Safe Cooking Temperatures

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Never, NEVER keep meat, dairy or seafood for a prolonged period in temperatures between 40° and 140°.  Leaving them in this “danger zone" can cause exponential bacterial growth and sickness!

This includes prep time!

 

Beef, Bison, Lamb and Goat Steaks, roasts, chops 

145°F (for rare)
Rest time: 3 minutes


Ground meat and sausage 

160°F 


Casseroles Meat and meatless 165°F 


Chicken, turkey, and other
poultry
All: whole bird, breasts, legs,
thighs, wings, ground poultry,
giblets, sausage, and stuffing
inside poultry
165°F 


Eggs 

Raw eggs Cook until yolk and white are firm


Egg dishes (such as frittata,
quiche)
160°F 


Casseroles (containing meat
and poultry)
165°F 


Ham 

Raw ham 155°F 
Rest time: 10 minutes
Precooked ham (to reheat) 

165°F 
 

Leftovers Any type 

165°F 


Pork Steaks, roasts, chops 

150°F 
Rest time: 5 minutes


Ground meat and sausage 160°F 
Rabbit and venison Wild or farm-raised 

160°F 


Seafood Fish (whole or filet), such as
salmon, tuna, tilapia, pollock,
bass, cod, catfish, trout, etc.
145°F  

or cook until flesh is no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork


Shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops
Cook until flesh is pearly or
white, and opaque


Clams, oysters, mussels Cook until shells open during cooking