Extension > Food > Food Safety > Preserving and preparing > Safe meals > Safe cooking temperatures
Safe cooking temperatures
By William Schafer, University of Minnesota Extension food technologist
Revised 2012
Measure these internal temperatures with a food thermometer.
| Eggs and egg dishes |
| Eggs |
160° F |
| Egg dishes |
160° F |
| Ground meat and meat mixtures |
| Turkey, chicken |
165° F |
| Veal, beef, lamb, pork* |
160° F |
| Fresh beef: Steaks, roast, chops |
| Medium rare |
145° F; let rest 3 minutes before serving |
| Medium |
160° F |
| Well done |
170° F |
| Fresh pork: Steaks, roasts, chops, ribs |
| Medium Rare |
145° F; let rest 3 minutes before serving
|
| Medium |
160° F |
| Well done |
170° F |
| Poultry |
| Chicken and turkey, whole |
165° F |
| Poultry parts |
165° F |
| Stuffing (cooked alone or in a bird) |
165° F |
| Duck and goose |
165° F |
| Ham |
| Fresh (raw) |
160° F |
| Pre-cooked (to reheat) |
140° F |
* Hamburger or ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F. Current research has shown that some ground beef may turn prematurely brown before a safe internal temperature of 160° F has been reached. Persons serving high risk individuals (ill, immuno-compromised, young children, and older adults) are especially advised to use a thermometer to measure internal temperature to prevent E. coli 0157:H7 contamination.
Reviewed by Suzanne Driessen, University of Minnesota Extension educator, 2012. Source: Kitchen Companion: Your Safe Food Handbook, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, 2011.
