Ohio State nav bar

Skip to main content

The Ohio State University

  • Help
  • BuckeyeLink
  • Map
  • Find People
  • Webmail
  • Search Ohio State
  • Home
  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars
  • Authors

Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Topics:

The Ohio State University
You are here: Home / Food / Ten Turkey Tips

November 17, 2015

Ten Turkey Tips

  1. Thermometer in turkeyThaw safely! The best way to thaw your turkey is in a refrigerator set to 40F or below. Allow 24 hours of thawing time for each 4-5 pounds of turkey. Once thawed, the turkey can safely be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
  2. Still frozen? You can safely cook your frozen turkey in the oven . . . it will just take 50% longer. As the turkey thaws and cooks, carefully use a fork or tongs to remove the giblets.
  3. No washing. It is NOT necessary to wash the turkey before preparing it. Washing poultry before cooking can spread bacteria to countertops, utensils and other surfaces.
  4. Don’t stuff the stuffing. If you choose to stuff your turkey, pack the stuffing loosely in the chest cavity. Pre-cook and cool any meat or seafood to be used in making your stuffing.
  5. Slow roasting. You may want to cook your turkey “low and slow”, but don’t set the oven temperature below 325F.
  6. Cook time. Cooking a medium size turkey will usually take about 4 hours. You can use these charts to help you get a better idea of how long your turkey will need to cook.
  7. Take the temperature. Color is NOT a reliable way to judge the safety of cooked meat. Use a food thermometer to take the temperature of both the turkey and the stuffing. Each of these areas should reach 165F.
  8. Rest. Let the cooked turkey rest for about 20 minutes before serving. This allows the turkey juices to redistribute.
  9. Oven alternatives. Your turkey does not have to be cooked in an oven. You can fry, roast, grill, smoke and more.
  10. Safe storage. Be sure to properly pack and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours from when the food was served.

Need more help? Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

REVIEWED BY: Melinda Hill, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wayne County, hill.14@osu.edu

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Kitchen Companion Image Library.

SOURCES:

  • USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing (website)
  • USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey Basics: Stuffing (website)
  • USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking (website)
  • USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table (website)

Categories: Food
Tags: food safety, frozen, stuffing, Thanksgiving, turkey

Avatar for Kate Shumaker
Avatar for Kate Shumaker

About Kate Shumaker

Kate Shumaker, MS, RDN, LD, has enjoyed being an Extension Educator for over 15 years. All that time in the garden and kitchen with Mom and Grandma and the years in high school and college spent waitressing and cooking in restaurants have finally paid off! In addition to nutrition, Kate has developed specializations in food safety and food preservation. She is also a registered instructor and proctor of the ServSafe program with the National Restaurant Association.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

Diabetes Awareness month 2024 3

November Diabetes Awareness Month Webinars

2024 Food Preservation webinar series presented in Summer 2024

Kids Eat Free

Here Comes the Sun, Sun Meals, and Sun Bucks!

winter seed sowing timeline

Winter Sowing

How to Can Tomatoes in a Water Bath Canner

Food Videos

  • Freezing Green Beans
  • Ohio Days – My Plate My State Video
  • Water Bath Canning Of Salsa
  • Water Bath Canning of Sweet Pickles

Follow Us!

  • Facebook

Footer

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.
Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!

Categories

  • Food
  • Family and Relationships
  • Money
  • Mind and Body
  • Webinars

Follow us!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
The Ohio State University
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN ECOLOGY
COLLEGE OF FOOD, AGRICULTURAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

© 2025 Live Smart Ohio - Family and Consumer Sciences | The Ohio State University - College of Education and Human Ecology | Accessibility | Privacy Policy

%d