How big a turkey for 8 people with leftovers?
For 8 people with plenty of leftovers, plan on 12 lb of whole turkey, so look for a 12 to 14 lb whole turkey. That carves to about 6.4 lb of turkey.
How to work it out
- 8 guests = 8 adult portions
- 8 × 1 lb (whole turkey) × 1.5 leftovers = 12 lb
- × 0.53 cooked yield = about 6.4 lb of carved turkey, or 13 oz per adult
Eight at the table is the classic family Thanksgiving, and the leftovers are half the point: sandwiches on Friday, soup on Sunday. USDA’s 1 lb per person feeds the meal itself; half as much again covers the days after.
Adjust for your project
More options: Kids
- Look for
- a 12 to 14 lb whole turkey
- Cooked turkey you’ll carve (approx.)
- 6.4 lb
- Cooked turkey per adult (approx.)
- 13 oz
- Thawing in the fridge (smallest to largest bird in that range)
- 2½ to 3½ days
- Roasting at 325 °F, unstuffed (whole range)
- 2¾ to 3¾ hours
- Raw turkey per adult
- 1.5 lb
- Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C). Keep hot food at 140 °F (60 °C) or above and cold food at 40 °F (4 °C) or below (USDA FSIS).
Turkey size by number of guests (type and leftovers as above)
| Guests | Turkey to buy | Look for | Thawing in the fridge (smallest to largest bird in that range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 6 lb | a 6 to 8 lb whole turkey | 1½ to 2 days |
| 6 | 9 lb | a 9 to 11 lb whole turkey | 2 to 3 days |
| 8 | 12 lb | a 12 to 14 lb whole turkey | 2½ to 3½ days |
| 10 | 15 lb | a 15 to 17 lb whole turkey | 3 to 4½ days |
| 12 | 18 lb | an 18 to 20 lb whole turkey | 4 to 5 days |
| 15 | 22.5 lb | a 23 to 25 lb whole turkey | 5 to 6½ days |
| 20 | 30 lb | two turkeys of about 15 lb each | 3 to 4 days |
What a 12 lb turkey gives eight people
Eight guests at the USDA rate need 8 lb of whole turkey. Adding half again for leftovers takes it to 12 lb, so a bird in the 12–14 lb range is right — the supermarket sizes most stores stock in November. Using the USDA Food Buying Guide yield of about 0.53 lb of carved turkey per pound, that bird gives roughly 6½ lb of cooked meat: about 6 oz for each plate at dinner, plus around 3 lb left over for the weekend.
A 12–14 lb turkey is also an easy bird to cook. It fits a standard roasting pan, thaws in the fridge in about three days, and roasts unstuffed at 325 °F (163 °C) in roughly 2¾ to 3¾ hours, depending on where in that range it falls. Plan to put it in the oven about four hours before you want to eat, so it can rest for 20 minutes while you make gravy.
Making the leftovers last
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of taking the turkey out of the oven. USDA says to use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
- Carve it off the bone first. Sliced meat in shallow containers cools faster than a whole carcass.
- Freeze what you will not use by Monday. Frozen leftovers keep best for 2 to 6 months.
- Reheat to 165 °F (74 °C), whether it is a plate in the microwave or a pot of soup.
Feeding a couple more? See how big a turkey for 10 people. The thaw schedule for this size is in how long to thaw a 12 lb turkey.
Different size? Use the full Turkey Size Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Roasting pan with rackMid-range price
A heavy pan about 2–3 in deep with a rack lifts the bird out of the drippings. Measure your oven before buying one sized for a 24 lb turkey.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Instant-read meat thermometerBudget price
The only reliable way to know a turkey, ham or brisket is done. Check the thickest part, away from bone, and check it is calibrated before the big day.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How big a turkey for 8 people without leftovers?
About 8 lb — an 8 to 10 lb whole turkey at USDA’s 1 lb per person.
How much turkey breast for 8 people?
About 6 lb of bone-in breast at ¾ lb per person — look for a 6 to 8 lb bone-in breast.
How big a turkey for 6 adults and 2 kids with leftovers?
About 10.5 lb with plenty of leftovers, counting the kids as half portions: an 11 to 13 lb whole turkey.
Other common sizes
- How big a turkey for 10 people — 10 to 12 lb whole turkey
- How big of a turkey for 12 people — 12 to 14 lb whole turkey
- How big a turkey for 20 people — 20 to 22 lb whole turkey, or two 10–12 lb birds
Sources
- USDA FSIS — Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (copy hosted by UW–Madison Extension) (opens in a new tab) — 1 lb of turkey per person (1¼ lb pre-stuffed); refrigerator thawing about 24 hours per 4–5 lb; cold water 30 minutes per lb; roasting timetable at 325 °F (163 °C); 165 °F (74 °C); 20-minute rest; 2-hour rule.
- USDA FSIS — Let’s Talk Turkey: A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey (fsis.usda.gov) (opens in a new tab) — The same guide on the FSIS website. FSIS also publishes Your Safe Thanksgiving Guide: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/your-safe-thanksgiving-guide
- Nebraska Extension (University of Nebraska–Lincoln) — Turkey 101 (opens in a new tab) — Per person: whole turkey 1 lb, bone-in breast ¾ lb, boneless breast ½ lb, pre-stuffed 1¼ lb.
- USDA FNS — Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, Section 1 yield table (opens in a new tab) — Whole turkey without neck and giblets: 1 lb as purchased = 0.53 lb cooked turkey with skin; bone-in breast 0.64 lb.
- FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (reviewed Dec. 2022; copy hosted by the Virginia Department of Health) (opens in a new tab) — Poultry and stuffing 165 °F (74 °C); pork, beef and raw ham 145 °F (63 °C) with a 3-minute rest; ground meat 160 °F; leftovers 165 °F (74 °C).