Holiday Dinner Planner
iPhone app

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026

Thanksgiving dinner timeline calculator

Set your dinner time and menu. You get the whole day: when to preheat, when the turkey goes in and comes out, when the oven goes up for the sides, and when each dish starts — planned for your oven and burners.

For a 4:00 PM dinner with a 12 lb turkey and seven sides in one oven, the first step is at 11:25 AM and the turkey goes in at 11:45 AM.

When are you eating?

Your kitchen

Ovens
Temperatures in
4

What's on the menu?

8 dishes

Tap to add or remove

Your Thanksgiving timeline

Dinner at 4:00 PM

Thursday, November 26, 2026 · 8 dishes · 1 oven, 4 burners

  • First step11:25 AM
  • Cooking day4 hr 35 min
  • Oven changes2
  • StatusEverything fits

Your oven and stovetop

Thanksgiving dinner timelineThursday, November 26, 2026 · Dinner at 4:00 PM
  1. 11:25 AM−4:35Prep Turkey20 min hands-on
  2. 11:30 AM−4:30Preheat oven to 325°FAllow about 15 min
  3. 11:45 AM−4:15Turkey into the oven3 hr 10 min · at 325°F
  4. 2:15 PM−1:45Prep Stuffing20 min hands-on
  5. 2:35 PM−1:25Prep Sweet Potatoes20 min hands-on
  6. 2:55 PM−1:05Turkey out of the ovenRest 30 min, loosely covered
  7. 2:55 PM−1:05Raise oven to 350°FFrom 325°F · allow 5 min
  8. 2:55 PM−1:05Prep Green Bean Casserole15 min hands-on
  9. 3:00 PM−1:00Sweet Potatoes into the oven40 min · at 350°F
  10. 3:00 PM−1:00Stuffing into the oven40 min · at 350°F
  11. 3:10 PM−0:50Prep Mashed Potatoes20 min hands-on
  12. 3:10 PM−0:50Green Bean Casserole into the oven30 min · at 350°F
  13. 3:25 PM−0:35Turkey rested — ready to carveKeep covered until dinner
  14. 3:30 PM−0:30Prep Gravy5 min hands-on
  15. 3:30 PM−0:30Start Mashed Potatoes on the stove30 min
  16. 3:35 PM−0:25Prep Cranberry Sauce5 min hands-on
  17. 3:40 PM−0:20Green Bean Casserole out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  18. 3:40 PM−0:20Sweet Potatoes out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  19. 3:40 PM−0:20Stuffing out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  20. 3:40 PM−0:20Raise oven to 375°FFrom 350°F · allow 5 min
  21. 3:40 PM−0:20Prep Dinner Rolls5 min hands-on
  22. 3:40 PM−0:20Start Gravy on the stove20 min
  23. 3:45 PM−0:15Dinner Rolls into the oven15 min · at 375°F
  24. 3:45 PM−0:15Start Cranberry Sauce on the stove15 min
  25. 4:00 PM0:00Dinner Rolls out of the ovenStraight to the table
  26. 4:00 PM0:00Gravy off the heatStraight to the table
  27. 4:00 PM0:00Mashed Potatoes off the heatStraight to the table
  28. 4:00 PM0:00Cranberry Sauce off the heatStraight to the table
  29. 4:00 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

Thanksgiving Day, run from your phone.

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

What time to start cooking Thanksgiving dinner

Count back from the time you want to eat. With the classic eight-dish menu — a 12 lb turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and rolls — and one oven, the first job starts 4 hr 35 min before dinner. Most of that is the turkey: 3 hr 10 min at 325°F plus its rest.

The same menu at different dinner times: one oven, four burners, 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

A bigger bird moves everything earlier. Put your turkey's weight into the planner (tap the turkey, then Approximate turkey weight) or use the turkey cooking time calculator.

How a one-oven Thanksgiving fits together

The turkey needs the whole oven at 325°F, so nothing else goes in while it roasts. The plan takes it out at 2:55 PM, about an hour before dinner. That isn't waste: the turkey rests under a loose tent of foil, and the oven goes up to 350°F for the stuffing, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, which bake together from 3:00 PM.

When they come out, the oven goes up once more, to 375°F, for the rolls — the one dish that has to be served straight from the oven, so it gets the last 15 min. Meanwhile the stovetop handles the mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, and never more than your four burners at once. Hands-on prep is spread out so you're never asked to peel potatoes and trim beans at the same time.

