Is the turkey done? 165°F in the thigh, wing and breast

The three spots

FSIS says a whole turkey is safe when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, measured with a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. FSIS’s thermometer page adds one more instruction for whole poultry: avoid the bone. [S1] [S2]

Why three spots instead of one? A turkey is big and uneven, and FSIS says parts of a large or oddly shaped food reach a safe temperature at different times, so it should be checked in several places. The wing is thin and the breast is thick, and the thigh sits deep against the body. One good reading doesn’t speak for the rest of the bird. [S2]

165°F is a minimum. FSIS says you can cook turkey hotter if that’s how you like it. Its chart puts every kind of poultry at 165°F: whole birds, breasts, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing. [S1] [S2]

If you’re roasting just a turkey breast, there’s one spot: FSIS says to put the thermometer in the thickest part. For parts such as thighs or wings cooked on their own, go into the thickest area and avoid the bone. [S1] [S2]

Getting the tip in the right place

FSIS says most food thermometers read accurately to within 2 to 4°F, but only when the sensor sits in the right spot. Placed wrong, the number won’t reflect the food’s real internal temperature. [S2]

• Go to the thickest part. FSIS says the thermometer goes in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat or gristle. [S2]
• Read your thermometer’s instructions first. They should say how deep it has to go to read accurately. No instructions? FSIS says to look for a dimple on the stem, which marks one end of the sensing area, and notes that dial thermometers need to go about 2 to 3 inches into the food. [S2]
• Know where your sensor is. A dial (bimetal) thermometer averages the temperature along roughly 2 to 3 inches of stem, so the whole sensing area has to be in the meat. A digital thermistor senses at the tip, and since the center of food is usually cooler than the outside, FSIS says to put that tip in the center of the thickest part. [S2]
• Thin parts go in from the side. For thinner pieces of poultry, FSIS says to insert the thermometer through the side until it reaches the center. [S2]

Our safe meat temperatures guide covers placement for every other food on the FSIS chart. This page sticks to the turkey.

What to check first

That depends on your thermometer.

1. Oven-proof thermometer, left in. FSIS says to put it in at the start of cooking, in the thickest part of the inner thigh. Once the thigh reaches 165°F, check the wing and the thickest part of the breast to be sure the whole bird has reached 165°F. [S1]
2. Instant-read or other quick thermometer. These aren’t made to stay in the oven. FSIS says to use them near the end of the estimated cooking time and to check before the food is expected to finish, so it doesn’t overcook. Then read all three spots. [S2]

To know when “near the end” is, our turkey roasting time chart gives the FSIS time range by weight at 325°F. Start checking at the short end of the range. Those times are approximate, and the thermometer has the final say. [S1] [S3]

Check your readings

Type in what your thermometer shows at each spot. The check compares each one to 165°F.

The check only does arithmetic on the numbers you enter. It can’t tell whether the tip was in the right place or whether your thermometer reads true, so placement and the ice-water check below still matter.

Pop-up timers: a start, not the finish

Many turkeys come with a plastic pop-up indicator. FSIS’s thermometer page explains how they work: a firing material inside dissolves at a set temperature and releases a stainless-steel spring, and the stem pops up. It says they’re reliable to within 1 to 2°F, but placement matters, and it always recommends checking with a regular food thermometer as well. [S2]

The roasting guide is more direct. If your turkey has a pop-up indicator, FSIS recommends also checking the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast with a food thermometer, and each needs 165°F. A pop-up only reports on the one spot it’s stuck in. [S1]

Stuffing gets its own reading

For the best safety, FSIS says not to stuff whole poultry and to cook the stuffing in a casserole instead. Stuffing is on the FSIS 165°F poultry line either way. [S2] [S3]

If you do stuff the bird, the center of the stuffing has to reach 165°F as well as the thigh, wing and breast. A turkey can read done while the stuffing in the middle is still short. After the 20-minute rest, take all the stuffing out of the cavity. [S1] [S2]

Which thermometer types suit a turkey

FSIS’s thermometer page compares the common types. The rows below are the ones that matter for a roast turkey, in its words where it matters. [S2]

Summarized from the FSIS Food Thermometers page (last updated March 21, 2025). Pop-up timers and single-use indicators are covered above and below. [S2]

Two cautions from the same page. Don’t leave a thermometer in food while it cooks unless the manufacturer says it can take the heat and is made for that. And some have plastic faces that can melt near heat. Single-use color-change indicators are made for one temperature range each and can’t stay in the oven, so use one only for the food it’s meant for. [S2]

Check your thermometer before the big day

FSIS calls the ice-water method the best one for most thermometers. It takes about a minute: [S2]

1. Fill a large glass with ice cubes, add drinking water and stir well. [S2]
2. Put the stem in at least 2 inches, touching neither the sides nor the bottom of the glass. [S2]
3. Wait at least 30 seconds and read it without taking the stem out of the water. [S2]
4. It should read 32°F. If it doesn’t, adjust it the way the manufacturer’s instructions say; some have a calibration nut or dial. [S2]

The other FSIS method uses boiling water, which should read 212°F at sea level. Water boils lower at high altitude, by at least 2°F and perhaps as much as 5°F, so FSIS points high-altitude cooks to their local Cooperative Extension office or health department for the exact number. If a thermometer can’t be adjusted and reads wrong, FSIS says you may need to replace it. Oven cord thermometers and thermometer forks can’t be calibrated at all. [S2]

After 165°F

Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving so the juices set; FSIS says it carves more easily. Then the leftover clock starts. FSIS says to throw out leftovers left at room temperature longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, and to use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. [S1] [S3]

The thermometer comes back out for leftovers: FSIS says to reheat turkey to 165°F, in an oven set no lower than 325°F or in a covered microwave dish that you rotate and let stand. Our leftovers guide has the rest. [S1]

Before you carve

Quick answers