However, this does not mean that cooking with turkey is easy, as the meat can come with its setbacks. 

For example, when using ground turkey to make burgers, you may find yourself questioning how well the meat has been cooked and if the turkey is still edible.

While we all know that chicken with any pink should be avoided, the same cannot be said for turkey, which can make the overall process confusing. 

So if you want to know if you can eat pink turkey burgers, then you have come to the right place. 

In the following article, we have gathered some important information about turkey meat and its preparation, so that you can cook the meat in a safe and hygienic manner. Just take a look down below and you will find everything you need to get started.

Can You Eat Turkey Burgers With Pink?

If you’re in a rush and don’t have time to read the entire article, then we have provided a condensed version of our answer in the section below: 

If you want to learn more about ground turkey and its components, then you will find a more detailed explanation in the following section… 

What Is Ground Turkey? 

Ground turkey is considered a healthier alternative to ground beef, as it contains high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. The meat is also lower in saturated fat and can be used in a range of dishes. 

When it comes to purchasing ground turkey, there are several varieties available, with each blend boasting a different fat content. 

For example, some blends are marketed as 93 percent lean, which means they are made using only white meat. While other blends that boast an 85 – 15 percent fat content are usually made from a combination of white and dark meat. 

In most cases, lean blends are the healthier choice, although lean ground turkey can sometimes lose its shape when being made into patties. To combat burgers falling apart, we recommend adding a raw egg to the meat, which should make it easier to work with. 

Ground turkey also comes with a mild flavor profile, which means you will need to season the patties with herbs and spices to achieve a truly delicious burger. 

Can Turkey Burgers Be Pink? 

If you have cut into your recently cooked turkey burger and the meat is still pink, you may be wondering if it is still edible. While pink turkey often means undercooked, this is not always the case. 

In fact, pink turkey burgers can be perfectly safe depending on how they were cooked. While you do want the meat to be opaque, it is not unusual for ground turkey to have some pink shading in the middle, even when the meat has been cooked. 

Instead, you need to make sure that the meat has reached the correct internal temperature, as this will mean that the bacteria has been killed and it’s safe to eat. 

However, if you plan on cooking the patties in a smoker, then it is natural for the meat to turn pink during the cooking process. This is because the smoke causes a chemical reaction, which turns the meat red and is often visible beneath the skin. 

Can Turkey Burgers Be Medium-Rare? 

The short and simple answer is no – all poultry must be cooked to a temperature of at least 165ºF before it can be consumed.

While it is common for beef burgers to be served medium or medium-rare, it is not safe to eat turkey that has not been cooked. 

But why is this? Well, the answer has to do with the nature of the meat, as turkey can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella.

Unlike cows, turkeys and chickens have thinner skin, which means the bacteria can penetrate deeper into the meat. This is why you have to cook poultry thoroughly before it can be served. 

It is also advisable to cook all ground meat to at least medium-well, as this helps to kill any bacteria gathering on the surface. So when it comes to cooking ground turkey, heating it to the correct temperature is the only way to make sure it is safe.

For more on this topic, head over to our ultimate meat doneness guide next.

Side Effects Of Eating Undercooked Turkey

In most instances, eating undercooked poultry can lead to salmonella, which is a kind of food poisoning present in white meat. 

When you have eaten undercooked turkey, the illness could make itself evident as soon as 12 hours later, or it could take a week before it manifests. In any case, the symptoms will usually last for around 4 – 7 days. 

These symptoms include: 

• Diarrhea 
• Vomiting 
• Fever 
• Abdominal cramps 

If you believe you are suffering from salmonella (or another form of food poisoning), then you will need to contact a medical care provider.

While the symptoms will usually resolve themselves within a few days, it is still important to set up an emergency contact for extreme circumstances. 

How To Make Sure Turkey Burgers Are Cooked

When it comes to cooking with raw poultry, you have to be certain that the meat is cooked before you can eat it. Fortunately, you can now use a calibrated meat thermometer to find this out. 

All you have to do is insert the probe into the thickest part of the burger, which should have reached 165 degrees F to make it edible.

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However, it is important to note that the outside of the patties will cook first, which means you should never rely on color to determine the status of the meat. 

