The safe internal temperatures and doneness levels worth keeping close — so dinner is cooked through, juicy, and never a guessing game. Pick what you're cooking and check it with a thermometer.
| Doneness | °F | °C |
|---|
Always take the temperature in the thickest part, away from bone. Let larger cuts rest a few minutes after cooking — the temperature keeps climbing and the juices settle. These are general guides; cook to the USDA-safe minimum when serving children, the elderly, or anyone pregnant.
I share simple, real meals I make for my family. Want them landing in your inbox each week?
Cooking meat to the right internal temperature is the difference between dinner that's safe and juicy and dinner that's either dried out or undercooked. For years I poked at chicken and hoped. A simple instant-read thermometer ended all of that. Color, firmness, and time are unreliable; temperature tells you the truth. The numbers below are general food-safety guidance based on standard USDA-style minimums, shared as helpful information, not medical advice.
These are the commonly cited minimum safe internal temperatures. When in doubt, cook to at least these:
Pork is worth a note: it's safe at 145°F with a rest, which leaves it slightly pink and far juicier than the well-done pork many of us grew up with.
For whole cuts of beef, 145°F is the safety minimum, but doneness is a matter of preference above that line. Pull the steak a few degrees early and let carryover finish it:
If you prefer steak below 145°F, that's a personal choice around whole, intact cuts; the 145°F minimum is the official safe target. I always cook ground beef and poultry to the full safe temps regardless.
An accurate reading depends entirely on placement. Aim for the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat, and gristle, since bone conducts heat differently and skews the number. For a whole chicken, check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh without touching bone. For thin cuts like a chop or a fillet, insert the probe from the side so the tip sits in the center. Take a couple of readings in different spots to be sure the coldest part has reached temperature.
Here's something that surprised me when I learned it: meat keeps cooking after it leaves the heat. That's carryover cooking. The residual heat in a roast or steak can push the internal temperature up another 5 to 10°F as it rests, with bigger cuts carrying over more. So I pull larger roasts and steaks a few degrees before my target and let them finish on the cutting board.
Resting also lets the juices redistribute. Cut in too soon and they run out onto the board; give it 3 to 10 minutes (longer for big roasts) and they stay in the meat where you want them. Resting is doing real work, both for safety and for juiciness.
Chicken is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, measured away from bone. That's true for breasts, thighs, wings, whole birds, and ground chicken. Unlike beef, poultry has no safe "rare" stage, so this is the number to hit every time.
It genuinely matters, especially for thicker cuts and whole roasts. Resting both completes carryover cooking (part of the safety picture for cuts like pork and beef that rest after 145°F) and keeps the meat juicy. Even five minutes makes a noticeable difference on a steak or chicken breast.
Keep this guide nearby and trust your thermometer over your eyes. If you'd like dinners to put it to use on, browse my recipes and cook with confidence.
I share new recipes, faith notes, and what I'm learning lately. Pop your email in and I'll send them your way — no spam, ever.