Meat Doneness Temperature Guide
The internal temperature to pull each cut at — every doneness level in °F and °C, with the safe minimum called out.
Target internal temperature
| Level | °F | °C |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | 145 | 63 |
| Medium-well | 152 | 67 |
| Well done | 160 | 71 |
The USDA minimum for whole cuts of beef, veal and lamb is 145°F, followed by a 3-minute rest before you carve or eat. Rare and medium-rare are below that minimum, so they are not listed here.
USDA minimum internal temperatures: whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork 145°F, then a 3-minute rest; ground meat 160°F; all poultry 165°F; fish 145°F. Check in the thickest part with a food thermometer, never by color or the clock, and take the meat off at or above the minimum rather than counting on carryover to reach it. Do not leave cooked meat out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
Reading the temperatures
Doneness is a temperature, not a colour or a time. Pick a category and the guide lists each level with its target internal reading and the USDA minimum for that kind of meat. Every category starts at its minimum: 145°F and a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork, 160°F for ground meat, 165°F for all poultry and 145°F for fish. Nothing below those numbers is listed.
The only reliable way to hit these numbers is a thermometer in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone — a good instant-read is the single most useful tool a cook can own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What internal temperature is chicken safe at?
Poultry has a hard safe floor of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the breast — there is no medium-rare chicken. Dark meat is more tender and forgiving cooked further, to around 175–185°F, where the connective tissue softens. Measure away from the bone, which reads hotter than the surrounding meat.
Why do brisket and pulled pork go so far past 'done'?
Tough cuts like brisket, chuck, and pork shoulder are packed with collagen and fat that only break down with prolonged heat. They pass the safe temperature long before they're tender, so you keep going to around 203°F, when a probe slides in with no resistance and the meat slices or pulls apart. Pulling them at a steak temperature would leave them chewy.
Why doesn't the guide list rare or medium-rare steak?
Because both sit below the USDA minimum. For whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork, USDA's minimum is 145°F (63°C) measured with a food thermometer, followed by a 3-minute rest before you carve or eat. Grinding spreads surface bacteria through the meat, so ground beef and pork must reach 160°F (71°C), and all poultry, ground or whole, 165°F (74°C). The guide starts every category at its minimum and lists nothing below it.
Should I account for carryover cooking?
Meat keeps rising a few degrees after it comes off the heat as residual heat migrates inward, more so on large or high-heat cuts. Treat that as a bonus, not a plan: take the meat off at or above the minimum the guide shows, check it with a food thermometer, then rest it. Do not pull short of the minimum and count on carryover to get there.
General guidance based on common food-safety targets. When in doubt, follow your local food-safety authority, and always verify with a calibrated thermometer.