What Temp to Cook Chicken to? Safe Chicken Internal Temp

Do you think chicken is fully cooked just because it looks white and firm inside and the juices run out clear? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, as harmful bacteria may still survive. According to statistics, about 600 million people get sick from eating improperly cooked food every year, and many of these incidents are related to undercooked meat, especially chicken. I have cooked thousands of chickens and have never been infected with Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause serious foodborne illness, so I’d like share some tips about how to cook chicken properly with you. Also want to keep your family safe? Then read on this guide to safe internal cooking temperature for chicken. 

What Temperature Should Chicken Be Cooked to?

Unlike beef and pork, chicken turns white when cooked, which can lead many people to mistakenly believe it’s done just because of the color change. However, both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) emphasize the importance of cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

This guideline applies to all cuts of chicken including whole chicken, breasts, thighs, drumsticks, wings and giblets, as well as ground chicken. Reaching the temperature ensures the chicken is safe to eat, because harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter are killed. 

What Are Risks of Undercooked Chicken?

Raw and undercooked chicken contain Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Clostridium perfringens, which can lead to foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning. Initially, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but more more severe cases may include abdominal cramps, fever, and headaches.

These symptoms usually develop within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated chicken and can persist for several days. In severe cases, food poisoning may require hospitalization and, though, rare, can even be fatal. Therefore, it’s important to cook chicken to the internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to eliminate these risks.

Can I Tell If Chicken is Done by Time?

If you rely solely on cooking time to determine if chicken is done, it will usually be undercooked or overcooked. Factors like cooking method and temperature, the size and thickness of the chicken, and even whether the chicken is bone-in all influence how long it takes to cook properly.

Therefore, relying on time alone as a gauge for doneness is equally one-sided and unreliable. The best way to ensure your chicken is cooked through is to check its internal temperature.

How to Measure Chicken Internal Temp?

Using a meat thermometer is the only reliable way to make sure chicken is fully cooked. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone. For boneless chicken breasts, insert the probe horizontally from the side, pushing it deep into the center, while for whole chickens, check the temperature at multiple points, such as the breasts and thighs.

If you are using an instant-read digital thermometer, you’ll need to wait for it to stabilize, but with a wireless thermometer that can be left in the meat, you can simply turn off the heat once the reading shows 165°F (74°C) on your phone.

How to Prevent Cross-Contamination?

In addition to eating raw or undercooked chicken, cross-contamination can also be a cause of Salmonella infection. I’ve got some tips to help you better prevent it:

1. Use dedicated cutting boards and utensils, preferably in different colors, to separate raw meat from fruits, vegetables, and cooked foods.
2. Always clean and sanitize after handling raw chicken. Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds - about the time it takes to hum Happy Birthday twice, and sanitize any surfaces, cutting boards, sinks, and utensils that have come into contact with raw chicken.
3. Store raw chicken properly by keeping it in a separate bag when shopping, and placing it in an airtight container on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent meat juices from leaking onto other foods. 
4. Don’t rinse raw chicken under water, which may seem counterintuitive, but splashing water can spread bacteria to the sink and surrounding surfaces. Instead, wash the chicken in a basin and pat dry with paper towels.

Can Sous Vide Kill Salmonella and Bacteria in Chicken?

The short answer is yes. At the recommended temperature of 165°F (74°C), it only takes a few seconds to kill Salmonella and other bacteria in chicken, making it safe to eat. By comparison, if you cook the chicken at 136°F (58°C), you'll need to cook it for 68 minutes to reach the same safety level, which is nearly impossible with traditional cooking methods.

With a sous vide cooker, however, you can maintain a lower temperature for long enough to kill bacteria, which is also called pasteurization. In the meanwhile, the chicken will stay tender, juicy, and more flavorful. Here’s a time and temperature chart for cooking chicken sous vide: