Determining How Much a Whole Turkey Weighs – An 1889 Word Guide
As Thanksgiving and the holidays approach a key question comes to mind – how much does a whole turkey actually weigh? When preparing to cook a full turkey, you need an accurate weight estimate to buy the right size bird and ensure it will feed your gathering. In this comprehensive 1889 word guide we’ll break down the typical weight ranges for whole turkeys and the factors impacting size.
Average Tom Turkey Weights
Male turkeys, known as toms or gobblers, tend to be substantially larger than females Through selective breeding, commercial tom turkeys are quite sizeable to yield more breast meat. Here are some common tom turkey weight ranges
- Commercial Toms: 20-30 lbs
- Heritage Toms: 18-25 lbs
- Wild Toms: 16-20 lbs
The average grocery store turkey you find in the supermarket freezer is likely a commercial tom. These average around 24 pounds. Larger heritage and wild toms max out around 25 and 20 pounds respectively.
Average Hen Turkey Weights
Female turkeys, called hens, have a naturally smaller structure than males. Here are the typical weight ranges:
- Commercial Hens: 10-16 lbs
- Heritage Hens: 8-14 lbs
- Wild Hens: 8-12 lbs
On average, a commercial hen hits about 12 pounds. Heritage and wild hens fall right around 11 pounds. Hens are a good choice for smaller gatherings.
Factors Impacting Whole Turkey Weight
Many elements influence the final weight, including:
- Sex – Toms much larger than hens
- Age – Older turkeys weigh more
- Type – Commercial weigh more than heritage/wild
- Diet – Well-fed turkeys grow bigger
- Health – Illness can stunt growth
- Genetics – Some breeds larger than others
Free-range, pasture-raised, and organic turkeys may fall on the lower end of weight ranges due to their more natural diet and living conditions. Poor health or malnutrition also hinders growth.
Estimating Turkey Weights Needed
A reasonable estimate for turkey portions is about 1-1.5 pounds per person. For a whole turkey, use the following general guidelines:
- 8-12 lbs: Feeds 4-6 people
- 12-16 lbs: Feeds 6-8 people
- 16-20 lbs: Feeds 8-12 people
- 20-24 lbs: Feeds 12-16 people
- 24-30 lbs: Feeds 16-20 people
Purchase a slightly bigger turkey if you want ample leftovers. Allow 1-2 pounds total per person if including side dishes in your estimate.
Weighing a Turkey at Home
To find the precise weight of your turkey, use a kitchen scale:
- Place a rimmed baking sheet on scale and hit tare to zero it out.
- Remove turkey from packaging and set on baking sheet.
- Allow weight reading to stabilize before recording.
- Clean scale immediately after to avoid cross-contamination.
Now you know exactly what your turkey weighs for planning!
Allowing for Stuffing/Dressing
If stuffing your turkey, the weight of the stuffing counts towards the total weight. So a 16 lb turkey stuffed with 2 pounds of dressing equals an 18 lb turkey for serving calculations.
Pro Tips for Picking the Right Size
Some additional tips when selecting your turkey:
- Make sure your oven or roaster can fit the size you buy
- Factor in other dishes being served at the meal
- Allow 1 day thawing for every 4-5 lbs of frozen turkey
- Buy fresh if cooking within 2 days of purchasing
- Get extra breasts separately if you need more white meat
With this guide to whole turkey weights, you’ll pick the perfect size bird for a spectacular feast this holiday season!
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. One to one and a half pounds of turkey per person is a good rule of thumb when it comes to whole birds. If I were cooking for 10 people and picked an 11-pound bird, that should have been enough. What if it was less than 8 pounds, though? It might not be enough for Thanksgiving.
Then there’s the prep and cooking. If you dry-brine, or salt the bird a few days before roasting it to get juicy, flavorful meat and crispy, golden skin, you need to know the exact weight of the bird to know how much salt to rub on it.
The weight of the turkey will tell you about how long it needs to roast, whether it was dry-brined, wet-brined, or not brined at all. The temperature inside an oven can vary a lot, and most of them don’t heat evenly or keep an even temperature for a long time. But at least the weight will let you know when to start checking to see if the turkey is done.
A 12-pound turkey usually roasts in about 2 hours and 45 minutes using our Cooks Without Borders recipe. But I always check after about 2 hours, just in case. For the breast, if you miss the mark or test it too late, it will go from done to dry and overcooked very quickly.
It’s best for the dark meat to be at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). At that point, the white meat will already be a bit more done than ideal, 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.
The case of the mis-labeled turkey
In order to find out how my turkey got the wrong label, the “Meat Team Leader” at my local Whole Foods called someone in corporate. The call went all the way up to a District Vice-President, who called me and said he would look into it and get back to me. I had to tell him that still no one had offered to give me back the money I had paid too much.
He did, and gave me a $25 Whole Foods gift card for my trouble.
After calling the processing center, he also called me back and told me that they had looked into it thoroughly and found that my bird’s wrong label was an isolated incident—there was no systemic problem. Much appreciated, and I hope he’s right. Please weigh your bird.
If you’re dry-brining your turkey, today is the day to buy it. That way, it will be ready to salt on 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.
How to Deep Fry a Whole Turkey – Step by Step Tutorial by @BigPaulOnTheGrill
FAQ
Is a 20 lb turkey enough for 10 people?
What is the average weight of a frozen turkey?
How many people will a 14 lb turkey feed?
How much is a 5 pound turkey?
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Turkey Size
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How many does it feed?
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Turkey Price
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5 lb. Temporarily Unavailable
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10 to 15
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$35.50
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6 lb.
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12 to 18
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$42.00
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7 lb.
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14 to 21
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$48.50
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8 lb.
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16 to 24
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$55.00
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How much does a turkey weigh?
When it comes to how much a turkey weighs, there’s no fixed answer. Turkey sizes vary based on sex, age, type, diet, and other factors. On average, a typical tom turkey will weigh 16-30 lbs compared to 8-16 lbs for hens. Younger birds skew towards the lower end of the ranges. For holiday dinners, plan on about 1 lb of turkey per guest.
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.
How much does a heritage turkey weigh?
Heritage turkeys are smaller and often weigh less than commercial turkeys. While heritage turkeys can range from 8 to 16 pounds (3.6 to 7.3 kilograms), commercial turkeys are generally bigger. 8. Does the age of a turkey affect its weight? Yes, as turkeys grow older, they tend to gain weight. Younger turkeys will weigh less than fully matured ones.
Is there a weight difference between frozen and fresh turkeys?
There is generally no significant difference in weight between frozen and fresh turkeys. The weight difference would only arise due to the moisture loss in the frozen turkey during storage. 11. Are there weight variations among various parts of a turkey?
Is a 16 pound turkey a hen or a Tom?
If you’re at the store pondering over a turkey, here’s a handy tip: a 16-24 pound turkey is likely a tom, while an 8-16 pound bird is probably a hen. The humble turkey, often viewed as a simple holiday staple, holds a surprising depth of complexity.