Safe internal temperatures for meat and fish

Look up the USDA safe minimum internal temperature and required rest time for whole cuts, ground meat, poultry, or fish.

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ToolMeat Temperature Chart
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How it works

Each food category maps directly to the USDA FSIS Fahrenheit threshold and its rounded Celsius equivalent. Whole beef, pork, and lamb also retain the required three-minute rest; subjective doneness targets and generic carry-over deductions are excluded.

Formula
°C = (°F − 32) × 5 ÷ 9
  • Food category is required because grinding and poultry change the minimum.
  • The display follows USDA FSIS rather than mixing standards from different authorities.

Worked example

Beef
Every level with the safe minimum
Input
											whole beef, pork or lamb
Output
												Safe minimum: 63C / 145F
Rest minutes: 3
Measurement note: Measure the thickest part away from bone, fat and gristle.

When to use this

Roasts use the whole-cut row, burgers and sausages use the ground-meat row, and poultry, stuffing, and fish use their distinct USDA categories.

Edge cases

  • Ground beef at 63°C does not meet the USDA 71°C ground-meat minimum even though 63°C applies to whole beef with rest.
  • Whole beef, pork, and lamb require three minutes after reaching 63°C; poultry uses 74°C without substituting that whole-cut rest rule.
  • Colour and grill marks are not safety measurements; insert a thermometer into the thickest part away from bone, fat, and gristle.

References