Meat Temperatures: Safe Minimums and Doneness
Two numbers every cook needs
A food thermometer gives you two different pieces of information depending on what you are cooking. The first is the USDA safe minimum: the temperature at which harmful bacteria are destroyed. The second is your target doneness: the temperature at which the meat looks and tastes the way you want it. For whole cuts of beef and lamb, those two numbers are different. For poultry and ground meat, they are the same. The tables below put both numbers in one place, so you never have to cross-reference three browser tabs mid-cook.
USDA safe minimum internal temperatures
| Protein | USDA minimum | Rest time | Celsius |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, pork, veal, lamb (whole cuts) | 145 F | 3 minutes | 63 C |
| Ground beef, pork, lamb, veal | 160 F | None required | 71 C |
| All poultry (whole, parts, ground) | 165 F | None required | 74 C |
| Fin fish | 145 F or flesh flakes easily | None required | 63 C |
| Shrimp, lobster, crab | Flesh pearly and opaque | None required | n/a |
| Eggs (cooked in shell or fried) | Yolk and white firm | None required | n/a |
| Ham (pre-cooked, USDA-inspected) | 140 F | None required | 60 C |
| Ham (all others) | 165 F | None required | 74 C |
The 2011 pork update. Before 2011 the USDA required whole pork cuts to reach 160 F. The 2011 revision lowered this to 145 F with a 3-minute rest, bringing pork in line with beef. A finished pork chop or roast may show a slight blush of pink at 145 F and that is perfectly safe. Ground pork still requires 160 F.
Beef and lamb doneness guide (pull temps account for carryover)
| Doneness | Pull at (F) | Final temp (F) | Celsius (final) | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 115 to 118 F | 120 to 125 F | 49 to 52 C | Deep red center, very soft |
| Medium-rare | 123 to 128 F | 130 to 135 F | 54 to 57 C | Warm red center, slight resistance |
| Medium | 133 to 138 F | 140 to 145 F | 60 to 63 C | Warm pink center, firmer |
| Medium-well | 143 to 148 F | 150 to 155 F | 65 to 68 C | Faint pink, fully firm |
| Well done | 153 F and above | 160 F and above | 71 C and above | No pink, completely firm |
Carryover cooking: why you pull early
When you remove meat from a hot pan or grill, the heat stored in the outer layers continues driving toward the center for several minutes. For a thick steak on high heat, the internal temperature can rise 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (3 to 5 C) after leaving the pan. Pull the steak 5 to 7 F below your target final temperature and tent it loosely with foil for 3 to 5 minutes. The carryover does the rest without overcooking the center. Very thin cuts (under half an inch) carry over very little and can be pulled at target temp.
Poultry and fish at safe temperatures
| Type | Safe temp F | Safe temp C | Key note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole chicken or turkey | 165 F | 74 C | Measure in thickest thigh, away from bone |
| Chicken breast | 165 F | 74 C | Pull at 160 F, rest 3 min for carryover |
| Duck breast | 165 F | 74 C | USDA minimum; pink at 155 F is common preference |
| Fish (fin fish) | 145 F | 63 C | Flesh should be opaque and flake easily |
| Salmon (sushi-grade, home cook) | 125 to 130 F | 52 to 54 C | Preference temp; not USDA-safe |
| Shrimp | Opaque and pink | n/a | Flesh curls to a C shape; J shape means overcooked |
| Eggs (scrambled or fried) | 160 F | 71 C | Yolk and white both fully set |
Ground meat is always 160 F, no exceptions. Grinding distributes surface bacteria throughout the meat. The safety rules that allow medium-rare in a whole steak (surface bacteria destroyed before the center is reached) do not apply to ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey. Cook all ground meat to 160 F (165 F for ground poultry) regardless of how the finished dish is supposed to taste.