Do you leave a meat thermometer in the meat while cooking?

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

It is recommended to leave a meat thermometer in the meat while cooking in order to get an accurate reading of the internal temperature. The meat thermometer should be inserted 2-2.5 inches deep into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat and gristle. Leave the thermometer in place during the entire cooking process, only removing it briefly to check the temperature. This will allow you to monitor the temperature rise and determine when the meat is cooked to your desired doneness.

Should You Keep the Meat Thermometer in While Cooking?

Yes, you should keep the meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat while it is cooking. Here are some key reasons why:

Monitors temperature rise – Leaving the thermometer in place allows you to track the internal temperature as the meat cooks. This helps determine when it reaches your target temp for doneness.
Prevents overcooking – By keeping an eye on the temp, you can remove the meat from the heat at the right moment to prevent overcooking.
Ensures food safety – Meats like poultry and pork need to reach a safe minimum internal temperature to kill potential pathogens. Keeping the thermometer in ensures this temp is met.

Accurate readings – Removing the thermometer and reinserting it can lead to errors in the temperature readings.
Convenient – You don’t have to continuously stop cooking and re-check temps when the thermometer is already in place.

So in short, leaving a meat thermometer in the meat as it cooks provides a more convenient, precise and foolproof way to monitor doneness and safety. Just be sure to place it properly and leave it in for the entire cooking duration.

Proper Meat Thermometer Placement

To get an accurate reading of the meat’s internal temperature, proper placement of the thermometer is critical. Here are some guidelines for placing a meat thermometer correctly:

Insert 2-2.5 inches deep into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat and gristle.
For poultry, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast or thigh, stopping before touching the bone.

For roasts, place the thermometer midway into the center of the roast, avoiding seams and fat.
For steaks or chops, insert through the side into the center, avoiding excess fat.
For ground meats, place the probe halfway into the patties at their thickest point.

Make sure the entire sensing area is inserted fully into the meat for an accurate reading.

Positioning the thermometer properly ensures you are measuring the temperature at the coolest part of the meat – the last part to finish cooking. This prevents overestimating doneness and potentially undercooking the meat.

How Long to Leave Meat Thermometer In

Ideally, the meat thermometer should remain inserted for the entire duration that the meat is cooking. Only remove it briefly to check the temp, then re-insert it immediately to continue monitoring.

Here are some guidelines for how long to leave a meat thermometer in while cooking different types of meat:

Meat	Cook Time	How Long to Leave Thermometer In
Chicken breasts	15-25 minutes	Entire cook time
Chicken thighs	20-30 minutes	Entire cook time
Turkey breast	2-3 hours	Replace every 30 mins if wireless, or leave corded in entire time
Pork chops	15-20 minutes	Entire cook time
Pork roasts	1.5-3 hours	Replace every 30 mins if wireless, or leave corded in entire time
Beef steaks	8-15 minutes	Entire cook time
Beef roasts	1.5-3 hours	Replace every 30 mins if wireless, or leave corded in entire time

For quick-cooking meats like chicken breasts or steaks, you can leave the thermometer in the entire relatively short cook time.

For longer cook times, replace wireless thermometer probes every 30 minutes to prevent the electronics from overheating. Or use a corded thermometer and leave it in place the whole time.

The key is keeping the thermometer probe in the meat as much as possible during cooking for the most convenient and accurate tracking of the internal temperature.

Can You Leave It In the Oven?

You can leave a meat thermometer in the oven while cooking if it’s an oven-safe thermometer designed for prolonged use at high temperatures. Look for the following features in an oven-safe meat thermometer:

High temp wires with stainless steel mesh armor that can withstand over 700°F.

Oven-safe probe made from food-grade stainless steel.
Base unit that can safely remain outside the oven.
Magnet on probe cord to keep oven door slightly ajar and cord in place.

Standard instant-read thermometers or wireless thermometer probes are not built for oven use. The wiring and electronics can melt or malfunction under very high, sustained heat.

Leave the base unit outside the oven and run the probe cable through the oven door seal. Use a magnet on the probe cable to keep the oven door open about an inch, preventing cable damage.

