Overcooked turkey is a common Thanksgiving pitfall, but undercooked turkey may be an even bigger horror show. Luckily, you can fix it fairly quickly.
Cooking the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey can seem daunting, especially for first-time cooks It’s crucial to know when the turkey is properly cooked to a safe internal temperature But what does raw, uncooked turkey look like compared to fully cooked meat? Recognizing the differences in appearance, texture, color and juice can help you serve a properly cooked turkey.
How to Tell If Turkey is Raw
Fresh, raw turkey has a distinctive appearance
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Color: Raw turkey meat is light pink, beige or cream. The color varies slightly depending on the cut. Dark meat often looks a bit darker than white breast meat.
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Texture: The surface should be moist but not overly slimy or sticky. Raw turkey has a soft, smooth texture when touched.
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Smell: Raw turkey has a mildly gamey scent. It should not have a noticeable bad or offensive odor.
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Sell-by date: Check that the sell-by or use-by date hasn’t expired, as a freshness indicator.
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Packaging: The packaging should be intact with no tears. The raw turkey should not be sitting in pooled liquid.
Visual Signs Turkey is Fully Cooked
Once turkey is thoroughly cooked, you’ll notice these visual changes:
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Color: The meat turns from pink to white throughout. Fully cooked turkey has an opaque, solid white color with no traces of pink or red.
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Texture: The meat becomes much firmer as the proteins denature from heat. Fully cooked turkey feels solid when pressed and does not indent.
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Juices: Cutting into cooked turkey releases clear juices, not bloody or pink liquids. Juices should run clear.
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Appearance: The turkey has an even, golden exterior if roasted uncovered. If using a tent, meat won’t be browned.
What If Turkey is Undercooked?
If you cut into the turkey and find undercooked areas that are still pink, soft or releasing pink juices, you can take steps to finish cooking it:
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Remove stuffing if present from the cavity.
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Cut turkey into large pieces and place in shallow pans.
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Cook at 400°F, checking every 5 minutes with a meat thermometer until it reaches 165°F.
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Once fully cooked, slices can be re-assembled on a platter for serving.
Using a Meat Thermometer
To eliminate any guesswork, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey. According to USDA, turkey is safe to eat once it reaches 165°F.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, thigh and wing to ensure the turkey is fully cooked throughout. Relying on thermometer readings is the best way to determine doneness.
Summary
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Raw turkey is light pink in color with a soft, smooth texture. Fully cooked turkey is opaque white with firm texture.
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Cooked turkey releases clear juices, not bloody or pink liquids.
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Use a meat thermometer to check temperature, as it provides the best doneness indication. Turkey is done at 165°F.
Knowing what raw turkey looks like compared to fully cooked meat helps you serve the perfect bird safely. If you cut into undercooked turkey, you can salvage it by further cooking pieces to 165°F. With the proper visual and temperature checks, you’ll gain confidence cooking the holiday turkey.
How to salvage an undercooked Thanksgiving turkey: In short
Don’t panic! The perfect bird isn’t out of your reach just yet.
- Carve off the legs and breasts, keeping them as intact as you can.
- Place them on a baking sheet and put them in a preheated oven at around 375ºF (190°C).
- Check your turkey chunks every 15 minutes with a meat thermometer until they hit an internal temp of 165ºF (74°C).
- Slice up the turkey, and platter it.
The key is not to put the entire bird back in the oven. But that’s not all there is to it. We break down the ins and outs of turkey safety if you miss the mark on your first attempt.
If you carve into your Thanksgiving turkey and discover that the meat is still raw, don’t put the whole thing back in the oven, because it could take a long time to finish cooking. The sides will turn ice cold and your guests will mutiny (or at least finish all the wine before dinner’s ready).
Instead, keep carving:
- Slice off the legs and the whole breasts.
- Place them on a baking sheet, and pop it into an oven you’ve preheated at 375ºF (190°C).
- Check the turkey every 15 minutes until the pieces reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear.
- Then you can slice the meat, pile it on a platter, and bring it to your grateful guests.
So you got a little distracted by the Macy’s Day Parade, and your turkey’s still looking a little too… alive. What’s the worst that could happen?
Well, food poisoning, for a start. In 2019. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sourced a Salmonella outbreak back to raw turkey products. And not only this, but some of these Salmonella strains were also resistant to antibiotics.
Undercooking turkey leaves the door wide open for Salmonella and other pathogens like Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens. This can lead to the following food poisoning symptoms in you and your guests:
- stomach upset and cramps
- nausea
- vomiting
- runny poops
- a fever
So unless you want yours to go down in family lore as the Thanksgiving where everyone puked and pooped their pants, you’ll want to avoid undercooking that bad boy at all costs.
What’s the right internal temperature for turkey?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (who happened to know their turkeys pretty well) recommends cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165ºF (74°C).
This means that any nasty onboard pathogens waiting to mess with your digestive system won’t be able to survive the cook. Sad for bacteria, great for you and the people around your Thanksgiving table.
Check that the temperature has reached 165ºF (74°C) in different parts of the bird, including:
- the thickest section of breast
- the part of the thigh closest to the center of the bird
- the part of the wing closest to the center
- the center of any stuffing you’ve used
Holiday Hotline Tip: What If I Carve into an Undercooked Turkey
FAQ
How can you tell if a turkey is undercooked?
Texture: Properly cooked meat should be firm to the touch but not overly tough. Undercooked meat will feel soft and mushy.Oct 15, 2024
Is turkey ok if it’s a little pink?
Yes, a little pink is fine (happens with turkey and chicken both)–you’ll just want to make sure that the thigh meat looks firm and cooked, not soft or raw still.
How to tell if raw turkey is bad?
Slimy or sticky surface – If the turkey feels slimy or sticky to the touch, it’s a sign that bacteria have begun to grow on the surface of the meat. Discoloration, such as grayish or greenish spots – Discoloration on the surface of the turkey can indicate bacterial growth or spoilage.
What color is uncooked turkey?
Raw poultry can vary from a bluish-white to yellow. All of these colors are normal and are a direct result of breed, exercise, age, and/or diet.