Cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time? A Penn State food safety expert has the tips you need.
In just under a week, the clock will be ticking on your Thanksgiving turkey – specifically, how much time you’ll have left to get it ready to cook.
If 2025 is your first year working in the kitchen or hosting Thanksgiving, there are some critical details you should be aware of. Pretty simply, do these things right, you’ll make the family proud, do them wrong, you’ll make the family sick – literally.
When should I take my turkey out to thaw?
If your turkey is still freezing, whether at the grocery store or in your freezer, it’s time to start working on a thaw, depending upon the size of the bird.
“For every five pounds, one day,” said Penn State Food Safety Expert Mary Alice Gettings.
So, according to Gettings, it might be time to move that bird from the freezer to the refrigerator.
“So, a 25-pound turkey, you’re looking at Saturday afternoon, early Sunday morning,” she explained.
While you probably don’t want to mess with waiting to thaw it in water, it works, but it’s a pain.
“You have to keep the water cold, and you have to change it every 30 minutes,” Gettings said.
What should my turkey’s internal temperature be when it’s cooked?
Now, before cooking, and after, the key is keeping the temperature out of the danger zone, which, according to Gettings, is 40 to 140 degrees. So, come Thursday, make sure that you have that meat thermometer handy.
“The turkey needs to be 165 degrees,” Gettings said.
The same temperature for the stuffing, because if you do stuff your bird, Gettings said you should do it at the last minute and loosely because you don’t want to dry out the turkey trying to get the stuffing done. Once it all comes out, though, let it sit for about 20 minutes for flavor reasons.
How long can I keep my Thanksgiving leftovers?
“You have about two hours from the time you take it out of the oven until you put it into the refrigerator,” she said. “All the leftovers, not just the turkey, but all the leftovers, should be put into the fridge by 4:00.”
Whatever you’re serving, turkey and sides, Gettings said to make sure you’re keeping them out of the danger zone. Cold dishes under 40 degrees, hot dishes over 140 degrees – it’s all about avoiding bacterial growth, which can make anyone sick.
Finally, when it comes to leftovers, Gettings said turkey in the fridge is good for about 3-4 days, and frozen turkey stays flavorful for up to six months.
