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Food lookup: safe temperature
Pick a food — get its USDA minimum temp, rest time, and the fine print.
REFERENCE TABLE · EVERYDAY · FOOD SAFETY
USDA Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart
Color lies, pink lies, "it looks done" lies — a thermometer is the only honest judge of whether food is safe. This is the complete USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe-minimum-internal-temperature chart: 165°F for all poultry, 160°F for ground meat and eggs, 145°F for steaks, chops, roasts and fish, plus which cuts need a 3-minute rest. Look up any food below, convert °F to °C, or check your thermometer reading against the line — then print the chart and stick it on the fridge.
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°F ↔ °C converter
Translate any cooking temperature — and spot the danger zone.
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Is it done? thermometer check
Your reading vs the USDA line — safe, or keep cooking.
The full USDA chart
| Food | Minimum internal temp | Rest | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, veal & lamb — steaks, roasts, chops | 145°F | Rest 3 minutes | The classic medium-rare ceiling. Temp is measured before removing from heat; the rest finishes the job. |
| Pork — steaks, roasts, chops | 145°F | Rest 3 minutes | Whole pork cuts follow the beef rule since 2011. Grind the same pork and the rule jumps to 160°F. |
| Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) | 145°F | Rest 3 minutes | Raw ham is a whole cut — it gets the 145°F rule, not the deli-ham rule. |
| Ham, fully cooked (reheating) | 140°F | No rest needed | 140°F for hams from USDA-inspected plants; every other reheated ham goes to 165°F. |
| Ground meats (beef, pork, veal, lamb) | 160°F | No rest needed | Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the meat — 15°F hotter than a steak, no pink allowed. |
| All poultry — whole bird, breasts, legs, thighs, wings | 165°F | No rest needed | The single most-remembered number in food safety. Check the thickest part of the thigh and the stuffing. |
| Ground poultry | 165°F | No rest needed | Same 165°F as whole poultry — grinding earns no discount. |
| Duck & goose | 165°F | No rest needed | USDA classifies duck and goose as poultry: 165°F, however pink the restaurant version looks. |
| Stuffing (in the bird or alone) | 165°F | No rest needed | Stuffing soaks up raw poultry juices — it needs its own 165°F thermometer read. |
| Eggs & egg dishes | 160°F | No rest needed | Cook until yolk and white are firm; quiche and frittata to 160°F. |
| Fish (fin fish) | 145°F | No rest needed | 145°F, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. |
| Shrimp, lobster, crab, scallops | 145°F | No rest needed | Cook until flesh is pearly-white and opaque; clams, oysters, mussels until their shells open. |
| Leftovers & casseroles | 165°F | No rest needed | Reheat to 165°F throughout — sauces and soups should reach a rolling boil. |
Data source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — reproduced here in our own layout. Temperatures are minimums measured with a food thermometer before removing food from the heat source; for personal preference you may always cook hotter.
The 40–140°F danger zone
Bacteria multiply fastest between 40°F and 140°F — that band is the reason every other rule exists. Keep cold food at 40°F or below (fridge) and frozen food at 0°F; never leave perishables out more than 2 hours (1 hour if it is above 90°F outside). This is also why you never thaw meat on the counter: the outside camps in the danger zone for hours while the center stays frozen.
How to actually use a thermometer
1. Insert into the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle — bone conducts heat and lies. 2. For thin foods (burgers, fish fillets), go in from the side. 3. Wait 15–20 seconds for the read to settle on a dial thermometer; digital is faster. 4. Check multiple spots on large roasts and whole birds. 5. Wash the probe between reads on raw and cooked food — the thermometer can cross-contaminate too.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum temp | USDA published value per food | 165°F poultry at the defaults — the line your reading must clear. |
| °F ↔ °C | C = (F − 32) × 5/9 | 165°F = 73.9°C — anchors: 145°F = 62.8°C, 160°F = 71.1°C. |
| Safe / not yet | reading ≥ minimum ? safe : gap | "Not yet — 10.0°F to go" at 155°F for poultry — keep cooking. |
Who uses this
- Thanksgiving cooks: the 165°F turkey rule plus the stuffing trap — the two most-searched food-safety questions every November.
- New grill owners: who learn fast that a $15 thermometer beats a $300 grill for not poisoning anyone.
- Parents: reheating leftovers and kid meals to 165°F without guessing.
- Students & renters: first kitchens, first whole chickens — the chart on the fridge door.
Accuracy & limitations
Temperatures are the USDA FSIS published minimums — conservative by design, covering a 6–7 log reduction in salmonella. They do not account for carryover cooking beyond the stated 3-minute rests, thermometer calibration error (check yours in ice water: it should read 32°F), altitude effects, or sous-vide time-temperature pasteurization curves, where lower temps held longer are equally safe. People at higher risk — young children, pregnant women, older adults, the immunocompromised — should cook to higher temperatures. Not medical or food-safety advice; when in doubt, cook it more.
Cite this reference tableBright Side Kit. “USDA Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart 2026.” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "USDA Safe Cooking Temperatures Chart 2026." https://brightoolbox.com/safe-cooking-temperatures-chart/ Accessed October 23, 2026.Frequently asked questions
What temperature should chicken be cooked to?
Chicken — whole bird, breasts, legs, thighs, wings, and ground — must reach 165°F measured in the thickest part, away from bone. No rest time is required, and pink near the bone in a young bird can still be safe at 165°F.
What is the safe temperature for steak?
145°F with at least a 3-minute rest for beef, veal, lamb, and pork steaks, chops, and roasts. The rest matters — carryover heat keeps working after the meat leaves the grill.
Why does ground beef need 160°F when steak only needs 145°F?
Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the whole batch, so the center of a burger needs the kill temperature a steak’s center never sees. That is the entire 15-degree gap — and why "pink in the middle" is fine for steak but not for burgers.
What is the danger zone for food?
40°F to 140°F — the range where bacteria multiply fastest. Keep cold food at 40°F or below, hot food above 140°F, and never leave perishables out longer than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
What temperature do leftovers need to reach?
165°F throughout — bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a rolling boil. The microwave’s cold spots are the enemy: stir, rotate, and let it stand covered so heat evens out.
Can I tell if meat is done by color?
No. Ground beef can stay pink at 160°F and turn brown well below it; poultry can show pink near the bone at a safe 165°F. The USDA is blunt about this: color and texture are not indicators of doneness. Only a thermometer is.