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Safe cooking temperatures: the USDA chart and two thermometers
The USDA minimum internal temperatures for poultry, beef, pork, fish, eggs and leftovers on one page, plus current Amazon listings for two instant-read thermometers.
Quick answer: Cook poultry and leftovers to 165 degrees F, ground meats and egg dishes to 160, whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal to 145 with a three-minute rest, and fish to 145, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part. That is the USDA's chart; a fast instant-read thermometer makes it easy to follow.
At a glance
- ONE PAGE, ONE SOURCE – every number here comes from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service's Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (last updated April 2025).
- MEASURE, DO NOT GUESS – the USDA's rule is to check doneness with a food thermometer, not by eye.
- TWO CURRENT PRODUCTS – the linked Amazon listings are for the ThermoPop 2 and Thermapen ONE; we have not tested either unit.
- BIGGER DISPLAY OR LOWER COST – the trade-off is mostly display size, speed and warranty.
- POST-READY – the carousel puts the chart on six slides.
The USDA minimum internal temperatures
| Food | Minimum internal temperature |
|---|---|
| Beef, pork, veal and lamb steaks, chops and roasts | 145 degrees F and rest for at least 3 minutes |
| Ground meats | 160 degrees F |
| All poultry and ground poultry | 165 degrees F |
| Eggs | 160 degrees F |
| Fish and shellfish | 145 degrees F |
| Leftovers and casseroles | 165 degrees F |
The USDA says to cook food to these minimum temperatures, as measured with a food thermometer, before removing it from the heat source; you may choose higher temperatures for personal preference.
How to measure well
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the food, away from bone and fat, and wait for the number to settle. Clean the probe between raw and cooked foods. The USDA says a thermometer is the reliable way to verify the temperature.
Carousel kit: ready to post
Download each slide as a 1080 x 1350 image: slide 1, slide 2, slide 3, slide 4, slide 5, slide 6.
The kit fits TikTok photo mode (up to 35 images, title up to 90 characters) and an Instagram carousel (up to 10 images, caption up to 2,200 characters and up to 30 hashtags).
SellPix Social is not currently enrolled in Amazon Associates. These are standard Amazon.com product links; we do not earn commissions from them. The USDA safe temperature chart on six slides. Save it for dinner. #foodsafety #cookingtips #kitchenhacks #meatthermometer
Two current thermometers
ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 — Best Value Instant Read Thermometer (Dove Grey)
A compact instant-read thermometer with a backlit, auto-rotating display, IP67 body and NIST-traceable calibration certificate.
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer (Cayenne Pepper Red)
A folding-probe instant-read thermometer with a 360-degree auto-rotating display, backlight, motion wake and an included calibration certificate.
| ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 | ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE | |
|---|---|---|
| Read time (maker/listing) | 2–3 seconds | 1 second |
| Accuracy (maker/listing) | ±1 degree F | ±0.5 degree F |
| Display/body | Auto-rotating backlit display; IP67 | Auto-rotating backlit display; IP67 |
| Other listed features | NIST-traceable certificate | Motion wake, NIST-traceable certificate, five-year warranty |
America's Test Kitchen named the ThermoPop 2 its best inexpensive option in the cited thermometer review. The Thermapen ONE figures above come from its current listing and maker claims; this article is not a side-by-side test.
FAQ
What temperature should chicken reach?
165 degrees F, according to the USDA, measured in the thickest part.
What is the safe temperature for steak?
145 degrees F followed by a rest of at least three minutes for steaks, chops and roasts of beef, pork, veal and lamb.
Can I judge doneness by looking at the meat?
The USDA's guidance is to measure with a food thermometer, which is why its chart is written in temperatures.
Do I need an expensive thermometer?
Not necessarily. The ThermoPop 2 listing gives a 2–3 second read time; the Thermapen ONE listing gives one second. These are maker/listing specifications, not our comparative test results.
How we researched this
We did not buy or test these products. This guide is a research summary: product facts come from the Amazon listings and the makers' pages (read on 2026-10-09), and anything we call "tested" is credited to the person or publication that tested it. Prices, ratings and stock are not shown because they change daily; check the Amazon page. The temperature table is reproduced from the USDA chart; check the chart for updates.
Sources
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