Thanksgiving 2026
Thanksgiving turkey hotlines for 2026: who to call, when they're open, and what to ask
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 (weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET) for food safety questions, or the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800-288-8372 (text 844-877-3456) for cooking help. Butterball is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2026. Both are free.
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Two free help lines exist for exactly the moment when the turkey is still frozen on Wednesday night or the thermometer won't reach 165°F. One is run by USDA and answers food safety questions. The other is Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line, staffed by trained turkey experts for cooks of all skill levels. Save both numbers in your phone now.
The two lines at a glance
| USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline | Butterball Turkey Talk-Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) | 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372) |
| Other ways | Email MPHotline@usda.gov or the FSIS web form | Text 844-877-3456; live chat and email on butterball.com; social media |
| Season | Year-round | Nov. 2 to Dec. 24, 2026 |
| Regular hours | Mon. to Fri., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (7 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT) | Varies by week; see the table below |
| Thanksgiving Day | Standing page, last updated Nov. 5, 2026, says 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Rechecked Nov. 9, 2026: that sentence still does not name the year. | 2026: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT) |
| Languages | English and Spanish | English and Spanish |
| Best for | Food safety: thawing, storage, leftovers, power outages, doneness temperatures | Cooking: timing, technique, troubleshooting, carving |
The USDA line also has recorded food safety messages 24 hours a day. Butterball's Talk-Line marks its 45th season in 2026.
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line hours, 2026
Butterball posted its 2026 schedule on its Contact Us page (checked Nov. 2, 2026). Its times are Central; the Eastern and Pacific columns are our conversion.
| Dates (2026) | Days | Central (Butterball) | Eastern | Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2 to Nov. 20 | Weekdays | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 21 to 22 | Sat. and Sun. | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Nov. 23 to 25 | Mon. to Wed. | 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. | 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving Day | 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Nov. 28 to Dec. 18 | Weekdays | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Dec. 19 to 20 | Sat. and Sun. | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
| Dec. 21 to 23 | Mon. to Wed. | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
Weekend days other than those listed (for example Nov. 7 to 8) and Friday, Nov. 27 are not in Butterball's table, so don't count on live phone help then; texting 844-877-3456 or the chat on butterball.com may still be worth a try.
West Coast note: both lines open early by Pacific time and the USDA line closes early on the holiday. If you are on the West Coast, make your call in the morning.
What each line is good for
Call USDA if the question is whether something is safe: a turkey that thawed on the counter, a power outage overnight, leftovers from Thursday that are now Monday, stuffing that didn't reach 165°F. Their answers follow the same rules as our thaw guide and leftovers guide, applied to your situation.
Call Butterball if the question is how to cook: why the breast is done before the thighs, how long a 22 lb bird takes in a convection oven (our convection turkey guide has the published tables), how to rescue gravy. The cooking methods guide has the general tables.
Have this ready before you call
- The turkey's weight, from the label
- Whether it is fresh, frozen, pre-brined, self-basting or kosher
- How and when you started thawing it
- Your oven temperature and type (conventional or convection)
- The current thermometer reading and where you took it
- Whether it is stuffed
Lines are busiest in the days just before Thanksgiving, so texting or chat may be quicker for a simple question.
When it's not a turkey question
For a fire, call 911; our kitchen fire safety checklist covers what to do first. For a possible poisoning, including a child who swallowed something, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222. The turkey lines don't give medical advice. If the oven fails or the power goes out mid-roast, our oven-broke and power-outage plan covers how to finish the turkey safely and what to throw out.
Put it on the list
Add both numbers to the Thanksgiving day host checklist or tape them inside a cabinet door. It takes a minute, and on Thursday morning you won't be searching for them.
Have this in hand when you call
The first question either line will ask is usually what the thermometer says.
-
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE instant-read thermometerOur pick
Both hotlines work from temperatures: is the thigh at 165°F, how cold is the fridge, how warm is the bird. A fast thermometer answers in seconds.
- Look for:
- A fast digital probe with a thin tip.
- Best for:
- Every host.
- Skip:
- if you have one that passes the ice-water test.
-
Taylor analog refrigerator/freezer thermometer
Thawing and storage questions depend on whether your fridge is really at 40°F or below. A thermometer inside gives you the number before you call.
- Look for:
- A dial or digital appliance thermometer.
- Best for:
- Anyone thawing a turkey in a packed fridge.
- Skip:
- if your fridge shows its temperature.
Questions people ask
What is the Butterball turkey hotline number?
The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372). You can also text 844-877-3456, or chat and email through butterball.com. Help is in English and Spanish.
When is the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line open in 2026?
Nov. 2 to Dec. 24, 2026. Butterball's posted hours (Central): weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Nov. 20; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 23 to 25; 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day; then mostly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Christmas Eve, which closes at 2 p.m.
What is the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline?
A free USDA line for food safety questions about meat, poultry and eggs: 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or MPHotline@usda.gov. It is staffed weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET in English and Spanish, with recorded messages 24 hours a day.
Is the USDA hotline open on Thanksgiving Day?
Rechecked Nov. 9, 2026. The Happy Thanksgiving page still shows Last Updated Nov. 5, 2026. It still says Thanksgiving Day 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET and still does not print the year. Weekday hours on that page are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. The hours on this page were not changed.
Who should I call if someone may be sick from food?
For a medical emergency, call 911. For poisoning questions, Poison Help is 1-800-222-1222. The turkey hotlines answer cooking and food handling questions, not medical ones.
Sources
Numbers and rules on this page come from these pages, checked November 9, 2026. Sources can change; check them before a high-stakes meal.
- USDA FSIS: USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline (number, email, weekday hours, recorded messages)
- USDA FSIS Constituent Update, Nov. 21, 2025 (hotline open Thanksgiving Day 2025, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET)
- Butterball: Contact Us (1-800-BUTTERBALL, text line, and the 2026 Turkey Talk-Line hours table, Nov. 2 to Dec. 24, in CST)
- USDA FSIS blog, Nov. 24, 2025: Is the Turkey Done Yet? (hotline hours, open Thanksgiving Day 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET)
- USDA FSIS: Your Safe Thanksgiving Guide (hotline open Thanksgiving Day 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET; page last updated Nov. 5, 2026; the Thanksgiving sentence does not name the year)
- Meatingplace: Butterball's 2026 survey (Talk-Line opens Nov. 2 and runs through Dec. 24, 2026)
- HRSA: Poison Help line, 1-800-222-1222