The turkey is golden brown, the kitchen smells amazing, and your guests may be telling you it’s ready to eat. But looks can be deceiving when it comes to cooking poultry. The only way to know if your turkey is both done AND safe is to use a food thermometer. Undercooked poultry can cause foodborne illness, and the thermometer takes out the guesswork.

Follow these steps for a safe and delicious holiday meal.

Step 1: Prepare Your Thermometer

• Have your food thermometer ready and know how to use it before the turkey comes out of the oven.
• Follow steps for calibrating your thermometer if needed.

Step 2: Cook Your Turkey

• Pick a turkey cooking method that you’ll be able to safely execute.
• If roasting in the oven, set your oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F.
• If using a different cooking method, like frying or grilling, follow safe steps found here.

Step 3: Check Three Key Spots

• Use a food thermometer to confirm your turkey has reached 165 degrees F in all three of these places:
  • Thickest part of the breast
  • Innermost part of the thigh
  • Innermost part of the wing
• Avoid touching bone, fat, or gristle.

Step 4: Rest and Serve

• After confirming your turkey reached 165 degrees F, let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving to help juices set.
• Serve immediately or keep cooked turkey hot above 140 degrees F until ready to serve.

Quick Takeaway

No matter what your Uncle Joe says, you cannot tell if a turkey is done just by looking. A food thermometer is the only reliable way to make sure your holiday meal is safe. Don’t have one? Add it to your shopping list today.

Get More Help

Use USDA’s turkey cooking calculator to find approximate cooking times for your turkey and bookmark Your Safe Thanksgiving Guide for more guidance on preparing, serving, and storing a safe holiday meal.

For food safety questions, contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or email MPHotline@usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. The Meat and Poultry Hotline is also open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time.