What Temperature Should Chicken Be? This Is the Correct Internal Temperature

Chicken is the most popular meat in the United States. It’s a rich source of protein, and as a white meat, it’s a leaner choice. It’s also incredibly versatile—chicken recipes range from crispy sandwiches to spicy wings.

While it can be a nutritious and delicious food, chicken is also a common culprit of foodborne illness (aka food poisoning). Roughly one million Americans get sick each year from eating contaminated poultry, which includes chicken and other birds.

We’ve all had questionable encounters with chicken. Whether it’s been in the fridge too long or still has a pink center, mishandling undercooked chicken can make you sick. Specifically, raw chicken can be contaminated with bacteria like salmonella. In fact, about one in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store is contaminated with salmonella. So, how do you pick one? Contaminated chicken looks the same as chicken that isn’t contaminated. It can also smell and taste completely normal, so it still has the potential to make you sick with symptoms similar to the flu.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce your risk of foodborne illness from chicken. Some basic practices include washing your hands, using clean plastic cutting boards, and cooking chicken within a day or two of buying it. Additionally, one of the most important aspects of handling chicken is cooking it to the right internal temperature. At high temperatures, salmonella bacteria and other pathogens are destroyed. Here’s what you need to know about safely preparing chicken.

What Temperature Should Chicken Be? 

Temperatures—both cold and hot—play a large role in handling chicken safely. From the grocery store to your dinner plate, chicken should be stored at and cooked to certain temperatures.

When you buy raw chicken from the grocery store, aim to get it home and in your refrigerator or freezer as quickly as possible. When raw chicken is left out at room temperature for too long, it can enter what the USDA calls the “danger zone.” Bacteria can rapidly grow between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so avoid leaving out raw chicken for more than two hours. When it’s warm out, it’s best to avoid leaving it out for longer than one hour, the USDA notes. Once home, pop your raw chicken in the fridge at 40 degrees, where it will be safe for up to two days. Or, store it in the freezer at 0 degrees for up to a year.

Storing raw chicken at cold (or freezing) temperatures slows the growth of bacteria, but cooking it to a high internal temperature kills it. Regardless of what method you choose to cook chicken—grilling, roasting, pan searing, etc.—all chicken must reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees before it’s safe to eat. Bacteria that can cause food poisoning can’t survive at this temperature, so you need to ensure your chicken is thoroughly cooked all the way through. This applies to all poultry and every part of the bird, including both white and dark meat.

How to Take a Chicken’s Temperature

The best way to know when chicken is fully cooked and safe to eat is to check the temperature with a meat thermometer. There are many different types of food thermometers, and the proper ways to use them may vary. However, the goal is the same—identify that chicken is done and safe to eat by cooking it until it reaches 165 degrees.

To use a food thermometer, insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken, ideally away from any fat or bones, per the USDA. Some thermometers measure the temperature within a few seconds, while others take up to 20 seconds to register. Different thermometers have different ways of indicating the temperature. Some have digital displays that clearly state the temperature, while others flash indicator lights. No matter how your thermometer works, you’ll know your chicken is safe to eat when it indicates the internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees.

As with any tools in your kitchen, don’t forget to properly clean your food thermometer after each use. Cleaning methods may vary, so check the manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, you can wash it with warm, soapy water. Just be sure you don’t submerge the thermometer under water, as this can affect its reading.

It’s also important to ensure that your thermometer is accurate. To do so, you may need to calibrate it using an ice bath or boiling water. While restaurants do this on a daily or weekly basis, home chefs don’t need to calibrate their thermometers nearly as often. 

How to Know When Chicken Is Done

The only way to guarantee your chicken is thoroughly cooked is by using a food thermometer, according to the USDA. Looking at chicken isn’t always reliable because the thicker parts of the meat cook slower, so it may cook unevenly. 

If you don’t have a meat thermometer, there are some signs to look out for. As the chicken cooks, the pink flesh will become white on the outside. Chicken also shrinks as it cooks, so it will appear smaller. While no one wants dry chicken, you also want to avoid certain juices. If you cut into cooked chicken and the juices run pink, it’s not done yet. Fully cooked chicken will have clear juices. To know if your chicken is done, cut into the thickest part. If it’s white and the juices are clear, it’s likely fully cooked.

Using a food thermometer requires you to purchase yet another kitchen gadget, and it’s an extra step. But it’s worth it to make sure your chicken is cooked to a safe temperature.