Top Holiday Resources
2012 TIPS OF THE DAY
- Reheating your Thanksgiving leftovers? Reheat safely to 165 °F. You will have until Monday to use them.
- Using the old family recipe for a perfect turkey? It's not safe to cook a turkey in a conventional oven below 325°F.
- Cooking a turkey ahead of time? After a turkey is cooked, don't put the whole turkey in the refrigerator to cool; break the turkey down into smaller portions to cool quickly and safely.
- Planning on stuffing your turkey? If the answer is yes, the turkey and the stuffing need to reach 165 °F to be safe.
- Running out of time? Trying to save time by preparing and stuffing a turkey the night before? Not a good idea, it's dangerous!
- Safest way to thaw your turkey is in the refrigerator. It takes about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. Make sure your refrigerator is at 40 °F or below.
- Don't let the sell-by-date ruin your Thanksgiving. The sell-by-date tells the store how long to display the turkey for sale, not how long it will last in your refrigerator.
- Are you brining or frying your turkey for the first time? Ask us how to do it safely! Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854.
- Wondering when you should buy your fresh turkey? Wait til the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Use the turkey within two days.
- Get tips on Twitter | En Español
TOP TURKEY RESOURCES
Recommended Internal Temperatures
Turkey Basics
- Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing | PDF | En Español | En Español PDF
- Turkey Basics: Stuffing | PDF | | En Español | En Español PDF
- Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking | PDF | En Español | En Español PDF
- Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners | PDF | En Español | En Español PDF
Brochure
Interactive Knowledge Base: Ask a Food Safety Question
- AskKaren.gov (keyword turkey) | En Español
Pictures & Videos
- Proper placement of food thermometer in whole turkey (JPG; shown below)
- Let's Talk about Thawing a Turkey | En Español | ASL
- Let's Talk about Stuffing a Turkey | En Español | ASL
- Let's Talk about Cooking a Turkey | En Español | ASL
Thanksgiving Recipes
Want more? Looking for teaching materials?
Check the Seasonal Food Safety Fact Sheets page, the master Fact Sheets index, or our list of downloadable educational materials.
For more food safety essentials, Check Your Steps!
