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Guide
Place the probe's sensing area in the deepest edible section, away from bone and the cavity. Whole birds need checks in both breast and inner thigh areas.
Locate the sensing zone described in your thermometer's manual. On many instant-read models it sits near the tip, but the required insertion depth differs, so the whole sensing area must reach the centre of the food.
Check the thickest portion of the breast and the innermost thigh near the body. Avoid the cavity, bone and the pan; repeat the measurement on the other side if the bird cooked unevenly.
A sideways path often keeps more of the sensing area inside a boneless breast. Guide the tip toward the centre of the thickest section and note the lowest stable temperature as you move through it.
Probe the thickest muscle without running alongside or touching the bone. A second angle helps confirm that the first reading did not land in a hotter outer layer.
Separate small and large pieces mentally and sample each group. Grill hot spots, crowded trays and different piece sizes can produce different internal temperatures.
Health Canada identifies 74°C for poultry pieces and 82°C for whole poultry. Use the value that matches what you are cooking, measured in the correct part of the meat.
Common questions
Centre the sensing area in the thickest part, often by entering from the side. Avoid stopping in a thin edge or touching the tray.
Use the thickest muscle in the inner thigh area, close to the body on a whole bird but not touching bone.
Breast and thigh geometry differ, and a single point may not represent the coldest part. Multiple checks reduce the chance of missing an under-temperature area.
No. Colour and juices are not dependable substitutes for a thermometer reading taken in the proper location.