What is the recommended internal temperature for cooked poultry

Q: Is chicken fully cooked at 165?

Whether youre roasting chicken in the oven, pan-frying, deep-frying, grilling or smoking, internal temperatures all remain the same. White meat should reach an internal temperature of 165° and dark meat 175°. The internal temperature of meat in leftover chicken recipes should still reach 165°.

Internal cooking temperatures

Table of Contents Show

Chicken Temp Know-How
Chicken Temp FAQs
Is chicken done at 165 or 180?
Is chicken fully cooked at 165?
Is 155 degrees safe for chicken?
What is the best cooking temperature for poultry quizlet?

Always place the thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. For steaks, make sure that the thermometer is inserted from the side until the probe reaches approximately the centre. For poultry, it is important to take the temperature of both the leg and the breast. Here are some Heston recommended cooking temperatures.

For Beef and Veal

Rare - 50°C
Medium rare - 55°C
Medium - 60°C
Medium well - 65°C
Well done - 70°C

For Minced Beef

Medium rare - 55°C
Medium - 60°C
Medium well - 65°C
Well done - 70°C

For Lamb

60°C

For Pork or Ham

60°C

For Fish

50°C

For Poultry

Poultry Legs - 75°C
Poultry Breast - 65°C

Always remember residual heat or carry over cooking will occur once the meat is removed from the heat source. A steak could increase in temperature by approximately 5°C. How quick the internal cooking temperature is achieved can be controlled by moving the charcoal around in the barbeque and managing the charcoal below the areas that would take longer to cook.

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: you don’t want to mess around with undercooked chicken. Cook it to at least 165° F to kill harmful bacteria, including salmonella.

But if you don’t have a thermometer handy, can’t you just look for juice that runs clear?

Let’s talk about how to know when chicken is cooked and debunk a few myths while we’re at it.

Chicken Temp Know-How

You know what’s not a myth? Checking the internal temperature of chicken. Period. Here’s how to do it properly.

Use an instant-read digital thermometer. Check out our favorite digital thermometers here: Editors’ Picks: Instant-Read Digital Thermometers
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (click here for photos) and make sure the probe isn’t touching any bones, which can throw off the temperature. This applies to all cuts of chicken.
Leave the probe in the meat until the temperature holds steady. Some thermometers take a little longer to register a temperature than others. If you have a Thermapen MK4, you’ll get a near-instant readout.
Wash the thermometer with hot, soapy water after every use. Re-inserting a dirty thermometer can cross-contaminate chicken.
Recalibrate your thermometer occasionally. Over time, some thermometers get out of whack. Check your thermometer’s accuracy by testing it in ice water using these instructions.. Some instant-read thermometers can easily be re-calibrated; refer to the manual or do an internet search for information on your model.

Chicken Temp FAQs

Answers to commonly-asked questions about cooking chicken to the proper internal temperature:

Should I cook dark meat above 165° F?

This is a culinary measure more than a safety one.

It’s not dangerous to eat dark meat (thighs, drumsticks, and wings) that’s only been cooked to 165° F. But these parts can be rubbery at that temperature.

Dark meat is juicer and more tender when cooked to 175-180° F. In that range the connective tissue melts into gelatin.

It’s up to you to figure out how you like it done (I prefer 180° F for dark meat, myself). As long as it’s at least 165° F, it’s safe.

Can I skip the thermometer if the chicken juice runs clear?

Despite what you may have read, clear juice does not mean chicken is done.

It would be cool if that were true, but juice can run red at 170° F and run clear at 155° F.

To be extra safe, use a thermometer. Just get one and use it! It’s totally worth the money to save yourself a miserable night chained to the toilet.

Does the chicken temp change depending on the cooking method?

This one’s easy! No. Whether you are roasting, frying, boiling, poaching, baking, grilling, or sautéing chicken, the temperature for cooked chicken is still 165° F.

What about cooking chicken sous vide?

There’s always an exception, right? Sous vide chicken has a workaround to the 165° rule.

The USDA’s temperatures are for conventional methods, like roasting. However, cooking chicken at lower temperatures longer kills pathogens just as effectively.

You don’t need to overthink this. Just follow the temperatures and cooking times in sous vide recipes from trustworthy sources and you’ll be 100% fine.

Is chicken done at 165 or 180?

Current federal recommendations list various safe cooking temperatures for poultry, including 180°F for whole chickens and 170°F for breasts. The USDA said it wants to clarify that the key temperature for safety is 165°F.

Is chicken fully cooked at 165?

Whether you're roasting chicken in the oven, pan-frying, deep-frying, grilling or smoking, internal temperatures all remain the same. White meat should reach an internal temperature of 165° and dark meat 175°. The internal temperature of meat in leftover chicken recipes should still reach 165°.

Is 155 degrees safe for chicken?

Even if a slow, low-accuracy dial thermometer is off by as much as 10°F (6°C), a final cooked temperature of 155°F (68°C) in chicken will only need to stay at that temperature for just under 60 seconds in order for the meat to be safe.