Holiday Dinner Planner
iPhone app

Christmas Day is Friday, December 25, 2026

Christmas dinner timeline and cooking schedule

Choose a turkey, ham or prime rib dinner, set the time you're eating, and get every step — preheating, oven changes, resting and the last-minute sides — planned for your kitchen.

For a 5:00 PM Christmas dinner, a 12 lb turkey goes in at 12:45 PM, a 10 lb ham at 2:10 PM and a 7 lb prime rib at 1:45 PM.

When are you eating?

Your kitchen

Ovens
Temperatures in
4

What's on the menu?

6 dishes

Tap to add or remove

Your Christmas timeline

Dinner at 5:00 PM

Friday, December 25, 2026 · 6 dishes · 1 oven, 4 burners

  • First step12:25 PM
  • Cooking day4 hr 35 min
  • Oven changes2
  • StatusEverything fits

Your oven and stovetop

Christmas dinner timelineFriday, December 25, 2026 · Dinner at 5:00 PM
  1. 12:25 PM−4:35Prep Turkey20 min hands-on
  2. 12:30 PM−4:30Preheat oven to 325°FAllow about 15 min
  3. 12:45 PM−4:15Turkey into the oven3 hr 10 min · at 325°F
  4. 3:40 PM−1:20Prep Stuffing20 min hands-on
  5. 3:55 PM−1:05Turkey out of the ovenRest 30 min, loosely covered
  6. 3:55 PM−1:05Raise oven to 350°FFrom 325°F · allow 5 min
  7. 4:00 PM−1:00Stuffing into the oven40 min · at 350°F
  8. 4:10 PM−0:50Prep Mashed Potatoes20 min hands-on
  9. 4:25 PM−0:35Turkey rested — ready to carveKeep covered until dinner
  10. 4:30 PM−0:30Prep Gravy5 min hands-on
  11. 4:30 PM−0:30Start Mashed Potatoes on the stove30 min
  12. 4:35 PM−0:25Prep Dinner Rolls5 min hands-on
  13. 4:40 PM−0:20Stuffing out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  14. 4:40 PM−0:20Raise oven to 375°FFrom 350°F · allow 5 min
  15. 4:40 PM−0:20Prep Green Beans10 min hands-on
  16. 4:40 PM−0:20Start Gravy on the stove20 min
  17. 4:45 PM−0:15Dinner Rolls into the oven15 min · at 375°F
  18. 4:50 PM−0:10Start Green Beans on the stove10 min
  19. 5:00 PM0:00Dinner Rolls out of the ovenStraight to the table
  20. 5:00 PM0:00Green Beans off the heatStraight to the table
  21. 5:00 PM0:00Gravy off the heatStraight to the table
  22. 5:00 PM0:00Mashed Potatoes off the heatStraight to the table
  23. 5:00 PM0:00Dinner is readyEverything should land together

Times are planning estimates. Check doneness with a food thermometer: 165°F (74°C) for turkey, chicken and stuffing.

Holiday Dinner Planner for iPhone

Christmas Day, one step at a time.

The timeline above is yours to print. On the day, Holiday Dinner Planner for iPhone runs it for you.

  • A reminder for every step. Preheat, in, out, rest — each one arrives on time, even with the phone locked.
  • Cook Mode. The next step in huge type you can read across the kitchen. The screen stays awake.
  • Running late? It replans. Tell it the turkey needs 15 more minutes. Only the steps that depend on it move.
  • Next year is already done. Every dinner is saved. Use it again and the dishes, kitchen and guests come along.
Coming soon to theApp StoreSee the app

Free for one dinner with up to three dishes. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. No account, no ads, no tracking.

The app's timeline: turkey out of the oven, raise oven to 350°F, stuffing into the oven
Cook Mode: the next step, Prep Turkey, in large type with a 26-minute countdown and a Done button
Running Late: dinner is now projected for 9:25 PM, with options to move dinner or keep the time

Three Christmas dinners, three different days

The main decides how long your day is and how the oven is used. Here are the three Christmas menus in the planner, each for a 5:00 PM dinner in one oven with four burners.

Planned for 5:00 PM, one oven. Tap a menu in the planner to load it.
MenuFirst stepMain inMain outOven changes
Classic Christmas Dinner12:25 PM12:45 PM3:55 PM2
Ham Dinner1:55 PM2:10 PM4:40 PM1
Prime Rib Dinner1:30 PM1:45 PM4:05 PM1

Turkey dinner

The longest day. The turkey takes the whole oven at 325°F for 3 hr 10 min, comes out at 3:55 PM to rest, and the oven goes up to 350°F for the stuffing, then 375°F for the rolls. It's the same shape as a Thanksgiving dinner; the Thanksgiving timeline walks through it step by step.

