How to cook a turkey? Don’t waste your time with other posts. Here’s the plain truth: The secret to perfect turkey is proper control of turkey temperature. And that’s our jam. Use whatever recipe you like—deep-fry it, smoke it, roast it, whatever. But neglect these fundamental principles at your own peril!.
Turkey Doneness Temp: 157°F (69°C) in the breast—not 165°F!, and 175°F (79°C) in the thigh for moist turkey. (USDA charts here or read more below to see why this is safe. ).
Come Thanksgiving or Christmas, a perfectly roasted turkey is the crowning jewel of the holiday meal But questions around safe cooking temperatures can cause confusion. Is turkey done at 165°F or 180°F? Let’s resolve this debate once and for all
The USDA and food safety experts provide clear guidance around required cooking temperatures for poultry. However conflicting advice online has caused some uncertainty.
By understanding the science behind safe poultry handling, you can roast your turkey with confidence. Keep reading as I clear up the confusion on minimum safe cooking temperatures for turkey.
Why 165°F and 180°F Temps Are Both Cited
The source of the debate stems from the USDA itself citing two different minimum safe temperatures for turkey.
On one hand, the USDA specifies 165°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. However, their guidelines also state 180°F as the minimum temperature for thigh meat.
This discrepancy causes understandable uncertainty for home cooks on knowing when the turkey is fully cooked.
Breast Meat vs Thigh Meat Require Different Temps
The reason for the dual temperature guidelines comes down to the different types of meat on a turkey.
Lean breast meat is lower in fat and collagen. It can safely be cooked to 165°F internal temperature.
Thigh meat contains more fat, collagen and dark meat. To fully cook thigh meat and be safe for consumption, it needs to reach 180°F.
So technically, both 165°F and 180°F are correct minimum safe temperatures, but for different parts of the turkey!
How to Tell When Turkey is Done
Given the variation in thickness of breast and thigh meat, experts recommend taking the turkey’s temperature in multiple spots.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the innermost part of the thigh and wing for 180°F.
Then, test the thickest portion of the breast for 165°F minimum. The stuffing should reach 165°F as well.
If the thigh and breast meet these guidelines, while clear juices run from the cavity, your turkey is fully cooked and safe to eat!
Why 165°F for the Breast Is Safe
You may be wondering why 165°F is considered safe, when guidelines for other meats like beef and pork specify higher temps.
The answer lies in how thoroughly poultry cooks. The texture changes rapidly from raw to cooked between 155°F up to 165°F.
According to food safety experts, by the time the internal temp hits 165°F, turkey breast is cooked through sufficiently to destroy any potential bacteria.
Going above 165°F results in overcooking, leading to dry, stringy breast meat.
Tips for the Juiciest Turkey
Now that you know the appropriate minimum temperatures, here are tips to roast a tender, juicy turkey:
- Brine the turkey in saltwater overnight before roasting
- Cook stuffing in a casserole, not inside the turkey
- Roast breast-side up, atop a rack in a shallow pan
- Baste every 30 minutes with pan drippings
- Watch temps carefully near end to avoid overcooking
- Let rest 20+ minutes before carving to allow juices to set
Taking the temperature in multiple places is the only foolproof way to confirm your turkey reaches the safe zone.
Use an instant-read thermometer to verify the breast hits 165°F, and thighs reach 180°F minimum.
Remember, these dual temperature guidelines apply to all whole poultry, not just turkey. Chicken, duck, and other birds follow the same recommendations.
WHAT TEMPERATURE IS TURKEY DONE?
We’ve all been taught wrong! The internet and cookbooks all give too high a temperature. No matter what they say, though, you should NEVER cook turkey breast meat to 165°F (74°C) or, worse, 180°F (82°C!).
Our answer? Cook the breast meat to 157°F (69°C) for moist, juicy turkey.
Bone dry turkey white meat is the reason so many people kind of hate turkey. It’s also why turkey gravy and cranberry sauce are de rigueur on so many Thanksgiving dinner tables. But if you’ve ever eaten turkey white meat that was cooked just right, you know that it can be juicy and delicious without any extras!
HOW LONG TO COOK A TURKEY?
Charts and posts about turkey cooking times abound promising “Turkey Cook Times. However, they all have the same basic flaw: no chart can account for all the factors that can change the actual cooking time of your turkey…
Things that Change Rate of Cooking…
- How well your oven or smoker works (most ovens are off by 25 to 50°F [14 to 28°C])
- The type of oven (conventional, convection)
- Uneven heating flow in your oven
- Where the turkey is positioned in the oven or smoker
- The depth and size of the pan
- What kind of roasting pan it is—dark, shiny, or dull
- If you want to use a roasting pan with a lid, don’t.
- The exact size of your turkey
- It’s shape dimensions relative to other turkeys
- The fat content of your turkey
- How hot it was before you put it in the oven or smoker
- Whether it was completely thawed or still partially frozen
- Whether it was tented with foil or not
- Whether it is stuffed or unstuffed
You can’t rely on a turkey time chart to tell you whether your turkey is a) cooked enough to be safe to eat or b) dry and tasteless. Time charts do have their use. They help you estimate when to start cooking your turkey relative to dinner time. But if you want a tasty turkey, you should cook it until it’s done and no longer.
Is turkey done at 165 or 180?
FAQ
Is turkey at 180 overcooked?
Should you pull a turkey at 160 or 165?
Can you cook a turkey at 180 degrees?
Can I take the turkey out at 150?
Is it safe to cook a Turkey at 165 degrees?
You must cook a turkey until its internal temperature reaches 165°F. Otherwise, it isn’t safe to eat. By undercooking poultry, you are risking food poisoning and proper cooking results in a reduction in pathogens. Like chicken breasts, it’s important to fully cook a turkey.
What temperature should a Turkey be cooked at?
A turkey is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You can cook dark meat to a temperature of 180°F, but white meat turkey should be pulled out of the oven at 165° otherwise, it will get dry. Still, have questions about the two different “done” temperatures for turkey? We’ve probably answered them below.
Can you cook a turkey breast at 180 degrees?
If you truly want to cook your dark meat to 180°F, you can remove the turkey from the oven, cut off the breasts, then return it to the oven to let the dark meat cook more. You can also create a tin foil tent for the breast portion of the meat to protect them from the heat. But as we stated above, we don’t think this is worth the hassle.
What temperature should a turkey thigh be cooked to?
Many people will cook their turkey until the thigh meat temperatures are 180°F. They stop cooking the breast meat to 165°F on the food thermometer. If you choose to cook the dark meat a little longer, you should eat it right away.
How do you know when a Turkey is done?
This can lead to many questions as to knowing when a turkey is done and safe to eat. A turkey is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. You can cook dark meat to a temperature of 180°F, but white meat turkey should be pulled out of the oven at 165° otherwise, it will get dry.
What temperature should a Turkey be before carving?
You can remove the turkey from the oven when the meat by the neck cavity reaches 160°F. This is a good pull temperature because it will continue cooking as it rests. The rest before carving will redistribute some of the juices. If you rest before carving, you’ll have a juicy turkey. Check the temperature after resting to ensure it reached 165°F.