USDA sets the safe minimum internal temperatures most home cooks need. Whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb need 145°F and a 3-minute rest. Ground versions of those meats need 160°F. All poultry, whole or ground, needs 165°F. Fish needs 145°F, and leftovers need 165°F when you reheat them.
Those numbers only work if you measure them in the right spot with a thermometer you trust. This guide puts the full chart in one place. It also explains why the numbers differ, how to use a thermometer, and what official guidance says about pink pork, chicken thighs and turkey breast pulled below 165°F.
Safe minimum internal temperature chart
These are the safe minimums from USDA and FoodSafety.gov, with the FDA's seafood guidance. Measure each one with a food thermometer before you take the food off the heat.
| Food | Safe minimum internal temperature | Rest time |
|---|---|---|
| Beef, veal and lamb steaks, chops and roasts | 145°F | 3 minutes |
| Pork chops, roasts and tenderloin | 145°F | 3 minutes |
| Fresh or smoked uncooked ham | 145°F | 3 minutes |
| Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb | 160°F | None |
| Chicken and turkey: whole, parts or ground | 165°F | None |
| Stuffing, cooked alone or in the bird | 165°F | None |
| Fin fish | 145°F, or flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork | None |
| Shrimp, lobster and crab | Flesh is pearly and opaque | None |
| Scallops | Flesh is milky white or opaque and firm | None |
| Clams, oysters and mussels | Shells open during cooking | None |
| Egg dishes | 160°F | None |
| Leftovers and casseroles | 165°F | None |
USDA notes these are minimums. You can cook any of these foods hotter if you like the result better. You should not stop below them, except under the time-at-temperature rules covered later.
Why whole cuts and ground meat differ
On a whole steak, chop or roast, germs sit mostly on the outside. Cooking the surface handles most of that risk, so the center can safely stop at 145°F. The 3-minute rest is part of the rule, not just a tip for juicy meat. USDA explains that during the rest, the temperature holds steady or keeps climbing, which helps destroy harmful germs.
Grinding changes the picture. It spreads whatever was on the surface all through the meat. The center of a burger or meatball can carry the same germs as the outside of the original cut. That is why ground beef, pork, veal and lamb need 160°F all the way through.
Sausage follows the ground meat rule, even though the casing makes it look like one solid piece. Cook pork or beef sausage to 160°F. Chicken or turkey sausage needs 165°F, like all ground poultry.
Mechanically tenderized beef
Some beef is pierced with needles or small blades to make it more tender. That can push surface germs into the center. Since 2016, USDA has required these products to say on the label that they were mechanically, blade or needle tenderized. The label must also give cooking steps that have been tested for safety. USDA's consumer advice for these cuts is 145°F and at least a 3-minute rest, so follow the label and use a thermometer.
For steak, the safety floor and your preferred doneness are two separate questions. Our steak doneness guide maps blue through well done against the 145°F line. Red Lobster's dinner menu lists a 7 oz. Sirloin and a 6 oz. Filet Mignon, and the same 145°F rule applies if you cook those cuts at home.
Poultry: one number for every part
Chicken and turkey have one target, 165°F, whether the meat is a whole bird, a breast, a wing or ground. Unlike beef and pork, there is no lower number for whole cuts, and no rest time is part of the rule.
For a whole bird, USDA says to check three places. Test the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. All three should reach 165°F. If the bird is stuffed, the center of the stuffing must reach 165°F too.
Chicken thighs: safe at 165°F, often better hotter
A chicken thigh is safe at 165°F, the same as a breast. There is no separate safety number for dark meat. Many cooks still take thighs higher, often to 175°F or more. Thighs carry more fat and connective tissue than breast meat. With extra time and heat, that tissue softens, so the meat turns more tender instead of drying out.
That is a texture choice, not a safety step. A thigh stopped at 165°F is fully safe. It can just taste a little chewier. For bone-in thighs, keep the probe tip off the bone, since bone can throw off the reading.
Is turkey or chicken safe below 165°F?
USDA's consumer advice is 165°F for all poultry. That reading is an instant target: once the meat reaches it, the germs of concern are destroyed. There is a second, more technical layer, though. Germs die from heat over time, not only at one exact number.
FSIS has published time-temperature tables for companies that make ready-to-eat poultry. They show how long poultry must stay at a given temperature to reach the same Salmonella kill as the instant target. Here are a few rows.
| Holding temperature | Chicken, low fat | Turkey, low fat | Chicken, 12% fat | Turkey, 12% fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 145°F | 8.4 to 9.5 minutes | 10.5 to 11 minutes | 13 minutes | 13.8 minutes |
| 150°F | 2.7 to 2.9 minutes | 3.7 to 3.8 minutes | 4.2 minutes | 4.9 minutes |
| 155°F | 44 to 49 seconds | 1.2 minutes | 54 seconds | 1.3 minutes |
The "low fat" ranges cover the tables for 1 to 6% fat. So a turkey breast held at 150°F for about 3.7 minutes reaches the same safety level as one taken to 165°F. More fat means a longer hold. Our post on whether 145°F is safe for chicken covers the chicken side in more depth.
Keep three points in mind before you rely on these tables.
- They were written for processors. FSIS made them for plants with tight process control. Its advice for home cooks is still 165°F.
- The whole piece must stay at that heat. Touching 150°F for a moment is not enough. The coolest part must stay at or above the number for the full time.