Of course, there are other methods that can be used to check if the meat is cooked, such as pressing the pattie against your thumb to feel the heat. If the meat is piping hot, then this most likely means it has been cooked. 

It is also possible to poke the patties with a fork or knife to release the juice, which should run clear if the meat is ready. However, if the juice runs red, this means the burgers are undercooked and need more time on the grill. 

Final Thoughts 

While cooking ground turkey correctly may sound complicated, we promise it can be done without any fuss or effort. Just make sure that the meat has reached a temperature of 165ºF and you’ll have nothing to worry about. 

At this temperature, the bacteria on the meat will be destroyed, even if the inside of the burger still looks a little pink in the middle. 

The post Can Turkey Burgers Be Pink? appeared first on Own The Grill.

It shouldn’t surprise you when I share that pellet grills are one of the absolute cookers to smoke a turkey.  Do it right and the flavor will come out perfectly, the bird tender, and the meat will have the perfect amount of smokey taste in every bite.

Maybe it’s Thanksgiving and you’re trying to make sure you deliver the goods to family and friends.  Or maybe turkey just sounded like a great addition to your weekend BBQ spread.  Either way, we’ve got you covered.

In this article, we’ve created a complete guide to pellet grill turkey.  We’ll share our recipe along with some pellet grill knowledge and tips to help you get the absolute most out of your turkey.

A Quick Note on Pellet Grills – And Why They’re Perfect for Turkey

If you’ve made it to this pellet grill turkey recipe, I probably don’t need to sell you what makes pellet grills so great. But it’s worth pointing out a few specific attributes of the pellet grill that make them the perfect vessel to prepare a turkey in.

First and foremost, these cookers have a temperature range that can steadily hold low heat for extended periods – which is exactly why you want to smoke meat low and slow.  Most pellet grills can easily hold temperatures as low as 200°F.

Second, pellet grills are set and forget it style of smokers.  All you have to do to get your grill fired up is turn a dial on your control panel.  It’s as simple as that to get your cook started!  There’s no need to mess around with building and babysitting a fire.

Pellet grills also work as convection style cookers with an indirect heating method – which ultimately leads to evenly cooked results without having to rotate your bird throughout the cook.

Last, but certainly not least, is that these grills will deliver some pretty incredible flavor to your food.  Wood pellets are the fuel source for these grills, and they impart delicious smokey flavor onto your turkey.

Our top recommendation for turkey is cherry pellets – but if you’re stuck deciding which type of wood pellets to use with your turkey smoke, check out our resource on the best wood for smoking turkey to help you decide.

Things You’ll Need for Smoked Turkey

Here is everything you’ll need to get started on your pellet grill turkey:

• A turkey – ideally 12-15 pounds and fully thawed.
• Wood pellets – if you own a pellet grill, odds are you have plenty of pellets around.  Just make sure you have enough to get you through a 6-8 hour smoke.
• Probe meat thermometer – the only way you’ll know for sure when your bird is done is by measuring the meat’s internal temperature.
• Foil drip pan – this will help catch the turkey’s juicy drippings and also ensure that your cooking chamber remains moist during the smoke.  A water pan isn’t 100% necessary but it will add extra moisture to your cook.
• Butcher twine – this is optional, but it will allow for you to tie up the legs for better presentation and to minimize the risk of burning the edge parts of your turkey.

Preparing the Turkey

To make things easier, I’d recommend buying a pre-brined turkey.  Most store-bought turkeys are pre-brined as this helps to keep the bird moist while it cooks.

If you prefer to brine the turkey yourself, that’s no problem!  Just be sure to allow extra time for the turkey to properly soak in a brine.

From there, I like to apply a rub to the turkey to add extra flavor.  The rub in our recipe later in this article is a fairly traditional Thanksgiving turkey rub, but I’d also recommend sweet rubs.  These work particularly well with a smoked turkey recipe that will result in some pretty tasty sweet and smokey results.

