Left turkey out overnight, is it okay?

Make sure you cook it thoroughly, 65 degrees Centigrade (NOT Fahrenheit!!!) all the way through. There's a risk with poultry anyway even if you do all the thawing etc properly, due to salmonella and similar (i.e. contamination from the slaughterhouse etc), so all poultry should always be cooked this thoroughly anyway. You can get meat thermometers to make sure, although you can tell by the colour and texture of poultry if it's been cooked through (it should be white or pale (i.e. not pink), the juices should run clear, and it should be falling off the bone).

65 Centigrade is hot enough to kill all bacteria that are harmful to humans. And viruses. (But not prions. But you won't get prion disease from leaving a turkey out overnight. You can avoid that by not feeding sheep's brains to cows (that should be obvious, but it wasn't obvious to the British government back in the 60s 70s and 80s...))

exception: there's a kind of exotoxic bacteria that can grow in rice, if you cook rice, then leave it at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, you should chuck it away because even if you reheat it thoroughly, because while cooking kills the bacteria, it doesn't destroy the toxin it produces, so you can still get sick even though all the bacteria are dead. Salmonella and stuff that infects poultry isn't like that though.

Be careful when preparing food, because a lot of food poisoning comes from cross contamination, e.g. raw meat bacteria getting into prepared foods like salads etc, so while the bacteria in the meat itself gets killed while cooking, if it contaminates prepared food it won't get killed. If your turkey's been at room temperature for a while then there's a greater risk of this. Personally, I treat all raw meat as though it is contaminated, just in case it is. So things like separate preparing area, chopping board, utensils etc for raw meat preparation, and I wash my hands in dettol handwash after handling it, and make sure all the stuff used for the raw meat preparation is washed in hot water with plenty of washing up liquid.


ETA: I regularly eat chicken breasts that have been left to thaw for 24 hrs (sometimes longer if I forget) and then cooked through. I also buy them in 2kg frozen batches, thaw them, cook half, re-freeze half, then a week or so later re-thaw and cook the other half. So these ones probably get 48 hrs at room temperature before being cooked and eaten. I make sure they get cooked through thoroughly and take precautions to avoid cross contamination before cooking them. Also, after being cooked they sit in the fridge cooked for up to a week then used in salads and sandwiches. So yes I follow my own advice re the above.

Nope. I would not cook it. Too much of a risk.

Man, I literally leave meat out before I go to work, and cook it when I get home...and that's just for every day meats 1lb at a time or so.

That turkey is fine. Eat it up.

This is not ok to do. I hope if any of you that leave meat/ turkey out over night cook for others that you tell them and give them the choice to eat it or not. I am not comfortable with thawing meat at room temp, regardless of its it cold or not. I would want to know if you were serving me thanksgiving turkey

Just finished reading the rest of the posts.

To all of you who say 'just cook it and you'll be fine': you don't know what you're talking about. You'll be fine if the contaminating bacteria doesn't produce toxins as it grows on your food.

But what if it's Staphylococcus (and don't forget Staph is common)? It produces all of those nasty toxins as it grows. Cooking kills the bug, but doesn't phase the toxins. Cook it as thoroughly as you like. It'll still make you sick.

exception: there's a kind of exotoxic bacteria that can grow in rice, if you cook rice, then leave it at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, you should chuck it away because even if you reheat it thoroughly, because while cooking kills the bacteria, it doesn't destroy the toxin it produces, so you can still get sick even though all the bacteria are dead. Salmonella and stuff that infects poultry isn't like that though.

Exotoxic bacteria, correct. Belief that such don't contaminate poultry is wrong. See above, re: Staphylococcus.

As general info, humans and animals are the significant source of Staph contamination - Staph is commonly found on our skin and hair, and in our nasal passages. So, it can contaminate just about anything we touch or (God forbid) sneeze or cough near.

Sounds like the "surface of the bird" spent a good 10 or so hours at 40+ degrees.

Regardless its OP's choice to cook it or not. I for one would be going shopping for a replacement. To all of you saying that restaurants have to abide by strict rules, you are right and it's for the well being of the public. I for one am glad for that and honestly would want to provide that for my family if I had the option.

Im not a fan of food poisioning, let alone for the holidays.

Absolutely not. I am a certified ServSafe Food Safety Instructor and poultry is already a high risk food, but add to that the fact that it wasn't maintained at a safe thawing temperature of less than 41 degrees and you have a good possibility of bacteria growth.

I'd also thoroughly clean and disinfect the area that you had the bird sitting out overnight and anything you may have touched with contaminated hands. E Coli and Salmonella poisoning is no fun.

Potentially hazardous foods are considered unsafe if they are left in the temperature danger zone for 4 hours or more. Temperature danger zone is 41F-135F. While it may still feel cold to the touch, are you sure it is still below 41F? Or are you sure of how long it has been there?

Personally, I wouldn't do it. And if I tried it at work, and guests got sick, they would sue and be totally justified because proper procedures were broken. I realize home kitchens don't operate under the same conditions as commercial ones...

It could be fine. If you get it up over 165F for 15 minutes, then you and your guests could be fine, but its not a risk I would be willing to take.

truth if you were cooking for any instution that bird would have to go the risk of liability is too great.

Oh and in case you miss it OP...please please please do not put a crumb of stuffing into that turkey cavity!!!

I've worked in catering for about 12 years. By UK food safety regulations, the turkey would have to be disposed of, no question.
However, would I cook it for home use? Yes, without concern (as long as the thickest part of both the thigh and the breast both reached at least 165°F during cooking).

This is not to say 100% that the turkey will be safe, just what I would personally do, for my own household.
I still wouldn't serve it to risk groups just in case (ie. pregnant, elderly, etc).

The best method for thawing any kind of frozen food is under refrigeration. Thawing by running cold water over it is the second best method. You can also thaw it by microwaving it.

But thawing it at room temperature? A very serious no-no. My grandmother did it, too, but then, she also used to drive a car with the baby laying on the front seat from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Doable, and arguably good enough, but not something most of us would consider doing today.