The Top Tools for Turkey
While guidelines for how long to cook a turkey are great for timing out your Thanksgiving meal prep, you can’t assume standard cooking times will result in a safe internal turkey temperature. For that, you’ll need the right tools, and unfortunately, the “pop-up” temperature indicator that comes on top of your turkey is not it. While cute, “pop-up” timers aren’t always accurate, so the USDA always recommends using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of a turkey. Our go-to pick? An instant-read meat thermometer which you can get for around $10. You can also use an oven-proof food thermometer if you prefer. Once you have the thermometer of your choice, here’s how to take your turkey out of the oven at just the right temperature.
The Safe Temperature for Turkey
Your turkey is done when it reaches 165 F, according to the USDA. It doesn’t recommend stuffing your turkey before roasting, but if you do, stuffing must also reach 165 F when measured with a food thermometer. Use these approximate timelines to determine how long it’ll take your turkey to reach a safe minimum internal temperature:
