The Edit — Kitchen
What Temperature Is Turkey Done? Where to Probe It
165°F, read in 3 places: the innermost thigh, the innermost wing and the thickest part of the breast. The colour of the meat cannot tell you, in either direction.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page reads the USDA’s published guidance on cooking a turkey: the temperature, where to measure it, and how long a bird of each weight takes at 325°F. The 2 thermometers at the end are chosen as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
165°F is the number for every part of the bird
The USDA’s safe minimum for all poultry is 165°F, or 73.9°C, measured with a food thermometer before the bird leaves the oven. The chart lists breasts, whole birds, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing on the same line. Beef, pork and lamb roasts are different: 145°F, then a rest of at least 3 minutes.
Poultry gets no lower number with a rest. If one of the 3 readings is 160°F, the turkey goes back in.
Probe the thigh, the wing and the thickest breast
The USDA names 3 places to check: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast. A whole turkey heats unevenly, so 1 reading in the breast can pass while the thigh is still short. Take all 3 and treat the lowest as the bird’s temperature.
Pink meat can be fully cooked turkey
Colour does not tell you whether a turkey is safe, according to the USDA’s page on pink turkey meat. A bird can reach 165°F and still look pink, especially near the bone and in young birds.
The reverse holds as well: meat that has turned white is no proof it reached 165°F. Only the thermometer settles it.
Stuffing has to reach 165°F as well
The USDA’s advice for optimum safety is to cook stuffing in a casserole, not in the bird. If you do stuff the turkey, mix the stuffing just before it goes in, pack it loosely, and check that the centre of the stuffing reads 165°F along with the meat. A stuffed bird also takes longer, by 15 to 45 minutes at most weights in the table below.
Roasting times at 325°F, by weight
The USDA’s approximate times below assume a fresh or fully thawed turkey and an oven at 325°F. Treat them as a guide to when to start checking, not a finish line.
| Turkey weight | Unstuffed (hours) | Stuffed (hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 lb | 2¾ to 3 | 3 to 3½ |
| 12 to 14 lb | 3 to 3¾ | 3½ to 4 |
| 14 to 18 lb | 3¾ to 4¼ | 4 to 4¼ |
| 18 to 20 lb | 4¼ to 4½ | 4¼ to 4¾ |
| 20 to 24 lb | 4½ to 5 | 4¾ to 5¼ |
The USDA lists what moves those times. A partly frozen or stuffed bird takes longer, and so does a foil tent left on the whole time. A dark roasting pan cooks faster than a shiny one, and a lid or an oven bag speeds things up. An oven that runs cool slows everything, which is the case for checking early.
An instant-read thermometer settles it in seconds
An instant-read thermometer gives a reading within seconds, so the oven door stays open for less time across the 3 checks. The 2 below are the top of instant-read meat thermometers compared, which ranks 4.
Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer Digital
Good fit Checking 3 places in a turkey quickly
Not for Anyone counting on years of use, as some fail after a year
TempPro TempSwift 1 Sec Instant Read Meat Thermometer Digital
Good fit Reading a thigh at the back of a dim oven
Not for Long service, as some broke after about 1.5 years
The Alpha Grillers thermometer rates 4.8 across 92,701 ratings. Owners praise its speed, accuracy and magnetic back; some report it failing after about a year.
Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer Digital
92,701 ratings at 4.8, praised for speed, accuracy and a magnet for storage.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Instant-read, digital |
|---|
Owners describe fast, accurate readings and simple operation, and call it good value. Some units stopped working after a year.
Buy it if
- Checking 3 places in a turkey quickly
Don't buy it if
- Anyone counting on years of use, as some fail after a year
The TempPro TempSwift states a 1-second read and rates 4.7 across 56,443 ratings. Owners like the clear display and the auto on/off; some report it breaking after about 1.5 years.
TempPro TempSwift 1 Sec Instant Read Meat Thermometer Digital
56,443 ratings at 4.7, a 1-second thermometer with a clear display and auto on/off.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Read speed | 1 second, per the listing |
|---|
Owners like the accuracy, the easy-to-read display and the magnet. A share report it failing after around 1.5 years.
Buy it if
- Reading a thigh at the back of a dim oven
Don't buy it if
- Long service, as some broke after about 1.5 years
Rest the bird 20 minutes before carving
The USDA’s guide says to let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving, so the juices set and the meat carves more easily. Lift the pan with mitts that cover the forearm: silicone oven mitts compared covers which ones, and what to reach for in a Thanksgiving kitchen fire covers the worst case. Guests arriving for the meal can bring one of the host gifts for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
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