- Stuffing and ground poultry are different. Stuffing needs 165°F. Ground turkey and chicken should reach 165°F as well.
Sous vide cooking makes these holds easier to control, since the water bath holds one set temperature. In a regular oven, measure the coolest part with a thermometer for the whole hold. If you are not sure the hold happened, cook to 165°F.
Can pork tenderloin be pink?
Yes. In 2011, USDA lowered its advice for whole cuts of pork from 160°F to 145°F and added the 3-minute rest. At the time, USDA noted that pork cooked to 145°F will often look pinker than many cooks are used to. That pink center is not a sign the meat is unsafe, as long as the thermometer reads 145°F and the meat rests.
Tenderloin shows this most often. It is lean and thin, and it cooks fast. Check the thickest part in the middle of the loin, not the thin tapered ends, which heat up first. If you prefer pork with no pink at all, you can cook it longer. Just expect a lean cut like tenderloin to dry out as it climbs past 145°F.
The rule is different for ground pork. A pork burger or meatball needs 160°F, with no exception for color. Many older family recipes still call for well-done pork. Those reflect the guidance from before 2011, not today's.
Why color is not a safe test
Color, texture and clear juices are not reliable signs of safety. USDA warns that ground beef can turn brown before it reaches 160°F. Pork can stay pink after it reaches a safe 145°F. Poultry can look done on the outside while the center is still under 165°F. Only a thermometer reading tells you what the center of the food has reached.
Seafood and the Red Lobster connection
The FDA's target for fin fish is 145°F. Without a thermometer, the flesh should be opaque and should separate easily with a fork. Shellfish use visual signs instead of a number. Shrimp, lobster and crab turn pearly and opaque. Scallops turn milky white or opaque and firm. Clams, oysters and mussels are done when their shells open during cooking. Throw out any that stay closed.
Seafood is the core of Red Lobster's menu, from Atlantic Salmon to Grilled Shrimp and Snow Crab Legs. The full menu lists current dishes, and the nutrition guide covers calories. For more detail on cooking fish at home, see our salmon internal temperature guide, our guide to recommended seafood temperatures and our post on when lobster tails are done.
Leftovers, casseroles and mixed dishes
Reheated leftovers should reach 165°F all the way through, whatever the food was at first. The same number applies to casseroles. Egg dishes, such as a quiche or a strata, need 160°F.
When a dish mixes more than one food, use the highest target among its parts. A meatloaf made from beef and pork needs 160°F. Add ground turkey or chicken sausage, and the whole dish needs 165°F. A low-risk ingredient never lowers the number for a higher-risk one.
How to use a meat thermometer
Where you put the probe matters as much as the number it shows. Follow these USDA placement rules.
- Use the thickest part. It heats last, so it is the most honest reading.
- Stay away from bone, fat and gristle. They heat at a different rate than muscle and can skew the result.
- Go in from the side for thin foods. For a burger, chop or thin chicken breast, push the probe in sideways so the tip reaches the center.
- Check whole birds in three spots. Breast, inner thigh and inner wing all need 165°F.
- Check casseroles in the center. Stir liquid dishes first, then test the thickest spot. If readings differ, trust the lowest one.
Start checking toward the end of the cooking time, before you expect the food to be done. Wait for the number to stop moving before you read it. A reading taken too soon can be several degrees low. Wash the stem in hot, soapy water after each use, and always before it touches cooked food after raw meat.
Types of meat thermometers
The right depth depends on where the sensor sits in the probe.
| Type | How long to read | How deep to insert | Leave in while cooking? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital instant-read (thermistor) | About 10 seconds | At least 1/2 inch | No |
| Dial instant-read | About 15 to 20 seconds | 2 to 2 1/2 inches | No |
| Oven-safe dial | Reads the whole time | 2 to 2 1/2 inches | Yes |
| Probe with cord or wireless display | Reads the whole time | Per maker's guide | Yes |
A digital instant-read model senses heat at the tip, so it works well for thin foods. A dial thermometer senses along 2 to 2 1/2 inches of its stem. That makes it better suited to thick roasts, or to thin foods only when inserted sideways. Never leave an instant-read thermometer in a hot oven unless the maker says it is oven-safe.
Leave-in probes, wired or wireless, are handy for a long roast or a whole turkey. You can watch the temperature without opening the oven. The placement rules above still apply to every type.
How to check your thermometer's accuracy
A thermometer can drift after a drop or after years of use. USDA describes two simple checks.
- Ice water. Fill a large glass with ice, add water and stir. Put the stem at least 2 inches into the mix, not touching the sides or bottom. Wait at least 30 seconds. It should read 32°F.
- Boiling water. Hold the probe in rapidly boiling water. At sea level, it should read 212°F. Water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitude, so expect a lower reading there.
If the reading is off, many dial thermometers have a nut under the head that you can turn to reset them. Some digital models have a reset button. If yours cannot be adjusted, note how far off it reads and allow for that, or replace it.
Run a check when you buy a thermometer, after you drop it and every so often after that. Every number in this guide assumes the tool reading it is correct.
The short version: 145°F with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb, 160°F for ground meat and 165°F for all poultry. Fish needs 145°F, and leftovers need 165°F. Place the probe in the thickest part, away from bone, and check the thermometer in ice water now and then.