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.
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.
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.
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.
How to Know When Your Thanksgiving Turkey is Done
FAQ
How can I tell if my turkey is done without a thermometer?
Is it OK if turkey is a little pink?
How do you know if a Turkey is cooked without a thermometer?
To see if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce the thigh with a fork 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. Put the turkey back in the oven, and check again after a short time.
How do I know if my Turkey is cooked?
No meat thermometer? No problem. Use this hack to see if your turkey is cooked. When checking your turkey’s temperature using the recommended meat thermometer method, you’re looking for an internal temperature of 165 °F all the way through to know that your bird is cooked and ready to eat.
Where should a Turkey thermometer be placed?
Remember to insert the meat thermometer close to, but not touching, the thigh bone. Did You Know? Is the turkey done yet? You may have heard of different ways to check, but there’s only one way to be sure.
How do you read a turkey thigh thermometer?
Find the crease where the turkey leg attaches to the breast and insert your thermometer down into the meaty part of the thigh. If you feel the thermometer hit a bone, pull it out a little bit or readjust the position slightly so that it is no longer touching it, as it will give you a false reading.