Ham dinner

A fully cooked ham is being reheated, not roasted from raw, so it's gentler on the schedule. The ham, scalloped potatoes and sweet potatoes all bake at 350°F, so they share the oven; the only change is up to 375°F for the rolls. The ham goes in at 2:10 PM and rests 15 minutes. For your ham's weight, use the ham cooking time calculator.

Prime rib dinner

Prime rib roasts low (325°F) while the sides want a hot oven (425°F) — roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and Yorkshire puddings. The plan uses the roast's 30-minute rest: the rib comes out at 4:05 PM, the oven climbs to 425°F, and the potatoes go in first, then the puddings and sprouts together.

Worked example

Prime rib dinner, Christmas Day at 5:00 PM

Dinner
5:00 PM
First step
1:30 PM
Cooking day
3 hr 30 min
Oven changes
1
  1. 1:30 PM−3:30Preheat oven to 325°FAllow about 15 min
  2. 1:30 PM−3:30Prep Prime Rib15 min hands-on
  3. 1:45 PM−3:15Prime Rib into the oven2 hr 20 min · at 325°F
  4. 3:55 PM−1:05Prep Roast Potatoes15 min hands-on
  5. 4:05 PM−0:55Prime Rib out of the ovenRest 30 min, loosely covered
  6. 4:05 PM−0:55Raise oven to 425°FFrom 325°F · allow 10 min
  7. 4:10 PM−0:50Prep Brussels Sprouts15 min hands-on
  8. 4:15 PM−0:45Roast Potatoes into the oven45 min · at 425°F
  9. 4:25 PM−0:35Prep Yorkshire Pudding10 min hands-on
  10. 4:35 PM−0:25Prime Rib rested — ready to carveKeep covered until dinner
  11. 4:35 PM−0:25Prep Gravy5 min hands-on
  12. 4:35 PM−0:25Yorkshire Pudding into the oven25 min · at 425°F
  13. 4:35 PM−0:25Brussels Sprouts into the oven25 min · at 425°F
  14. 4:40 PM−0:20Start Gravy on the stove20 min
  15. 5:00 PM0:00Yorkshire Pudding out of the ovenStraight to the table
  16. 5:00 PM0:00Brussels Sprouts out of the ovenStraight to the table
  17. 5:00 PM0:00Roast Potatoes out of the ovenStraight to the table
  18. 5:00 PM0:00Gravy off the heatStraight to the table
  19. 5:00 PM0:00Dinner is readyEverything should land together

Roasting times for prime rib vary a lot with doneness. The planner's estimate is aimed at medium-rare; see the prime rib cooking time calculator for how it compares with the USDA chart.

Turkey and ham on the same day

Many Christmas tables have both. With one oven, they don't fit: a whole turkey fills the oven at 325°F for over three hours, and a ham needs 2 hr 30 min at 350°F. The planner says so rather than hiding it — it flags a clash and suggests no fix, because none works without food sitting for hours. With two ovens the same menu fits: the ham goes into the second oven at 2:15 PM. With one oven, one option is reheating a smaller, fully cooked ham in a slow cooker — add a slow cooker in Your kitchen and change the ham's equipment to see how it fits.

When to start for a 1 PM to 6 PM dinner

Classic Christmas turkey dinner, one oven, 12 lb turkey.
Dinner atFirst stepTurkey inTurkey out
1:00 PM8:25 AM8:45 AM11:55 AM
2:00 PM9:25 AM9:45 AM12:55 PM
3:00 PM10:25 AM10:45 AM1:55 PM
4:00 PM11:25 AM11:45 AM2:55 PM
5:00 PM12:25 PM12:45 PM3:55 PM
6:00 PM1:25 PM1:45 PM4:55 PM

Questions people ask

What time should I put the turkey in for Christmas dinner at 5?

For a 12 lb unstuffed turkey at 325°F with the classic menu in one oven, at about 12:45 PM. It comes out at 3:55 PM and rests while the sides finish. Use the turkey calculator for your turkey's weight.

Can I cook a turkey and a ham in one oven?

Not at the same time in most home ovens: a whole turkey fills the oven for over three hours at 325°F. Use a second oven, or reheat a smaller fully cooked ham in a slow cooker.

How long should prime rib rest?

The planner allows 30 minutes, loosely covered, and uses that time to heat the oven for the sides. USDA's safety rule for beef roasts is 145°F with at least a 3-minute rest; many cooks rest a rib roast longer so it carves cleanly.

What temperature should a Christmas ham reach?

Reheat a fully cooked ham packaged in a USDA-inspected plant to 140°F (60°C); other fully cooked hams to 165°F. A ham that isn't fully cooked needs 145°F and a 3-minute rest.