Here is a step-by-step look at what you need to do before placing your bird on the pellet grill:

• Defrost your turkey.  The only way to safely defrost a turkey is to put it in the fridge well before cooking day.  As a rule of thumb, you should plan to thaw it in the fridge for 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird.
• After the turkey has thawed, remove it from any packaging and remove the giblets and the neck from the inside cavity.  If you brine your turkey, be sure to wash the outside of the bird with cold water.
• Pat down the outside of the turkey with paper towels.
• Tie the legs together, then tuck the wings behind the bird’s shoulder joints.
• Rub the outside of the turkey with an olive oil or melted butter base, followed by your rub.

From here, your turkey is ready to go on the pellet grill!

To Stuff or Not to Stuff?

I personally don’t think a pellet grill turkey needs stuffing, but you certainly can if you want to.

The key is to make sure you don’t overdo it.  If you pack the stuffing in too tight, you might run into a bad situation where the stuffing doesn’t reach a safe temperature to consume by the time your turkey has finished cooking.

Less is more when stuffing a pellet grill turkey – place a small enough amount in the cavity that plenty of air can still circulate while it cooks.

Getting the Bird on the Grill

Preheat your pellet grill to 225°F.  If your grill has a smoke setting, I like to set the smoke intensity to somewhere in between high and low for turkey.

After it’s nice and rubbed down and your grill has come to temperature, you can proceed with placing the bird on the grill grates.  If your grill has two tiers of grates, place the turkey on the top grate and an aluminum drip pan underneath it on the bottom grate.  You can fill the pan with 2-3 cups of water or apple cider vinegar to help keep the chamber extra moist.

If your grill only has one grate level, no worries!  Place your turkey on the grill and your aluminum pan alongside the bird – this will still help with moisture levels as the cook goes on.

From there, insert a probe meat thermometer into the centermost point of the turkey breast so you can monitor the internal temperature as the cook progresses.

When Is Turkey Ready to Come Off Of the Pellet Grill?

As a general rule of thumb, you can plan on smoking your turkey for about 30 minutes per each pound it weighs.  So for example, a 12-pound bird will spend approximately 6 hours cooking.

But really, the turkey is ready to come off of the grates once it’s reached a safe internal temperature.  Turkey is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.  It should measure at least this temperature at all of the deepest sections of meat before it’s ready to come off.

I like to start measuring the internal temperature about an hour before I expect the turkey to be finished – from there, I check every 15 minutes or so to make sure I take it off the grill at the optimal time.

Final Touches for Your Pellet Grill Turkey

After your bird comes off of the grill, you’ll want to let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before you carve into it.  When meat cooks, the juices all concentrate to the centermost sections of the meat, so this rest time allows for the fibers to relax and redistribute moisture evenly throughout the meat.

Once it’s rested, it’s time to carve it up!  Carve into slices and serve on a serving platter alongside your Thanksgiving or BBQ cookout fixins!

Print

Pellet Grill Turkey

A Thanksgiving classic recipe but specifically tailored to cooking low and slow on a pellet grill.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, BBQ, Thanksgiving

Keyword BBQ, Pellet Grill, Pellet Grill Turkey, Thanksgiving, Turkey

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Resting Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 625kcal

Author Jenna Hansen

Equipment

• Aluminum foil drip pan
• Probe meat thermometer
• Butcher twine (optional)

Ingredients

• 1 14-16 lb turkey defrosted
• 1/2 lb butter softened
• 8 sprigs thyme chopped
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 sprigs rosemary chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh sage chopped
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions

• In a bowl, combine butter with thyme, minced garlic, rosemary, sage, pepper, and salt.
• Separate the skin from the defrosted turkey breast and insert butter mixture into the pocket, covering the entire breast and outside of the bird generously.
• Rub the exterior of the turkey with kosher salt and fresh black pepper.
• Preheat pellet grill to 225°F
• Place your turkey on the pellet grill and close the lid. Place an aluminum foil drip pan underneath the turkey and fill with 2-3 cups of water to help keep the environment moist.
• Smoke the turkey for 6-7 hours. The turkey is ready to come off of the pellet grill when the centermost point of the breast reads an internal temperature of 165°F on your probe thermometer.
• Remove turkey from grill grates and let it rest on a dish or serving platter for about 20 minutes.
• Carve, serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcal

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The post Pellet Grill Turkey – Our Favorite Recipe & Guide to Smoked Turkey on the Pellet Smoker appeared first on Own The Grill.