Internal Cooking Temperatures
The target internal temperatures required to destroy pathogens and make meats and egg dishes safe to eat.
Poultry: 165°F (74°C) • Ground Meat: 160°F (71°C) • Steaks: 145°F (63°C) • Bread: 200°F (93°C)
Internal cooking temperature refers to the heat level at the thickest part of food, which must be reached to kill harmful bacteria and pathogens. Visual cues like meat color or juice clarity are unreliable and unsafe. Instead, food safety standards mandate the use of a digital instant-read thermometer. Different foods have different bacterial risks and require specific temperatures: poultry must reach 165°F (74°C) because Salmonella can penetrate deep into muscle fibers ground meats must reach 160°F (71°C) because grinding mixes surface bacteria throughout the meat steaks and pork are safe at 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest.
In baking, checking internal temperature is also useful. Yeasted breads are baked to an internal temp of 190°F to 210°F (88°C to 99°C) to ensure the starch is fully set, while custards and cheesecakes set at around 170°F to 180°F (77°C to 82°C) without curdling.
Relying on the color of meat or cutting it open to check doneness. This lets flavor juices escape and is highly inaccurate, often leading to undercooked, unsafe meat.
While USDA standards are highly popular, some UK and EU guidelines vary slightly on cook times at specific temperatures (pasteurization curves).
Use a digital meat thermometer whenever cooking meats, poultry, fish, egg dishes, cheesecakes, or yeasted breads.