Internal Meat Temperature Guide
USDA minimum safe temperatures first, then common doneness preferences for whole-muscle cuts like steak.
Use a food thermometer, not time or color. These are USDA-published minimum internal temperatures for food safety. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part, away from bone, is the only reliable way to confirm doneness — color and juice clarity are not reliable safety indicators.
USDA minimum safe internal temperatures
| Food | Minimum temp |
|---|---|
| Poultry (whole, parts, ground) | 165°F (74°C) |
| Ground meats (beef, pork, veal, lamb) | 160°F (71°C) |
| Beef, pork, veal, lamb — steaks, chops, roasts | 145°F (63°C), plus 3-minute rest |
| Fish | 145°F (63°C) |
| Egg dishes | 160°F (71°C) |
| Leftovers & casseroles | 165°F (74°C) |
Beef doneness (whole cuts: steak, roast)
| Doneness | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 120–125°F (49–52°C) |
| Medium-rare | 130–135°F (54–57°C) |
| Medium | 140–145°F (60–63°C) |
| Medium-well | 150–155°F (66–68°C) |
| Well done | 160°F+ (71°C+) |
These reflect common restaurant/steakhouse doneness targets, not a USDA safety recommendation — see the note below on why whole cuts and ground meat are treated differently.
Why steak doneness temperatures run below the "official" 145°F
For whole, intact cuts like steak and roasts, harmful bacteria live almost entirely on the surface, not inside the meat — searing the outside effectively addresses that risk, which is why traditional doneness temperatures for rare and medium-rare exist and are widely served safely. The USDA's 145°F recommendation for whole cuts already includes a safety margin; rare and medium-rare are common culinary choices with an accepted, understood risk profile, not a food-safety violation, provided the cut is genuinely whole muscle and properly seared.
Why ground meat has to be treated completely differently
Grinding meat mixes any surface bacteria throughout the entire mass, not just the outside — that's why ground meat has a higher required minimum temperature (160°F) with no "rare" option, regardless of how a whole cut of the same animal might be safely served. This distinction is the single most important food-safety fact on this page: never apply steak-style doneness thinking to a burger or ground meat dish.
Carryover cooking pushes the temperature up after you pull it
Meat continues cooking from residual heat for several minutes after it leaves the heat source, often rising another 5–10°F depending on the cut's size and thickness — pull meat when it's a few degrees below your actual target temperature and let it rest, rather than cooking all the way to the target on the heat, which tends to overshoot.