Cooking a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving meal can seem like a daunting task. All those nostalgic dishes need to be delicious and timed to perfection — and the most intimidating of all is the turkey. Knowing how long to cook a turkey is tricky: go too long, and itll be dry; too short, and you risk the health of your guests. And why is it always Thanksgiving Day when you realize you dont have a meat thermometer?
Truthfully, the only way to know for sure if your turkey is done is to take the internal temperature with a thermometer, according to Butterball. Thats the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, too. Your turkey should reach at least 165°F, according to the CDC, and you should measure it in three different places: the thickest part of the breast; where the body and thigh join, aiming toward the thigh; and where the body and wing join, aiming toward the wing. Even if your turkey has a pop-up timer, the CDC recommends using a thermometer to be sure.
But if its already Thanksgiving day and you dont have a thermometer, youre not out of luck. We talked to the experts behind the Turkey Talk-Line at Butterball for help. Here are some tips to help ensure you fully cook your turkey, including how to tell if a turkey is done without a meat thermometer.
Cooking the perfect turkey can be a tricky task. Undercook it and you risk food poisoning. Overcook it and you’ll end up with dry, stringy meat. That’s why it’s so important to know how to check when your turkey is fully cooked and no longer raw. Here’s a complete guide to determining doneness so you can avoid any raw or overcooked turkey disasters.
Check the Internal Temperature
The most accurate way to tell if your turkey is cooked through is to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Here’s what you’re aiming for:
- Breast meat: 165°F
- Thigh meat: 175°F
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, avoiding any bones. Once the turkey registers these temperatures, you’ll know it’s fully cooked and safe to eat.
If you don’t have a meat thermometer, there are a few other techniques you can use to assess doneness.
Look for Clear Juices
Make a small cut into the thickest part of the turkey thigh with a knife. If the juices run clear, the turkey is fully cooked. If the juices are still pink or red, continue roasting until they run clear.
Check the Meat Color
Raw turkey meat is pink red or blue tinged. Once cooked it will turn white or lightly browned. Poke the turkey in a few spots and examine the color. If you see any raw-looking pink or red spots, it needs more time in the oven.
Test the Texture
Press down on the breast and thigh meat with tongs or a spoon. Raw turkey will feel soft squishy or elastic. When fully cooked the meat will be firm to the touch. If it still has a mushy texture, pop it back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes.
Look for an Opaque White Color
The fat and juices on raw turkey will be translucent. Once cooked through, the fat and juices will turn opaque white. If you notice any pink or red juices, continue cooking until they become opaque.
Check Doneness Early and Often
Begin checking your turkey’s temperature and visual signs about halfway through the estimated cooking time. Then check again every 15 minutes or so until it’s done. Things can vary depending on the exact size of your bird and your oven’s hot and cool spots. Frequent checks will help prevent over or undercooking.
Let It Rest Before Carving
Be sure to let your turkey rest for 15-30 minutes once it finishes cooking before you start carving. This allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat for better moisture. Slice into turkey too soon and it will dry out.
Cook Thoroughly and Use a Thermometer
The safest way to ensure your turkey reaches a safe 165°F internal temperature is to rely on a meat thermometer. Visual checks provide a good indication, but thermometer readings are the gold standard for doneness. Cook your turkey until the thermometer confirms every part is thoroughly cooked.
Following these tips will help prevent you from serving raw or undercooked turkey to your guests. Take the temperature, examine the meat, and let it rest sufficiently. With frequent checks, your holiday turkey will turn out perfectly cooked from edge to edge.
Frequency of Entities (number of occurences):
thermometer: 6
temperature: 6
meat: 6
turkey: 18
juices: 5
cooked: 7
raw: 5
oven: 3
check: 7
cook: 4
thigh: 4
breast: 3
color: 3
texture: 3
minutes: 3
rest: 3
carving: 2
Don’t Open the Oven Door to Check the Turkey Frequently
Although its tempting to check on your turkey, opening the oven only lowers the temperature and prolongs the process, potentially screwing up your initial estimated time. Keep the oven closed until youre about two-thirds of the way through to check on it for the first time. If the turkey breasts are getting too browned too quickly, cover the turkey in a tent of foil. If they dont look browned, feel free to skip that step.
Find Out the Cooking Time Based on the Weight of Your Turkey
Using Butterballs turkey-cooking calculator is the easiest way to find out how long your turkey will need to cook based on its weight. For example, a 20-pound turkey without stuffing will take three and a half to four hours to cook at 325°F.
How to Determine If a Thawed Turkey Has Gone Bad
FAQ
Is it okay if turkey is a little pink?
How do you know when turkey is not cooked?
What does raw turkey look like?
How do you know if Turkey is bad?
Well, here’s how to know if turkey is bad! When both cooked turkey and fresh turkey go bad they start to smell sour, and may develop a slimy texture, or grow mold. If you notice any of these signs of spoilage, you should throw it out to avoid making someone sick. No amount of cooking or reheating can make it safe again.
How do you know if ground turkey is cooked?
Fresh raw ground turkey should have a light pink hue. But it’s not a good sign if that pink starts shifting to grayish or even greenish shades. Those colors can be a sign of bacterial growth or the meat starting to oxidize. When you’ve cooked your ground turkey, it should take on a brownish color, depending on how you’ve prepared it.
How do you know if a Turkey is Rotten?
You should also smell a rotten turkey when it changes color. Don’t take any chances if it only looks bad without a smell, it’s likely bad. Cooked turkey should be moist, although sometimes dry from overcooking. The breast meat should be white with delicious golden skin. Dark meat should be even more moist than the white.
What does a bad ground turkey look like?
Light pink hue (for raw turkey). Moist but not wet texture. Mild, meaty scent. Light brown or tan (for cooked turkey). Juicy appearance (for cooked turkey). What Does Bad Ground Turkey Look Like? Strong, off-putting smell. Grayish tone (for raw turkey). Slimy texture (for raw turkey). Dull, dark brown or gray spots (for cooked turkey).