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Meat Doneness Temperatures (USDA FSIS)

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USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

Click a row's temperature to load it into the calculator above for the matching protein category.

Food°F°CRest
Beef — roasts, steaks, chops62.83 min
Ground beef71.1—
Pork — roasts, steaks, chops62.83 min
Ground pork71.1—
Lamb — roasts, steaks, chops62.83 min
Ground lamb71.1—
Veal — roasts, steaks, chops62.83 min
Ground veal71.1—
Poultry — chicken, turkey, duck (whole, parts, ground)73.9—
Fish & shellfish62.8—
Ham (fresh, raw)62.83 min
Ham (USDA-inspected packaged, precooked)60—
Ham (precooked, repackaged or unknown source)73.9—
Egg dishes (frittata, quiche, custard)71.1—
Leftovers & casseroles73.9—

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (USDA last updated Apr 14, 2025; values verified against the live USDA chart on 2026-05-04).

Carryover Cooking Reference

The temperature continues to climb for several minutes after meat is removed from heat — that's carryover. The USDA-aligned approach is to verify the safe minimum on the thermometer FIRST, then rest at or above the minimum (3 minutes for whole-muscle beef / pork / lamb / veal / fresh ham at 145 °F). Carryover is informational, not a license to pull below the minimum and rely on the rise to get there. The ranges below describe the typical rise during rest, not a target for pulling early.

CutCarryover (°F)Carryover (°C)Notes
Large roasts (≥ 4 lb / 2 kg)5-103-5USDA requires the meat to reach 145 °F verified by thermometer, then rest at or above 145 °F for 3 minutes. The temperature typically continues to climb 5-10 °F during the rest in a large roast — that climb is a side effect, not a substitute for hitting the minimum on the thermometer. Do not pull below 145 °F intending carryover to bring it up.
Steaks, chops (1-2 in / 2.5-5 cm thick)3-52-3USDA requires the meat to reach 145 °F verified by thermometer, then rest at or above 145 °F for 3 minutes. Steaks typically continue to climb 3-5 °F during a brief rest — informational, not a substitute for hitting the minimum.
Pork roasts and tenderloins5-103-5Same USDA rule as beef: 145 °F verified, then 3-minute rest. The roast typically climbs 5-10 °F during rest; that climb is informational, not a license to pull early.
Lamb roasts, steaks, and chops3-102-5USDA requires whole-muscle lamb to reach 145 °F verified by thermometer, then rest at or above 145 °F for 3 minutes. Carryover during that rest is informational; do not pull below the verified minimum.
Veal roasts, steaks, and chops3-102-5USDA requires whole-muscle veal to reach 145 °F verified by thermometer, then rest at or above 145 °F for 3 minutes. Carryover during that rest is informational; do not pull below the verified minimum.
Fresh raw ham5-103-5USDA treats fresh raw ham like other whole-muscle cuts: 145 °F verified by thermometer, then a 3-minute rest. Carryover may continue during the rest, but the thermometer must already read at least 145 °F.
Whole birds (chicken, turkey)0-50-3USDA / FoodSafety.gov require 165 °F (73.9 °C) verified at multiple spots in a whole bird: innermost part of the thigh, innermost part of the wing, AND thickest part of the breast — plus the center of the stuffing if the bird is stuffed. Do NOT pull early and rely on carryover for poultry: pathogens that survive a 160 °F pull may not be killed by a brief rise to 165 °F during rest. Check all the published spots before removing the bird.
Fish fillets0-30-2Minimal carryover; pull when the fish reaches 145 °F.

Worked Examples

Whole bird

Is 165 °F safe for chicken?

A whole roast chicken thermometer reads 165 °F in the thickest part. Is it safe to serve?

  1. USDA FSIS minimum for poultry (chicken, turkey, duck — whole, parts, ground) is 165 °F (73.9 °C).
  2. Per USDA / FoodSafety.gov, whole birds must hit 165 °F at multiple spots: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, AND the thickest part of the breast. If the bird is stuffed, the center of the stuffing must also reach 165 °F.
  3. 165 °F at every checked spot → meets the minimum.
  4. Verdict: safe. No required SAFETY rest once 165 °F is verified — but USDA recommends letting a STUFFED whole bird stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing or carving (heat finishes penetrating dense stuffing; juices redistribute). For an unstuffed bird, you can carve right away. Carryover may add 2-5 °F during any brief rest, which is fine.

USDA / FoodSafety.gov require checking the thigh, wing, and breast — not just the thigh. A reading of 165 °F at any single location does not certify the whole bird; verify the slowest-to-cook spot (typically the thigh) AND the other two locations, plus stuffing if present. For STUFFED whole birds, FSIS recommends a 20-minute stand before carving / removing stuffing.

