Kitchen / Food safety
Safe Cooking Temperatures (Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs)
The safe minimum internal temperatures for beef, pork, poultry, ham, fish, eggs, and leftovers, in °F or °C, from the US government's chart, with rest times, a check for your thermometer reading, and a chart to print.
Safe Cooking Temperatures (Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs): The temperatures are those on the US government's chart at FoodSafety.gov, which agrees with USDA's: 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb; 160°F (71°C) for ground meat and egg dishes; 165°F (74°C) for all poultry, leftovers, and casseroles. Seafood without a temperature is judged by how it looks. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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Cook to at least 145°F
Then let it rest 3 minutes| Food | Minimum internal temperature |
|---|---|
| Beef, bison, veal, goat, and lamb | |
| Steaks, roasts, and chops | 145°F · rest 3 min |
| Ground meat and sausage | 160°F |
| Pork | |
| Steaks, roasts, and chops | 145°F · rest 3 min |
| Ground meat and sausage | 160°F |
| Ham | |
| Raw ham | 145°F · rest 3 min |
| Precooked ham, to reheat | 165°F |
| Poultry | |
| Chicken, turkey, and other poultry: whole, pieces, ground, giblets, and stuffing | 165°F |
| Rabbit and venison | |
| Wild or farm-raised | 160°F |
| Eggs | |
| Egg dishes, such as frittata and quiche | 160°F |
| Raw eggs | Cook until the yolk and white are firm. |
| Seafood | |
| Fish, whole or fillet | 145°F |
| Shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops | Cook until the flesh is pearly or white, and opaque. |
| Clams, oysters, and mussels | Cook until the shells open. |
| Leftovers and casseroles | |
| Leftovers, any type | 165°F |
| Casseroles, with or without meat | 165°F |
Figures from the US government's chart at FoodSafety.gov, which matches USDA. Push the thermometer into the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle. Resting means leaving the meat for the stated time after cooking, while its temperature stays up and finishes the job. Colour and juices are not reliable signs.
Using a food thermometer
Check the temperature near the end of cooking, in the thickest part of the food, and in more than one place for large or uneven pieces. Clean the probe with hot, soapy water between readings so it does not carry bacteria from raw to cooked food.
To time a whole bird, use the turkey cooking time calculator; to convert oven settings, the oven temperature converter.
Other countries' advice
These are the US figures. Other food safety agencies phrase their advice differently, often as a core temperature held for a time rather than a single minimum, so follow your own country's guidance where it differs.
Whatever the figure, keep raw meat apart from ready-to-eat food, and chill leftovers within two hours of cooking.
How to use it
- Pick the food, and °F or °C.
- Read the minimum internal temperature and any rest time.
- Type your thermometer reading to check it, or print the whole chart for the kitchen.
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Frequently asked questions
Why can pork be pink at 145°F?
At 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest, whole cuts of pork are safe even if slightly pink; colour is not a reliable sign of safety either way.
Why is ground meat cooked hotter than steak?
Bacteria live on the surface of meat; grinding spreads them through it, so the middle has to reach 160°F (71°C).
Where do I put the thermometer?
In the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle; for poultry, in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
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