USDA Safe Internal Temperatures — Full Reference Table
All temperatures are at the thickest part of the meat, away from bone. Add 2–5°C for carryover during resting.
| Meat | Doneness | °C | °F | Rest time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | Rare | 52°C | 125°F | 3 min |
| Medium-Rare | 57°C | 135°F | 5 min | |
| Medium | 63°C | 145°F | 10 min | |
| Well Done | 71°C | 160°F | 15 min | |
| Lamb | Rare | 52°C | 125°F | 5 min |
| Medium-Rare | 57°C | 135°F | 10 min | |
| Medium | 63°C | 145°F | 15 min | |
| Well Done | 71°C | 160°F | 15 min | |
| Pork | Safe minimum | 63°C | 145°F | 3 min |
| Well Done | 71°C | 160°F | 3 min | |
| Pulled pork | 90–95°C | 195–203°F | 30 min | |
| Chicken / Turkey | Safe (all) | 74°C | 165°F | 10 min |
| Gammon / Ham | Safe minimum | 71°C | 160°F | 10 min |
Why Internal Temperature Is the Only Reliable Doneness Test
Colour, juices and cooking time are unreliable indicators of doneness. A chicken can appear fully cooked while the centre is still below the safe temperature. A thick beef joint may look pink at 71°C well-done. Only a calibrated thermometer gives a definitive answer.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and USDA both define food safety by internal temperature — not time, not colour, not whether juices run clear. A chicken thigh showing clear juices but reading 68°C is not safe; one showing slightly pink juices at 74°C is.
Where to Insert the Thermometer
- Roasting joints: deepest part of the thickest section, parallel to the bone but not touching it
- Whole chicken: inner thigh, near the breast — the last part to reach temperature
- Thick steaks: horizontal from the side, tip centred in the meat
- Rolled joints: through the side to the geometric centre
Carryover Cooking — Why You Pull Early
After removing meat from the oven, residual heat continues raising the internal temperature by 2–5°C over 5–15 minutes. For medium-rare beef at a target of 57°C, pull the joint at 52–54°C and rest for 10 minutes. This is not optional — it's how professional kitchens achieve consistent results.
Source: USDA FSIS, UK Food Standards Agency · Calcul déterministe — aucune IA, aucune estimation arbitraire
Constants Used in This Checker
| Constant | Value (°C) | Value (°F) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef rare | 52°C | 125°F | USDA FSIS 2024 |
| Beef / Lamb / Pork medium (safe) | 63°C | 145°F | USDA FSIS 2011 update |
| Beef / Lamb well done | 71°C | 160°F | USDA FSIS 2024 |
| Poultry safe (all) | 74°C | 165°F | USDA FSIS / FSA UK |
| Carryover rise (average) | +3°C | +5°F | Culinary Institute reference |
| °C → °F conversion | – | (°C × 9/5) + 32 | SI standard |
Doneness Classification Formula
temp_c = unit === 'F' ? (reading − 32) × 5/9 : reading
— Beef & Lamb thresholds (°C) —
RARE = temp_c < 55 // <52°C = underdone; 52–54°C = rare
MEDIUM_RARE = temp_c < 60
MEDIUM = temp_c < 66
WELL_DONE = temp_c >= 66
— Poultry — single safe threshold —
SAFE = temp_c >= 74 // FSA UK + USDA: 74°C / 165°F mandatory
— Pork —
SAFE = temp_c >= 63 // USDA 2011: reduced from 71°C to 63°C + 3 min rest
— Carryover —
pull_temp = target_temp_c − 3 // Pull 3°C early; rest raises to target
Deterministic classification based on official USDA FSIS and UK FSA temperature thresholds. Always verify food safety with a calibrated thermometer.
From Temperature to Timing — The Next Step
This guide tells you whether the meat you're cooking right now is done. But the harder question comes before the roast goes in: how long will it take to reach the right temperature?
A 2.5 kg leg of lamb at medium (63°C) takes a different amount of time than a 1 kg lamb shoulder at the same target. Oven type, starting temperature, bone-in vs boneless — all of these change the calculation. Rather than guessing or using a single generic "20 minutes per kg" rule that ignores doneness entirely, a dedicated calculator factors in all of these variables from the start.
CookingMeatCalculator.com covers five meat types and over 25 specific cuts — including weight-by-weight breakdowns for whole chicken, leg of lamb, pork shoulder, silverside, topside and gammon. Here's when it's most useful:
- Planning a roast dinner: enter the joint weight → get the exact start time to serve at a specific hour
- Cooking from frozen or fridge-cold: adjust starting temperature for accurate timing
- Fan vs conventional oven: the calculator accounts for the ~20°C difference between oven types
- Multiple doneness levels: for beef and lamb, choose rare / medium-rare / medium / well done — each gives a different cooking time
- Checking if a cut you've never cooked before: spatchcock chicken, pork belly, rack of lamb — individual cut pages with specific guidance
The calculator covers UK roasting conventions (°C, kg) and US conventions (°F, lbs) and cites USDA/FSA sources for every internal temperature target — the same sources used in this guide.
Calculate Roasting Time →
Frequently Asked Questions
74°C (165°F) for all poultry. Check the inner thigh, away from the bone — it's the last part to reach temperature. At 74°C, Salmonella and Campylobacter are fully destroyed.
57–60°C (135–140°F). Remove from the oven at 52–54°C and rest for 10 minutes — carryover heat will raise it to the target. The centre will be pink, warm and slightly firm.
The FSA recommends 75°C for pork to be safe. The USDA reduced their minimum to 63°C with a 3-minute rest in 2011. For pulled pork (shoulder), cook to 90–95°C to break down collagen for that tender texture.
Yes — by 2–5°C for most joints. This is called carryover cooking. Always pull the meat 3–5°C below your target temperature and allow 10–20 minutes rest for large roasts. The temperature will equalise across the joint during resting.
Insert the probe into the thickest part of the inner thigh, close to but not touching the bone. Do not check the breast — it reaches temperature faster and will give a falsely reassuring reading. The thigh must reach 74°C before the bird is safe.
Medium lamb is 63°C (145°F). Rare lamb is 52°C, medium-rare 57°C, and well done 71°C. For a leg of lamb, most UK recipes target medium (63°C) with a 15–20 minute rest before carving.
Dial (bimetal) thermometers are accurate but slow — allow 15–20 seconds to stabilise. They should be calibrated regularly in ice water (0°C / 32°F). Digital instant-read thermometers are faster (2–5 seconds) and generally more accurate for oven use.