An oven-safe probe thermometer lets you conveniently monitor food that requires long oven cooking like roasts, whole birds, meatloaf and casseroles. Just be sure to purchase one specifically designed for prolonged use in the oven environment.

Meat Thermometer Placement Mistakes to Avoid

While leaving a meat thermometer in during cooking provides major benefits, there are some common placement errors to avoid:

Inserting too shallow into the meat, missing the deepest area.
Letting the thermometer touch bone, which can give an inaccurate high reading.

Measuring in areas with a lot of fat, which cooks at lower temp than lean meat.
Allowing the sensing area to remain outside the meat while reading the temp.
Leaving the thermometer at an angle instead of fully inserted.

Not fully inserting based on thickness for thinner cuts of meat.

Being mindful to place the thermometer properly in the center of the thickest part of the meat, without touching bone or fat, will provide you with the most reliable temperature information.

What If You Forgot to Leave the Thermometer In?

It’s not ideal, but if you forget to leave your meat thermometer in during part of the cooking process, don’t panic. Here are some options:

Immediately insert the thermometer into the thickest area and resume monitoring temp.
Estimate how long the meat has been cooking and how much longer it needs based on recipes and experience.
Cut into the meat to visually assess doneness if you’re unsure and cook longer if needed.

Err on the side of caution and cook the meat a bit longer than the recipe states to ensure it’s fully cooked through.

While not as precise as continuous thermometer monitoring, with some care you can still determine doneness and safely finish cooking the meat even if you left the thermometer out for a portion of time.

Types of Meat Thermometers to Leave In

Here are some of the best options for meat thermometers designed to be left in food during cooking:

Oven-safe probe thermometers – Can be left in oven or grill continuously thanks to heat-resistant wires and probes.
Leave-in wireless thermometers – Allow monitoring from a distance; replace probe every 30 mins.
Digital instant read thermometers – Affordable option for quick cooking foods under 30 mins.

Dial instant read thermometers – No electronics so can be left in oven or grill.
Smoker probe thermometers – Made for prolongued use at hot smoker temps.

Look for options with minimum and maximum temp settings that will alarm when your food reaches target doneness or overcooks. This makes monitoring super simple.

Checking Temperature Without Leaving Thermometer In

Although not as precise, there are some techniques for checking meat temperature periodically without needing to leave the thermometer in the entire time:

Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest area for 10-15 seconds to get a quick temp reading.
Repeat this process every 5-10 minutes during cooking to monitor the rise.

Use the timing method – cook for 50% of recommended time, check temp, then continue cooking if needed.
Cut into the meat to visually inspect the color and doneness, especially for steaks.
Use the touch test – meat firms up as it cooks so poking can indicate if it’s done.

The drawbacks are potential inaccurate readings from constant re-insertion and increased risk of over or undercooking. Leaving the thermometer in place is still the most foolproof method.

Key Takeaways

Here are some key takeaways on properly using a meat thermometer:

Leave the thermometer in during the entire cooking process for the most accurate monitoring.

Place it 2-2.5 inches deep in the thickest part of meat, avoiding bone or fat.
Only remove briefly to check temp, then reinsert immediately.
Use an oven-safe probe for roasting or baking to monitor oven temp.

Avoid common mistakes like shallow insertion or allowing contact with bone.
Wireless or instant-read work for quick cooking; oven-safe probes are best for long cook times.
If left out, resume monitoring ASAP and cook thoroughly to be safe.

Using your thermometer correctly helps eliminate food safety risks and achieve perfect doneness. Invest in a high-quality thermometer designed to remain in place, and you’ll have one less thing to worry about for successful cooking results every time.

Conclusion

Leaving a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat and avoiding bone while cooking provides the most accurate monitoring of the internal temperature. It allows you to remove foods from heat at just the right moment to reach your desired doneness and prevent overcooking. While you can periodically check during cooking, keeping the thermometer probe in throughout the entire process gives the best precision and convenience. Invest in an oven-safe thermometer for roasting and baking, and always place instant-read or wireless thermometers properly to prevent common errors. With the right technique, meat thermometers take the guesswork out of cooking proteins perfectly and safely every time.