Cooking a perfect turkey can be a tricky task if you’re new to the bird or you only do it at Thanksgiving (that’s most of us!).
One of the keys to making sure it’s juicy and delicious is knowing where to put the thermometer in the turkey to check if your bird is cooked to the right temperature.
Here, we’ll go over how to take your bird’s temperature and where to put the thermometer.
Before Putting the Thermometer in Turkey
To ensure accurate temperature readings and avoid undercooked or overcooked meat, there are some important things you need to know before using a thermometer with a turkey.
1. What is the safe temperature for turkey?
To ensure safety and proper cooking, the USDA recommends using a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends Turkey should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F/74°C to be safe to eat. Contrary to government suggestions, some chefs cook breast meat at 157°F/69°C to keep it from drying out.
2. What tools do I need to measure the right temperature?
You’ll want a reliable thermometer to gauge the temperature of your turkey. There are two commonly used thermometers that home cooks use on turkey:
An instant-read thermometer, like the Typhur InstaProbe, is a handheld device that you insert into the turkey to get an accurate temperature reading fast;
A wireless meat thermometer stays inside the turkey while it cooks and provides a continuous temperature reading.
3. Where is the best place to insert a thermometer in turkey?
To get an accurate temperature reading of your turkey, it’s best to take the temperature from three different spots making sure to avoid touching any bone: the joint between the thigh and the body, the joint between the leg and thigh and the thickest part of the breast.
Remember that breast and leg meat should be cooked at different temperatures, but the breast is the one that will dry out if overcooked. So, the Typhur dual probe meat thermometer is the best choice which can let you monitor leg and breast temperature separately.
How to Check a Turkey’s Temperature
If you’re looking for accurate, consistent results, the temperature is the key. So let’s show you how to check a turkey’s temperature using a wireless meat thermometer.
The thermometer we are using is Typhur Sync, a stable and accurate wireless Bluetooth meat thermometer. You can set different target temperatures for Sync’s two probes, one is for the leg and the other one for the breast. It built-in alarm which means it will remind you to remove your turkey from the heat when reaches the right internal temperature.
Thermometer FAQs for Cooking Turkey
If it’s oven-safe, yes. Otherwise, utilize an InstaProbe to get a result in less than a second!
An instant-read thermometer is the best way to check if a turkey is cooked to a safe temperature.
However, if you do not have an instant-read or meat thermometer, you can use visual cues to figure out if your turkey is cooked or not.
When you cut into the turkey breast or thigh and the juices run clear (no red), it’s likely cooked through. The other thing to look for is the color of the flesh — if it’s white, it’s fully cooked; if it’s pink or red, it is not done.
Wrapping Up
Many people don’t know where to insert a thermometer in turkey, it’s hard to ensure a perfectly cooked and safe-to-eat turkey.
Using the right tools and inserting the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat will give you accurate temperature readings.
Happy cooking!
