Introduction

Turkey is a delicious, versatile and nutritious meal to serve at Thanksgiving and other holiday gatherings. But it’s also easy to overcook or undercook your turkey, resulting in dry meat that doesn’t taste as good as it could. If you’re wondering how long to cook your turkey this year, keep reading for tips on how to test its temperature and get perfectly cooked meat every time!

The best way to test the temperature of your turkey is with a meat thermometer.

• Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone.
• Don’t touch the bone or let it touch anything in your oven.
• If you don’t have a meat thermometer, use an instant-read digital thermometer or check for doneness by cutting into a leg with a sharp knife (it should be white).

If you don’t have one, use the following guidelines to tell if your turkey is done:

If you don’t have one, use the following guidelines to tell if your turkey is done:

• Insert a probe thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and make sure that it reads at least 165 degrees F (74 C). If it’s still pink, put it back in for another 10 minutes or so.
• When both breasts register 180 F (82 C), remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving

Be sure not to overcook the turkey.

Don’t overcook the turkey. Overcooked turkey can be dry, tough and inedible. In addition to being bad for your taste buds, it’s also dangerous: if you consume too much of an undercooked meat product (such as steak or chicken), you may be at risk for foodborne illness. Salmonella is a common culprit when it comes to undercooked poultry–and salmonella poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain within 12 hours of eating contaminated food.

If you’re planning on making stuffing with raw eggs as part of your Thanksgiving meal plan this year, be sure to keep them refrigerated until just before baking so they don’t get contaminated with salmonella from other foods sitting nearby on your countertop or tablecloth!

A turkey should be cooked at 165 degrees F.

The safe temperature for turkey is 165 degrees F. This is the minimum temperature you want to cook your bird at, but you can also cook it higher if you like your turkey well done.

If you’re interested in how long it will take for your turkey to reach this temperature, here’s a handy chart:

Conclusion

If you’re cooking a turkey, it’s important to know how long it takes and what temperature it should be cooked to. The best way to test the temperature of your turkey is with a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, use the following guidelines: