How do you know when a turkey breast is done with a thermometer?

Read the thermometer correctly: Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop. If the temperature is between 160 and 165 degrees F, the turkey is done.

How do you tell if a turkey breast is cooked?

When the turkey is cooked, the final reading should be 180 - 185ºF (82 - 85ºC) in the thigh and 170 - 175ºF (77 - 80ºC) in the breast. If a meat thermometer is not available, pinch the thick muscle of the drumstick or the breast between cloth- or paper towel-protected fingers.

What should thermometer read for turkey breast?

Measuring Internal Temperature

The internal temperature of your turkey (and any stuffing) should always reach 165°F. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the percentage of consumers who own food thermometers has increased from 49 percent in 1998 to 70 percent in 2010.

What temperature do you take out a turkey breast?

But if you wait that long your breast meat will be dry and overcooked. We recommend that you remove the bird from the oven when the breast temperature reaches 165 degrees and the thickest part of the thighs reaches between 170 and 175 degrees.

Is turkey really done when thermometer pops out?

Are Pop-up Timers Reliable? No, pop-up timers aren't known for their reliability. They occasionally may pop before the bird has reached a temperature of 165 degrees F, resulting in an undercooked bird that can make your guests sick. A regular meat thermometer can help you to check the doneness of your turkey.

How to Take the Temperature of Your Turkey

How to tell if a turkey breast is done without a meat thermometer?

Look for clear juices.

Once you've inserted the knife or skewer into the thigh, you should see juices run out. If the juices are clear, the turkey has finished cooking. If you see blood or slightly red juices, the turkey isn't done.

How can you tell if turkey breast is undercooked?

If your guests doubt you, fear not. Instead, gently remind them that undercooked turkey is squishy and soft with a pallid hue while properly cooked turkey is firm, albeit with the chance of a slightly pinkish tinge at the joints.

Does turkey breast have to be 165?

Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop increasing. If it is not ready, return it to the oven. According to the Department of Agriculture, a turkey must reach 165 degrees F to be safe, but you can take it out of the oven as low as 160 degrees F because the temperature will rise at it rests.

Can you leave a meat thermometer in the turkey while it cooks?

An oven-safe meat thermometer goes into any size or cut of meat (whole turkeys, roasts, chicken breast, you name it!) before roasting or grilling. This type of thermometer can remain in the meat while roasting in the oven or cooking on the grill.

Where do you stick the thermometer in a turkey?

Before cooking, if you have an oven safe leave-in thermometer, insert the probe into the thigh. The tip of the thermometer should be placed into the thick part of thigh without touching the bone. Remove the turkey when it reaches 180°F.

How do I keep my turkey breast from drying out?

Covering the turkey breast with foil, while cooking, also prevents the turkey breast from overcooking or drying out. This way you don't have to keep basting the turkey breast while it's cooking either.

Should a turkey breast be cooked covered or uncovered?

Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in thickest part of breast reaches 170° F. If breast is stuffed, center of stuffing should be 165° F. Let breast stand for 10 minutes before carving.

How long should a turkey breast rest before carving?

After the turkey breast comes out of the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, skin side up, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. Resting the meat gives the muscle fibers time to relax, and lets the juices settle in. That means that they'll stay in the meat once you start slicing.

What is the secret to a moist turkey?

Dissolve ½ cup kosher salt and ½ cup brown sugar in 2 cups hot water. Stir in 2 cups apple juice and 4 cups of ice. Submerge turkey in brine for 2 or more hours in the refrigerator. I recommend 10 hours for optimal flavor and tenderness.

Why won t my turkey reaches 165?

Cooking at too high of a temperature.

It's best to start roasting the bird at 475-500 degrees for the first 20-30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 400 degrees until the bird reaches 165 degrees.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Turkey weighing 12-14 lbs should be cooked at 350 degrees in the oven. It will cook your meat faster and make for crispy skin. It will also make the meat taste meatier. For smaller birds, cooking them at 325 degrees cooking temperature in the oven is best.

Can you overcook a turkey breast?

The sheer anatomy of the bird guarantees a challenge: Easy-to-overcook breast meat combined with dark meat that seems to take eons to cook through. So it's hard not to end up with a combination of dry breast meat and fall-off-the-bone thighs and drumsticks, or moist breast meat and undercooked thighs and drumsticks.

Is it OK if turkey breast is a little pink?

The color of cooked poultry is not always a sure sign of its safety. Only by using a food thermometer can one accurately determine that poultry has reached a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the product. Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

What if Turkey breast is a little pink?

The best way to be sure a turkey — or any meat — is cooked safely and done is to use a meat thermometer. If the temperature of the turkey, as measured in the thigh, has reached 180°F. and is done to family preference, all the meat — including any that remains pink — is safe to eat.

How long should a turkey rest?

Thanksgiving Help Line

Pull it out as soon as the temperature hits 165, or even a little lower. The amount of resting time depends on the size of the bird, but at least 20 minutes is needed. A large bird can wait up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.

What temp does thermometer pop on turkey?

The little pop-up thermometer in the turkey breast is designed to pop when the internal temperature of the breast meat reaches 178 degrees F. By then, your turkey is bone dry.

Can you trust the thermometer in a turkey?

Experts explain why they don't trust pop-up thermometers

In fact, Consumer Reports tested a few of the thermometers and they popped well before the bird reached the safe temperature of 165 degrees — they actually indicated the birds were cooked at about 139.5 degrees.

Is turkey breast OK at 150?

According to the USDA's own data, as long as your turkey spends at least 3.7 minutes at or above,150°F (66°C), it is safe to eat. In other words, by the time it's done resting (you do let your turkey rest before carving, right?), you should be good to go.

Is turkey breast OK at 155?

Cook your turkey until your thermometer reads 155 -160 degrees. (Yes, we know that new safe cooking guidelines say to cook your bird to 165 degrees (they used to say 180!), but remember that your turkey will continue to cook after removed from the oven and it's temperature will increase by 10 degrees while resting.