What it does
Pick the meat and type its weight, and this page gives a roasting time range, the oven setting, how long to rest it and the temperature the thickest part must reach. For a whole turkey it also says how long thawing takes in the fridge or in cold water.
Times are only a guide; the safe temperature is what matters, so the page shows both the USDA FSIS and the Health Canada figures. To change the oven setting to gas mark or a fan oven, use oven temperature; to fit the roast into the week, use the meal planner.
How to use it
- Choose the meat: whole turkey, whole chicken, or a beef, pork or lamb roast.
- Type the weight and pick kg or lb. Switching the unit converts the number you typed.
- For turkey, tick Stuffed if the stuffing cooks inside the bird. For beef and lamb, choose how done you like it.
- Start checking with a thermometer at the start of the time range.
What each setting does
- Meat: sets the oven temperature, the time rule and the safe temperature.
- Weight, kg or lb: the raw weight on the label.
- Stuffed (turkey only): uses the USDA chart for stuffed birds, which takes longer.
- How done (beef and lamb): medium-rare 63 °C, medium 71 °C or well done 77 °C, as Health Canada lists them.
- Minutes per kg, from and to (not turkey): fibub’s rule of thumb, filled in for you. Edit it if your recipe or oven differs.
- Reset: goes back to the 6 kg turkey example.
Worked example
A 6 kg turkey, not stuffed, is 13.2 lb, so it falls in the USDA 12 to 14 lb row: 3 h to 3 h 45 min at 325 °F (about 165 °C). It is done at 74 °C (165 °F) in the thigh and breast by USDA (Health Canada says 82 °C for a whole bird), then rests at least 20 minutes. Thawing in the fridge takes about 3 days (63 to 79 hours); in cold water about 6½ hours.
FAQs
Why do USDA and Health Canada differ? They set their own advice. Health Canada asks for more heat on whole birds (82 °C) and pork (71 °C).
Is rare beef listed? No. Both agencies set 63 °C as the lowest safe point for whole cuts.
Where the numbers come from
- Turkey roasting times at 325 °F, thawing (24 hours per 4 to 5 lb in the fridge, 30 minutes per lb in cold water) and 20 minute rest: USDA FSIS, Let's Talk Turkey roasting guide, checked 2026-11-10.
- Safe minimum internal temperatures: USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart and Health Canada, Safe internal cooking temperatures, checked 2026-11-10. Check the official source.
- Minutes per kg for chicken, beef, pork and lamb, their oven temperatures and resting times, and the fan oven rule (about 20 °C lower): rules of thumb, fibub's own working.
Standard scientific values, such as constants, atomic weights and melting points, are facts found in every textbook; we name where ours were checked. If you are an author or publisher and want a value, a credit or a table changed or removed, tell us and we will act quickly.
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Last updated 2026-11-10.