Whole-muscle steak

Is 145 °F safe for a beef steak?

A bone-in ribeye steak reads 145 °F in the thickest part. Is it safe?

  1. USDA FSIS minimum for whole-muscle beef (roasts, steaks, chops) is 145 °F (62.8 °C) with a 3-minute rest.
  2. 145 °F = 145 °F → meets the minimum exactly.
  3. Verdict: safe — but the 3-minute rest is required. Pull, tent loosely with foil, rest for 3 minutes minimum before slicing.
  4. Carryover during the rest will add ~3-5 °F for a steak of typical thickness.

The same 145 °F + 3-minute rest minimum applies to whole-muscle pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham. It does NOT apply to ground meats (160 °F, no required rest).

Ground meat

Is 155 °F safe for a hamburger?

A grilled beef burger reads 155 °F in the center. Is it safe?

  1. USDA FSIS minimum for ground beef is 160 °F (71.1 °C). No required rest.
  2. 155 °F is 5 °F below the minimum.
  3. Verdict: NOT safe yet. Continue cooking until the center reads 160 °F.
  4. The 145 °F whole-muscle minimum does NOT apply to ground beef — grinding distributes surface bacteria throughout the patty, so the entire patty must reach the higher temperature.

Same 160 °F minimum applies to ground pork, ground lamb, ground veal. Ground poultry uses the 165 °F poultry minimum (not 160 °F).

Reheated leftover

Is 160 °F hot enough for reheated chicken?

Yesterday's chicken stew reheated to 160 °F in the middle of the bowl. Safe?

  1. USDA FSIS minimum for reheated leftovers and casseroles is 165 °F (73.9 °C) — same as fresh poultry.
  2. 160 °F is 5 °F below the minimum.
  3. Verdict: NOT safe. Continue heating until the center reads 165 °F throughout. Stir while reheating to even out cold spots.

The 165 °F leftover minimum applies to all reheated cooked food, regardless of the original protein. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking and use within 3-4 days.

USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service publishes a single safe minimum internal temperature for each meat category. Insert a calibrated probe thermometer into the thickest part of the cut (away from bone, fat, and gristle) and compare the reading to the published minimum. For whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham (USDA-required 3-minute rest), the rest period after removing from heat counts toward the safety hold.

Reading ≥ USDA minimum for the protein category → safe. Reading < USDA minimum → keep cooking.

How It Works

USDA FSIS publishes a single safe minimum internal temperature for each meat category, based on the temperature required to reduce pathogens (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter) to a level that does not cause foodborne illness in healthy adults. The page's safe-minimum temperatures and required rest times come straight from USDA FSIS — chef-style "rare" or "medium-rare" doneness ranges that sit below USDA minimums are deliberately not shown here, because those ranges trade safety margin for texture and only apply to specific cuts (intact whole-muscle steaks from a trusted supplier, for example) where the surface bacteria are killed by searing and the interior is presumed sterile. For ground meats, mechanically tenderized cuts, marinated cuts, poultry, and stuffed dishes, the USDA FSIS minimum is the floor below which the meat is not considered safe regardless of cut. Rest time matters: for whole roasts, steaks, and chops of beef, pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham, USDA requires a 3-minute rest at or above the minimum after removing from heat — during the rest, the temperature continues to climb (carryover) and the safety hold is satisfied. The carryover-rise ranges shown alongside the safe-minimum reference (e.g., "5-10 °F rise during rest" for large beef roasts) are USDA-aligned guidance from cooking practice — not USDA-published numbers — and are informational only. Primary source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (USDA last updated Apr 14, 2025; values verified against the live USDA chart on 2026-05-04). Stuffed-whole-bird 20-minute stand recommendation: "USDA FSIS — Stuffing and Food Safety" (accessed 2026-05-04). Whole-bird probe-location requirement (thigh + wing + breast + stuffing center): "FoodSafety.gov — Meat and Poultry Roasting Charts" (accessed 2026-05-04). Fish visual-doneness alternate (opaque + flakes with a fork): "FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (accessed 2026-05-04).

Example Problem

I'm cooking chicken breasts and the thermometer reads 160 °F in the thickest part. Is it safe to serve?

  1. Look up the USDA FSIS safe minimum for poultry (chicken, turkey, duck — whole, parts, ground, stuffing): 165 °F (73.9 °C).
  2. Compare the reading: 160 °F is 5 °F below the USDA minimum.
  3. Verdict: NOT yet safe. Continue cooking until the thickest part reads at least 165 °F.
  4. Note: poultry has no required rest period — pull at 165 °F or above and serve. (Carryover may add 2-5 °F during a brief rest, but you cannot rely on carryover to bring an under-cooked bird up to 165 °F — verify with the thermometer first.)

