To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork in the mid-thigh muscle, explains Nicole Johnson, the co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. “When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it’s a good indication that your turkey is done.”
How do you tell if a turkey is fully cooked?
But there’s only one way to be sure: the temperature. It just takes a simple reading with a meat thermometer to test if your turkey is ready to eat.
Check these places on your turkey and look for these temperatures:
- 180°F in thigh.
- 170°F in breast.
- 165°F in stuffing.
What can I use if I dont have a meat thermometer?
How to Check Your Steak’s Temperature Without a Thermometer
- Raw. Feel the palm of your hand, just below your thumb.
- Rare. Now bring your thumb to your pointer finger, and touch that same part of your palm again.
- Medium-Rare. Touch your thumb to your middle finger.
- Medium. Move your thumb to your ring finger.
- Well-Done.
Where is the best spot to check the temperature of a turkey?
thigh
The tip of the thermometer should be placed into the thick part of thigh without touching the bone. Remove the turkey when it reaches 180°F. The breast must reach 170°F and if the turkey is stuffed, check the temperature of the center of the stuffing to make sure it’s cooked to 165°F.
Can you cook a turkey without a meat thermometer?
The deepest part of the thigh muscle is the very last part of the turkey to be done. The internal temperature should reach 180°F. To check for doneness without a thermometer, pierce the thigh and pay attention to the juices: if the juices run clear, it’s cooked, and if the juices are reddish pink, it needs more time.
How long should turkey rest after cooking?
Pull it out as soon as the temperature hits 165, or even a little lower. The amount of resting time depends on the size of the bird, but at least 20 minutes is needed. A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.
How can you tell if meat is cooked without a thermometer?
If you poke the piece of chicken with the tip of a sharp knife or a carving fork in its thickest part and the juices run clear (as opposed to red or pink-tinged), the meat is done.
How do you check a temperature without a thermometer?
You can often still tell if you have a high temperature even if you do not have a thermometer. Touch your chest and back. If they feel hotter than usual, you may have a high temperature. You may also have other symptoms such as feeling shivery (chills).
What temperature is turkey fully cooked?
Whole turkey: A whole cooked turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165°F on your meat thermometer ($22, Target) in the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
How long should I keep my turkey covered with foil?
To achieve that balance, the ideal is to let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered: We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out, then removing the cover for the last 30 minutes or so to allow the skin to crisp.
What temperature should turkey be cooked to Celsius?
Supermarket high-welfare turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 70ºC. If you have a dry-plucked, dry-aged, excellent quality bird, you can cook it to 65ºC, as it should be a safer product to eat. Once cooked, carefully lift the turkey out of the tray and rest on a board.
What is the lowest safe temperature to cook a turkey?
325 degrees Fahrenheit
Make it safe – The United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) recommends temperatures no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit for cooking meat and poultry. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
What does under cooked turkey look like?
According to USDA, if you find that the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C) throughout the whole turkey, it’s good to eat even if the juices are pinkish. Undercooked turkey meat will be pale in color and soft and squishy to the touch.
Why is my turkey still pink?
Chemical Changes During Cooking
Scientists have found that pinkness occurs when gases in the atmosphere of a heated gas or electric oven react chemically with hemoglobin in the meat tissues to give poultry a pink tinge. They are the same substances that give red color to smoked hams and other cured meats.
Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
4. Read the thermometer correctly: Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop. If the temperature is between 160 and 165 degrees F, the turkey is done.
Do you cover turkey while resting?
The turkey needs to rest before carving.
About 45 minutes or so gives it time to reabsorb the juices; otherwise they’ll dribble out when you slice, and the meat will be dry. Don’t tent the turkey with foil to keep it warm while it’s resting; it’s unnecessary and will make the skin soggy.
Do you cover a turkey when cooking?
Always cook your turkey until the skin is a light golden color. Cover your roasting pan with a lid or foil and cook covered for 2 hours (depending on size of your bird) and uncovered for the remaining time. Baste your turkey every half hour or so.
Can I eat turkey left out overnight?
Cooked turkey that has been left out for longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour above 90° F) should be discarded. The reason is that bacteria grow rapidly when cooked turkey is kept at temperatures between 40° F and 140° F. To prevent foodborne illness, try to refrigerate the cooked turkey as soon as you can.
Is a little pink in turkey OK?
If the temperature of the turkey, as measured in the thigh, has reached 180°F. and is done to family preference, all the meat — including any that remains pink — is safe to eat.
Can I put turkey back in oven if undercooked?
Can you recook an undercooked turkey? Yes, you can place the whole turkey back in the oven, covering it to avoid dryness. You can also baste it with butter to help maintain moisture. If you’re in a bind and need your turkey finished in a hurry, the best thing to do is slice the turkey and then recook it.
What to do if the turkey is done 2 hours early?
If your turkey is done several hours before your meal, let it rest. Then carve off the breast meat, the legs and the thighs and arrange them on a serving platter and cover with foil. Just before you’re ready to serve, reheat the platter in the oven (about 20 minutes at 350°F).