For an 11-pound stuffed turkey, you’re looking at about 4 to 4.5 hours in a 325°F oven. Yes, that’s a chunk of your day. But hey, good things take time—like that second cup of coffee.
Why so long? Because the stuffing inside acts like a heat sponge. It soaks up all that hot air, so the bird cooks slower. Annoying? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
The math that doesn’t hurt
General rule: cook a stuffed turkey for 15 minutes per pound at 325°F. Do the math: 11 x 15 = 165 minutes. That’s 2 hours and 45 minutes, right? Wrong.
That equation is for a loose guide only—it assumes your bird is perfectly thawed, your oven runs hot, and your stuffing isn’t packed like a brick. Reality? Add at least an hour. Trust me on this. I once undercooked a turkey by 40 minutes, and my guests ate cereal for dinner. (Not my best holiday.)
