influence a turkey’s weight:
How much does a turkey weigh in a store?
When a turkey is slaughtered and prepared for sale, parts of the turkey are removed. This is why the live weights are so much higher than the average weight in the store. A turkey which was 41 lbs at slaughter, will be about 24 lbs. in the store. This means a turkey in the store is about 10-15 lbs. less of its live weight.
How much does a commercial turkey weigh?
The average weight of a commercial turkey flock is 20lbs. Smaller-scale domestic turkeys are produced locally in the United States. These tend to be a bit smaller than commercially raised turkeys. This includes types of wild turkey or organically raised on small farm fields. These fresh turkeys are lean and produced without additives.
How much does a heritage breed turkey weigh?
On average, heritage breed turkeys weigh between 8 to 16 pounds, making them a suitable choice for smaller gatherings. 6. Can I request a specific weight when purchasing a turkey?