Meat Cooking Temperatures Guide — Celsius and Fahrenheit Reference

Cooking meat to the right internal temperature is the difference between safe and unsafe, and between perfectly cooked and ruined. The problem is that different sources quote different temperatures — sometimes in Celsius, sometimes Fahrenheit — and food safety guidelines don't always match what professional chefs recommend for optimal texture.

This guide covers internal temperatures for all common meats in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, with the distinction between food safety minimums and ideal doneness temperatures. Use the Temperature Converter to convert any specific value.

Why Internal Temperature Matters More Than Cooking Time

Time-based cooking instructions ("cook for 20 minutes per pound") are imprecise because they depend on starting temperature, oven calibration, pan material, and cut thickness. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat gives you the actual internal temperature — the only reliable indicator of doneness.

Food safety is determined by internal temperature, not color. A burger can be brown inside and still be undercooked. Poultry can appear cooked while the interior is still below safe temperature. An instant-read thermometer removes the guesswork.

Beef: Steak Doneness Temperatures

The internal temperature of beef is a personal preference in most cooking contexts — safe minimum aside. The USDA minimum safe temperature for steaks and roasts is 63°C (145°F) with a 3-minute rest, which corresponds roughly to medium.

Most steak cuts (ribeye, sirloin, strip, tenderloin) are best at medium rare (54–57°C). The muscle fibers are still tender and the fat has rendered sufficiently. Beyond medium, the proteins tighten and moisture is lost.

Ground beef is different. Because grinding distributes any surface bacteria throughout the meat, the USDA minimum for ground beef is 71°C (160°F) — there's no safe "medium rare" for burgers unless the beef was ground from a whole muscle immediately before cooking.

Pork: Modern Guidance vs Old Advice

Older US food safety guidance required pork to reach 77°C (170°F) — which consistently produced dry, overcooked meat. In 2011, the USDA updated the recommendation:

Current USDA safe minimum for whole muscle pork: 63°C (145°F) with a 3-minute rest

At 63°C, pork can still be slightly pink in the center, which surprises many people who grew up with the "no pink" rule. That slight pink is safe — it's a result of the myoglobin in the muscle, not an indication of undercooking.

Slow-cooked cuts like shoulder and ribs need to go well beyond the food safety minimum — around 93–96°C — because that's when the collagen converts to gelatin and the meat becomes tender enough to pull apart.

Poultry: Chicken and Turkey

Poultry guidelines are non-negotiable from a food safety standpoint. Salmonella and other pathogens can be present in raw poultry and require specific temperatures to be destroyed.

Safe minimum for all poultry: 74°C (165°F) — USDA and most international food safety authorities agree on this.

Chicken thighs are more forgiving than breast — they have more fat and connective tissue, so slightly higher temperatures (77–82°C / 170–180°F) actually improve texture rather than drying them out. Many chefs deliberately take thighs to 80°C for better texture.

The "resting" principle: Remove poultry from heat at 71–72°C (160°F) and rest for 5–10 minutes — carryover cooking brings it to 74°C+ safely.

Lamb

Lamb doneness preferences are similar to beef — it's a matter of personal taste, with minimum food safety temperatures applying to ground meat.

USDA minimum for whole muscle lamb: 63°C (145°F) with a 3-minute rest — same as beef and pork. Rack of lamb and leg of lamb are typically served at medium rare (57–60°C) for best texture.

Fish and Seafood

Fish is done when it reaches 63°C (145°F) according to food safety guidelines, but optimal texture for most fish is reached before that.

At 63°C, most fish has a firm, fully cooked texture. Salmon at 52°C has the silky, medium-rare texture preferred in many fine dining contexts. Vulnerable groups (pregnant women, elderly, immunocompromised) should stick to the 63°C safe minimum.

Resting After Cooking: Carryover Temperature

When meat is removed from heat, the internal temperature continues to rise — this is called carryover cooking. The amount of carryover depends on the cooking temperature and size of the meat.

Typical carryover for common cuts:

• Steak (pan-seared or grilled): 3–5°C rise
• Roast chicken: 3–5°C rise
• Large turkey: 5–7°C rise
• Pork shoulder: minimal (already cooked to high temp)

Pull steaks 3°C below target and let them rest for 5 minutes. A steak pulled at 52°C will reach 55–57°C (medium rare) during the rest. This also redistributes juices, which improves moisture in the final slice.

Quick Reference: All Meats in Celsius and Fahrenheit

For converting any temperature in this guide — or any other cooking temperature you encounter — the Temperature Converter handles Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin in both directions.