Chicken parts and ground poultry use the same 165 °F minimum as a whole bird. Stuffing inside or outside the bird also needs to reach 165 °F.

Key Concepts

The USDA minimum is a floor, not a target. The standard USDA-aligned approach for whole-muscle beef, pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham is: cook until the thermometer in the thickest part reads at least 145 °F, then rest at or above 145 °F for 3 minutes. The rest period at or above the minimum counts toward the safety hold. Carryover (the temperature continuing to climb after removing from heat) typically adds 3-10 °F during the rest depending on cut size — that climb is a side effect of conduction, not a substitute for verifying the minimum on the thermometer at the moment you pull. Pulling at 140 °F intending carryover to bring it up to 145 °F is NOT USDA-aligned: USDA's safety case requires the thermometer to read at least 145 °F at the start of the rest. Carryover does not apply to ground meats or poultry the same way — for those, hit the minimum (160 °F ground, 165 °F poultry) on the thermometer with no early-pull margin. Doneness terms ("medium-rare", "medium", "well-done") are culinary preferences and do not change the USDA minimum: a "medium-rare" steak that hits 145 °F internal is USDA-safe; one that hits only 130 °F is not. This page reports only the USDA minimum and whether your reading meets it; it does not publish the lower temperatures associated with chef-style rare or medium-rare cooking, because those ranges trade safety margin for texture and require an informed risk assessment that is outside the scope of a generic temperature reference.

Applications

  • Verifying that a roast, steak, chop, or whole bird has reached the USDA safe minimum before serving
  • Diagnosing whether a thermometer reading you took mid-cook means 'pull now' or 'keep cooking'
  • Looking up the USDA minimum for ground meat, leftovers, fresh ham, or egg dishes — categories that don't always have an obvious 'doneness' equivalent
  • Understanding how USDA's required 3-minute rest interacts with carryover cooking on whole roasts
  • Confirming that reheated leftovers and casseroles have reached 165 °F (USDA's reheat minimum)
  • Cross-checking food-safety guidance for at-risk groups (pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly) where USDA minimums are non-negotiable

Common Mistakes

  • Using a chef-style 'rare' or 'medium-rare' temperature on ground beef, marinated cuts, or mechanically tenderized cuts — for those, the USDA 160 °F (ground) or 145 °F (whole-muscle, with rest) minimum is the floor
  • Inserting the thermometer into bone, fat, or a thin part of the cut — bone reads hot, fat reads cool, and thin parts hit the minimum before the thickest part does
  • Relying on time/weight charts instead of a thermometer reading — those are starting estimates, not safety verification
  • Treating carryover as a substitute for hitting the USDA minimum on poultry — verify 165 °F on the thermometer; do not pull early and 'let it carry over'
  • Forgetting that the USDA minimum for stuffing (inside or outside the bird) is 165 °F — even if the bird itself is at 165 °F, the center of the stuffing may not be
  • Holding leftovers in the danger zone (40-140 °F) for hours and then reheating to less than 165 °F — both temperature and time matter
  • Calibration drift on the thermometer — verify with an ice-water test (32 °F) every few months; an uncalibrated probe can read 5-10 °F off

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the USDA safe internal temperature for chicken?

165 °F (73.9 °C) for all poultry — whole birds, chicken parts, turkey, duck, and ground poultry. The same 165 °F minimum applies to stuffing, whether cooked inside or outside the bird. For a whole bird, USDA / FoodSafety.gov require verifying 165 °F at the innermost part of the THIGH, the innermost part of the WING, AND the thickest part of the BREAST — plus the center of the STUFFING if the bird is stuffed. A reading from one location does not certify the whole bird. For stuffed whole birds, FSIS recommends a 20-minute stand before carving or removing stuffing after all required locations have reached 165 °F.

What is the USDA safe internal temperature for beef, pork, and lamb?

145 °F (62.8 °C) with a 3-minute rest for whole-muscle cuts (roasts, steaks, chops) of beef, pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham. 160 °F (71.1 °C) for ground beef, pork, lamb, and veal. The 3-minute rest at or above 145 °F counts toward the safety hold — during rest, the temperature continues to climb (carryover) and pathogens continue to die off at the elevated temperature.

What is the USDA safe internal temperature for fish?

145 °F (62.8 °C), or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Same minimum applies to all finfish. Shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters) are safe when the shells open; shrimp, scallops, and lobster turn opaque and pearly when cooked through.

