Use a meat thermometer for properly cooked turkey | safefood (2024)

FAQs

Use a meat thermometer for properly cooked turkey | safefood? ›

If you are cooking a turkey crown or a boned and rolled turkey the thickest part is at the centre of the joint. You can use a digital or dial meat thermometer. The turkey is fully cooked when the temperature reaches 75ºC. Always make sure you wash the meat thermometer thoroughly afterwards.

Both the National Turkey Federation and USDA recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure a delicious and safe meal. Accurate temperatures, both in the oven and the turkey are important for quality and safety. A meat thermometer is a cook's best friend when it comes time to prepare a meal.

Whole turkey: On your meat thermometer, a whole cooked turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh. Whole turkey, stuffed: The center of the stuffing must reach 165°F. Turkey breast, boneless: The thickest portion of the turkey breast should reach 165°F.

The benefit of a digital probe thermometer is that it can stay in the meat in the oven from the moment you start cooking, so you know exactly when it comes to the correct temperature. The probe is ideal for larger pieces of meat that cook for extended hours like a turkey or a larger roast.

A digital meat thermometer can be used to check the doneness of larger cuts as well as thinner foods, such as burgers, steaks, and chops. The thermometer should not be left in the food while it's cooking.

Thousands of people are buying oral thermometers every day. This is making it hard for some people to buy one. Fortunately, you can use a meat thermometer to check your body temperature. It's not as precise as an oral thermometer, but it can help you keep track of your body temperature.

350°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours. 325°F for 3¾ to 4 hours. For an 18- to 20-pound turkey: 425°F for 3½ to 3¾ hours.

Information. The minimum oven temperature to use when cooking poultry is 325 °F (162.8 °C). Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.

Even if your turkey didn't reach 165°F (74°C), it only needs to be held for 25.6 seconds at 160°F (71°C) to reach the same level of food safety (a 7-log reduction in pathogens as defined by the USDA).

What if you don't have a turkey thermometer? ›

To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce the mid-thigh muscle with a fork, explains Johnson. "When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it's a good indication that your turkey is done." In most cases, the deep thigh is the last part of the turkey to be done.

You'll find that most people (including the USDA) consider the turkey to be done once it's reached a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) in the thickest part of the thigh.

For best results, insert your thermometer's oven-safe probe ( a DOT^® with a Pro-Series^® probe) into the deepest part of the turkey breast, avoiding bone. You want an even layer of meat above and below the probe so that it's evenly surrounded by the meat.

Are Pop-up Timers Reliable? No, pop-up timers aren't known for their reliability. They occasionally may pop before the bird has reached a temperature of 165 degrees F, resulting in an undercooked bird that can make your guests sick. A regular meat thermometer can help you to check the doneness of your turkey.