Meat Doneness Temperatures

When first starting out cooking on a grill, or when cooking a new piece of meat for the first time it can be handy to use digital thermometer.  Eventually for normal cuts of meat, you can use your experience, a watch or timer, and your finger to gauge the doneness.  For larger cuts of meat, it is best to use an instant read thermometer to avoid over or under cooking.  Remember the meat will continue to cook and will rise 5 to 10 degrees while resting after removing it from the flame.  Make sure to account for this by removing the meat before it reaches the desired doneness.

Above all else remember, NEVER cut into the meat on the grill to check doneness.  You will release all of those wonderful juices.  Practice makes perfect, so head on over to our grilled steak recipes or any of our other simple grilled recipes and just err on the side of rare until you get it right.  You can always throw the meat back on the grill, but you can’t reverse overcooking.

Got an iPhone or iPod?  Click here to visit our FREE meat doneness temperature app on the app store!

Temperatures for grilled meat
Beef and Lamb		Rare: 130ºF
		Medium-Rare: 130º to 140ºF
		Medium: 140º to 155ºF
		Medium-Well: 155º to 165ºF
		Well: 170ºF and up
Veal		Medium: 145º to 155ºF
Pork (like grilled pork chops)		Medium: 140º to 155ºF
		Medium-well: 155º to 165ºF
		Well-Done: 175º to 185ºF
Grilled Chicken and Turkey		Dark meat (thigh, leg): 170º to 175ºF
		White meat (breast, wing): 160º to 165ºF
Fish		Medium-rare: 120ºF
		Medium: 135ºF