Nothing says, “Happy Thanksgiving” quite like under- or over-cooked turkey. But if you’re cooking this year’s bird based on visual or physical cues like color and texture, you might be taking a risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 1 in 6 people suffer food poisoning from undercooked meat or poultry every year.
So, if you’re resolving to bust out the meat thermometer for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner, here’s what you should do:
The safest way to know that your Thanksgiving turkey or any other meat is safely cooked? A meat thermometer. The USDA encourages the use of food thermometer to ensure that all food is cooked to a safe internal temperature that kills all bacteria:
- Poultry (e.g. turkey): 165F
- Beef, pork, veal, lamb: 145F
- Ground meat: 160F
- Fish: 145F
- Eggs: 160F
Determine the type of food thermometer you want to use. Some instant-read thermometers require you to first remove the food from the oven and insert it to get a read in between 10 to 20 seconds. But you can also use an oven-safe thermometer that goes into the meat before you put it in the oven, and you can then read the temperature via a monitor outside the oven without ever opening up the door. SMART thermometers will even send the temp directly to your phone.
Make sure you’re inserting the thermometer properly. The thermometer should go into the thickest part of the meat. In the case of your Thanksgiving turkey, that would be the breast. Be careful to avoid letting the thermometer touch non-meat parts, such as bone, fat, gristle, or the pan, because these will affect the temp reading. Remember, it’s the meat you need to check.
Keep the thermometer clean. If you’re using an instant-read thermometer, you might find that the food needs to go back in the oven. Or maybe you’re using the same thermometer to check different foods. Be sure to clean the thermometer between uses to avoid cross contamination. And of course, when you’re done, clean it before you put it away. Use warm, soapy water to wash it off, just like you would with any other kitchen utensil.
Count on a meat thermometer to ensure any meal is a safe, healthy one!
