Cooking stuffing separately from the turkey in a casserole dish makes it easy to be sure it is thoroughly cooked. BUT if you cook stuffing inSIDE OF the turkey, put the stuffing in the turkey just before cooking.
With either cooking method, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches at least 165°F. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached at least 165°F and may then cause food poisoning. If you cook stuffing inSIDE OF the turkey, wait 20 minutes after taking the bird out of the oven before removing the stuffing; this allows it to cook a little more.
How Long to Cook a Stuffed Turkey
Using a 325°F oven below is how long you should cook it based off the size of the turkey.
For 10- to 12-pound turkey, roast 3¼ hours to 3½ hours.
For 12- to 14-pound turkey, roast 3½ to 4 hours.
For 14- to 18-pound turkey, roast 4 to 4¼ hours.
For 18- to 20-pound turkey, roast 4¼ to 4¾ hours.
For 20- to 24-pound turkey, roast 4¾ to 5¼ hours.
The safest way to determine your exact roasting time is by checking every 15 minutes or so after the 3-hour mark using a meat thermometer.