Worked example

Thanksgiving, dinner at 4:00 PM, one oven

Dinner
4:00 PM
First step
11:25 AM
Cooking day
4 hr 35 min
Oven changes
2
  1. 11:25 AM−4:35Prep Turkey20 min hands-on
  2. 11:30 AM−4:30Preheat oven to 325°FAllow about 15 min
  3. 11:45 AM−4:15Turkey into the oven3 hr 10 min · at 325°F
  4. 2:15 PM−1:45Prep Stuffing20 min hands-on
  5. 2:35 PM−1:25Prep Sweet Potatoes20 min hands-on
  6. 2:55 PM−1:05Turkey out of the ovenRest 30 min, loosely covered
  7. 2:55 PM−1:05Raise oven to 350°FFrom 325°F · allow 5 min
  8. 2:55 PM−1:05Prep Green Bean Casserole15 min hands-on
  9. 3:00 PM−1:00Sweet Potatoes into the oven40 min · at 350°F
  10. 3:00 PM−1:00Stuffing into the oven40 min · at 350°F
  11. 3:10 PM−0:50Prep Mashed Potatoes20 min hands-on
  12. 3:10 PM−0:50Green Bean Casserole into the oven30 min · at 350°F
  13. 3:25 PM−0:35Turkey rested — ready to carveKeep covered until dinner
  14. 3:30 PM−0:30Prep Gravy5 min hands-on
  15. 3:30 PM−0:30Start Mashed Potatoes on the stove30 min
  16. 3:35 PM−0:25Prep Cranberry Sauce5 min hands-on
  17. 3:40 PM−0:20Green Bean Casserole out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  18. 3:40 PM−0:20Sweet Potatoes out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  19. 3:40 PM−0:20Stuffing out of the ovenKeep warm until dinner
  20. 3:40 PM−0:20Raise oven to 375°FFrom 350°F · allow 5 min
  21. 3:40 PM−0:20Prep Dinner Rolls5 min hands-on
  22. 3:40 PM−0:20Start Gravy on the stove20 min
  23. 3:45 PM−0:15Dinner Rolls into the oven15 min · at 375°F
  24. 3:45 PM−0:15Start Cranberry Sauce on the stove15 min
  25. 4:00 PM0:00Dinner Rolls out of the ovenStraight to the table
  26. 4:00 PM0:00Gravy off the heatStraight to the table
  27. 4:00 PM0:00Mashed Potatoes off the heatStraight to the table
  28. 4:00 PM0:00Cranberry Sauce off the heatStraight to the table
  29. 4:00 PM0:00Dinner is readyEverything should land together
The band behind the oven bars is the oven's temperature: 325°F for the turkey, 350°F for the sides, 375°F for the rolls. Dashed boxes are hands-on prep.

With a second oven

A second oven lets the sides bake while the turkey is still roasting, so the turkey can come out later — at 3:30 PM instead of 2:55 PM — and the day starts 35 min later, at 12:00 PM. Switch Your kitchen to two ovens in the planner to see it.

Turkey times by weight

The planner estimates roasting time from weight using the midpoints of the USDA timetable for an unstuffed turkey at 325°F. These are planning numbers; the turkey is done when a thermometer reads 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost thigh and the wing.

Estimated roasting time, unstuffed, 325°F
Turkey10 lb12 lb14 lb16 lb18 lb20 lb22 lb
Time2 hr 50 min3 hr 10 min3 hr 35 min4 hr4 hr 15 min4 hr 30 min4 hr 45 min

Printing it, sharing it, changing it

Print timeline gives you a one-page run sheet with a checkbox for each step — tape it inside a cupboard door. Copy link to this plan saves everything in the link, so you can send it to whoever's helping. Your plan is also kept in this browser, so it's here when you come back.

Not included: thawing. A frozen turkey needs about a day in the refrigerator for every 4–5 lb. The Thanksgiving countdown has a thaw date calculator and the days-before plan.

Questions people ask

What time should the turkey go in for a 4 PM Thanksgiving dinner?

For a 12 lb unstuffed turkey at 325°F with a full menu in one oven, around 11:45 AM. It comes out at 2:55 PM and rests while the sides bake. A heavier turkey goes in earlier — set its weight in the planner.

How long should a turkey rest before carving?

USDA recommends letting a turkey stand 20 minutes before carving so the juices set. The planner allows 30 minutes, and the turkey can wait a while longer, loosely covered, while the oven is busy with the sides.

Can I cook the whole Thanksgiving dinner in one oven?

Yes, if the sides go in after the turkey comes out. Use the turkey's rest for the 350°F sides, finish the rolls at the end, and keep potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce on the stove. More in Thanksgiving with one oven.

What if Mom is bringing the mashed potatoes?

Tap the dish, choose “Someone's bringing it”, and add when they arrive and whether it needs reheating. The reheat is scheduled after they arrive, around everything else. See reheating side dishes.

What happens if the turkey needs longer on the day?

A printed timeline can't change. The iPhone app can: tell it the turkey needs 15 more minutes and it moves only the steps that depend on the oven, or offers a new dinner time.