A method for operating an internal combustion engine having a turbocharger, wherein a fuel quantity is supplied to the combustion chamber of the engine in a stationary state, which fuel quantity is determined according to a first predetermined relationship between a load requirement to the engine and a rating determining a fuel quantity to be supplied to the combustion chamber, wherein a second predetermined relationship between the rating and the load requirement is used, wherein according to the second relationship, a given load requirement is assigned a larger quantity of fuel than according to the first relationship. In a transient state of the engine, the fuel quantity supplied to the combustion chamber is determined based on an interpolated value of the rating, which is determined for the rating by an interpolation between a value resulting from the first relationship and a value resulting from the second relationship.