Let's Talk Turkey Brown turkey meat is done. Even well-cooked turkey and other poultry can still look pink. The turkey or chicken may be from a young bird. They tend to have thinner skins and less fat.
Oven gases reach the pigment in the meat, and react to form a pink colored compound.
This has nothing to do with doneness. The meat may contain nitrites. Some can come from nitrates or nitrites in the food and water supply of the bird itself. Nitrates occurring in water may also be introduced to the bird during processing. While nitrates are not pink, they change into nitrites, that do lend a pink color.