Make your holiday meal memorable – and tasty – by following CDC’s tips to safely prepare and cook your Thanksgiving turkey. The CDC feature (also in Spanish) guides you through the key steps of serving a safe feast for family and friends. If you don’t have a food thermometer at home, pick one up before Turkey Day and use it to make sure foods have been cooked to a safe internal temperature.
Follow these tips to help you safely prepare your next holiday meal:
- Thaw your turkey safely, which means never leave it out on the counter at room temperature. Place it in a container in the refrigerator.
- Handle your turkey the right way — clean, separate, cook, and chill — to prevent the spread of bacteria.
- Cook turkey and stuffing thoroughly, to 165°F.
- If you plan to bake, do not eat raw dough or batter, and use pasteurized eggs in dishes that call for raw eggs.