What about 'medium-rare' beef at 130-135 °F? Is that safe?

Per USDA, no — the safe minimum for whole-muscle beef is 145 °F (with 3-minute rest). Many chefs and steakhouses serve whole-muscle steaks rarer than this and rely on the surface searing to kill exterior pathogens, with the interior presumed sterile. That practice trades safety margin for texture and is outside USDA's published guidance. This page reports only the USDA minimum so you can decide for yourself. Ground beef needs the full 160 °F minimum (no rest required) since grinding distributes surface bacteria throughout. Mechanically tenderized beef (jaccarded / blade-tenderized at the processor) per FSIS should be cooked to 145 °F with a 3-minute rest — same as whole-muscle, but the cut should NOT be served rare or medium-rare like an intact whole-muscle steak, because the tenderization process drives surface bacteria into the interior.

Do I need to rest the meat after cooking?

USDA requires a 3-minute SAFETY rest at or above 145 °F for whole-muscle cuts of beef, pork, lamb, veal, and fresh ham. The rest period counts toward the safety hold and lets carryover cooking finish bringing the center up to temperature. Ground meats and reheated leftovers do not have a USDA-required rest — pull at the minimum and serve. Poultry has no SAFETY rest requirement once 165 °F is verified at the thigh, wing, and breast — but USDA FSIS recommends letting a STUFFED whole bird (turkey, large roast chicken with stuffing inside the cavity) STAND for 20 minutes before removing the stuffing or carving. That 20-minute stand isn't a safety hold — the stuffing already had to reach 165 °F at the center — but it gives heat time to finish penetrating dense stuffing and lets juices redistribute. An UNSTUFFED bird can be carved right away. Resting whole roasts of beef / pork / lamb / veal / fresh ham also has a culinary benefit (juices redistribute), but the safety case is what makes the 3-minute rest required for those specific cuts.

What is carryover cooking?

After you remove meat from heat, the temperature continues to climb for several minutes as residual heat from the surface conducts into the cooler interior. Typical carryover is 5-10 °F for large roasts, 3-5 °F for steaks and chops, and minimal (0-3 °F) for thin fish fillets. The USDA-aligned approach is to verify the safe minimum on the thermometer in the thickest part FIRST, then rest at or above the minimum for any required hold (3 minutes for whole-muscle beef / pork / lamb / veal / fresh ham at 145 °F). Carryover is informational — it explains why the temperature keeps rising during the rest — but it is not a substitute for hitting the minimum on the thermometer. Do not pull below the safe minimum intending carryover to get the meat there.

How do I take an accurate internal temperature reading?

Insert a calibrated digital probe thermometer into the thickest part of the cut, away from bone (which reads hot) and fat or gristle (which reads cool). For whole birds, USDA / FoodSafety.gov require checking ALL of: innermost part of the thigh, innermost part of the wing, and thickest part of the breast — plus the center of the stuffing if the bird is stuffed. For ground meats and stuffing, push the probe to the center of the loaf or stuffing. Verify the thermometer with an ice-water test (should read 32 °F / 0 °C in slushy ice water) every few months — uncalibrated probes can drift 5-10 °F.

What about reheated leftovers and casseroles?

Reheat leftovers and casseroles to 165 °F (73.9 °C) throughout — same as poultry. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour if ambient temp is above 90 °F), and consume or freeze within 3-4 days. USDA-inspected, packaged precooked ham can be reheated to 140 °F (60 °C) per the package — that is a separate USDA category. Other precooked meats (rotisserie chicken, deli meat warmed for service) follow the 165 °F leftover standard.

Where does this data come from?

Primary source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (USDA last updated Apr 14, 2025; values verified against the live USDA chart on 2026-05-04). Stuffed-whole-bird 20-minute stand recommendation: "USDA FSIS — Stuffing and Food Safety" (accessed 2026-05-04). Whole-bird probe-location requirement (thigh + wing + breast + stuffing center): "FoodSafety.gov — Meat and Poultry Roasting Charts" (accessed 2026-05-04). Fish visual-doneness alternate (opaque + flakes with a fork): "FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (accessed 2026-05-04).

Reference: Primary source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), "Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (USDA last updated Apr 14, 2025; values verified against the live USDA chart on 2026-05-04). Stuffed-whole-bird 20-minute stand recommendation: "USDA FSIS — Stuffing and Food Safety" (accessed 2026-05-04). Whole-bird probe-location requirement (thigh + wing + breast + stuffing center): "FoodSafety.gov — Meat and Poultry Roasting Charts" (accessed 2026-05-04). Fish visual-doneness alternate (opaque + flakes with a fork): "FoodSafety.gov — Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures" (accessed 2026-05-04).

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