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Proper Cooking Temperatures for Safe Food At Home:
Use Proper Cooking Temperatures to Ensure Safe Food
Minnesota Department of Health Consumer Fact Sheet Revised August, 2011 |
Download a print version of this document:
Use Proper Cooking Temperatures to Ensure Safe Food (PDF)
Note: There are three important temperatures to remember when cooking meat or eggs at home: Eggs and all ground meats must be cooked to 160°F; poultry and fowl to 165°F; and fresh meat steaks, chops and roasts to 145°F.
Use a thermometer to check temperatures. Cook to the internal temperatures listed below in degrees Fahrenheit.
CONSUMER COOKING TEMPERATURE CHART for MEATS and EGGS | |
---|---|
FRESH MEATS | |
Ground meats (veal, beef, lamb, pork, deer, moose, elk or caribou) |
160°F |
Fresh beef, veal, lamb, pork, deer, moose, elk or caribou steaks, chops and roasts | |
recommended minimum temperature | 145°F |
medium | 160°F |
well done | 170°F |
Leftover cooked meats | 165°F or safe to eat cold if properly cooled and stored |
POULTRY and GAME BIRDS | |
Ground chicken and turkey | 165°F |
Whole chicken, turkey, duck and goose | 165°F |
Poultry breasts and roasts; thighs and wings | 165°F |
Casseroles, all stuffing and reheated leftovers | 165°F |
Fully-cooked poultry | 165°F or safe to eat cold if properly cooled and stored |
FISH AND SHELLFISH | |
Fish and shellfish, any type | 145°F |
RABBIT | |
Rabbit | 160°F |
HAM | |
Fresh (raw) ham or shoulder | 160°F |
To reheat precooked ham | 140°F |
EGGS AND EGG DISHES | |
Eggs | Cook until yolk and white are firm |
Egg dishes; egg based sauces and custards | 160°F |
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Reference: Cook: Heat it Up Chart. Partnership for Food Safety Education. May 2011.
Last Updated: 10/20/2022