At Thanksgiving dinner (and let's be honest, at many other holiday gatherings, too) the turkey is the star of the show. And, with so much emphasis placed on roasting the perfect turkey , it can be a bit nerve-wracking to do everything right. The good news is that if you're trying to create a delicious dinner, there are a few temperature tricks you can use to make sure your bird is neither undercooked nor tough and overdone.
Daily Meal spoke with Jessie-Sierra Ross, former ballerina turned cooking and home entertaining author of " Seasons Around the Table; Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes ." She gave some expert advice on prepping the perfect Thanksgiving turkey . Jessie-Sierra's tip for a perfectly moist turkey is to remove the bird from the oven 20 or 30 minutes before it reaches peak temperature and let residual heat do the rest of the cooking.
For this you will want to use a digital, instant-read thermometer, taking the turkey out of the oven when it's at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Why a thermometer is so important When you cook a turkey, you might be tempted to judge its readiness by the crispy, golden, skin on the outside. However, this can be dangerous.
The reason for this is that in order for the meat to be fully cooked and any harmful bacteria to have been eliminated, it needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can take the temperature in the breast of a whole turkey or in the center of a stuffed turkey.