Safe Internal Temperatures
| Food | Min internal temp | °C | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, pork, veal, lamb - steaks, chops, roasts | 145°F | 62.8 | 3 min |
| Ground meats - beef, pork, veal, lamb | 160°F | 71.1 | none |
| All poultry - breast, thighs, wings, whole bird | 165°F | 73.9 | none |
| Ground poultry - chicken or turkey | 165°F | 73.9 | none |
| Ham, fresh or smoked (raw) | 145°F | 62.8 | 3 min |
| Ham, fully cooked - USDA plant (reheat) | 140°F | 60.0 | none |
| Ham, fully cooked - all others (reheat) | 165°F | 73.9 | none |
| Eggs - until yolk and white are firm | 160°F | 71.1 | none |
| Fish and shellfish | 145°F | 62.8 | none |
| Leftovers and casseroles | 165°F | 73.9 | none |
Every food-safety argument at the stove ends at the same place: not the color of the meat, not the juices, not the recipe timer - the internal temperature measured at the thickest point. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service keeps one short table of minimum safe temperatures, reproduced here in full: 165°F (73.9°C) for all poultry, ground poultry, leftovers and casseroles; 160°F (71.1°C) for ground meats and eggs; 145°F (62.8°C) for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb plus fish and shellfish; 140°F (60°C) for fully-cooked ham going back on the table. Whole cuts earn their lower number with a three-minute rest, because heat held over time kills the same bacteria that an instant spike would.
The table matters because appearance is a professional liar. A quarter of fresh ground beef turns brown well before it reaches 160°F, and chicken can stay pink from myoglobin and bone pigment even when fully done - the trained eye is right about as often as a coin flip. A ten-dollar instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, converts the whole question from folklore to one number you can check against the chart below.
How to use
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat and the pan surface.
- For whole birds, test the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast - each spot reads its own number.
- Read the temperature against the table: 165°F for poultry and anything reheated, 160°F for ground meat and eggs, 145°F for whole cuts and fish.
- Give whole cuts the three-minute rest before carving - the rest is part of the kill step, not a plating nicety.
Frequently asked questions
Why is poultry 165°F but a steak only 145°F?
Because the standard trades temperature for time. Salmonella dies instantly at 165°F, but holds the same kill at 145°F if the food stays there for about three minutes - which is why the whole-cut row carries a mandatory rest. Poultry gets the instant number because birds are handled more, eaten more casually and historically carry Salmonella and Campylobacter at higher rates; one reading, no waiting, no judgment call mid-carving.
Is pink chicken undercooked? Does color mean anything?
No and no. Myoglobin, bone marrow pigment and even the cooking method can keep fully-safe chicken pink, while older beef can turn brown and gray before it reaches a safe temperature. The USDA states plainly that color is not a reliable indicator - only a thermometer reading in the thickest part tells you where you actually are.
What is the danger zone?
40°F to 140°F - the band where bacteria multiply fastest, doubling in as little as 20 minutes. Perishable food gets two hours total in the zone, or one hour if the room is above 90°F. That clock accumulates across the whole journey: shopping cart, car trunk, counter, buffet. Reheating kills bacteria but not all heat-stable toxins they leave behind, which is why the two-hour rule has no catch-up mechanic.
Why do I have to rest meat after cooking?
The three-minute rest is doing two jobs at once. Mechanically, juices redistribute so the meat holds moisture when cut. Sanitarily, the resting time is part of the lethality math - 145°F held for three minutes kills what an instant 165°F spike would. Skipping the rest does not just dry the roast out; it shortens the kill step the standard depends on.
What temperature should a Thanksgiving turkey hit?
165°F in the innermost thigh, the wing joint and the thickest part of the breast - three probes, because a 20-pound bird is three different dishes. Do not let the probe touch bone; bone conducts heat and reads hot. If the bird is stuffed, the stuffing center must also reach 165°F or it comes out and finishes in a dish. Expect carry-over: a large turkey keeps climbing 5-10°F after it leaves the oven, so pulling at 160-162°F and letting the rest finish the job is how the breast stays edible.
The ham package says fully cooked. Do I still need 165°F?
It depends on who cooked it. Hams from USDA-inspected plants may be reheated to 140°F - they were held to a lethal standard at production, so you only need serving temperature. Everything else - leftover home-cooked ham, deli ham you have repurposed into a dish, any ham of uncertain provenance - goes back to the full 165°F. The row exists in the table because the answer genuinely splits; the package label and the plant inspection mark are the tiebreaker.