Cooking & food safety
How to check that chicken, burgers and other meat are cooked safely
A source-led UK and US guide to using a food thermometer, applying country-specific temperatures and understanding the limited role of visual checks.
Direct answer
Use a clean thermometer and check the centre
For chicken, burgers, sausages and pork, cook the food thoroughly. Where you have a thermometer, follow the country-specific guidance: Food Standards Agency guidance includes 70°C for 2 minutes or 75°C for 30 seconds, NHS Inform gives 75°C for several foods and US guidance sets food-specific minimum temperatures.[1] [2] [3]
Do not use colour alone as a universal safety test. A whole beef or lamb steak is not the same as a burger. Check the food type, the country guidance and the package instructions before deciding.
Key Takeaways
Six cooking checks that matter
- Use a clean food thermometer when you can. Check the centre or thickest part rather than the surface.
- For England, Northern Ireland and Wales, FSA gives 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent time-temperature combinations including 75°C for 30 seconds.
- NHS Inform says chicken, duck, pork and offal should reach 75°C in Scotland.
- In the United States, whole beef, pork, veal and lamb cuts are 145°F / 63°C plus a 3-minute rest. Ground meat is 160°F / 71°C and poultry is 165°F / 74°C.
- Burgers, sausages and other minced or skewered meat need cooking all the way through under the UK guidance used here.
- When a thermometer is not available, use the specific visual checks given by the applicable UK guidance. Do not treat colour or grill marks as a universal safety test.
Practical cooking check
Work through your cooking checks
Tick a step only after you have completed it. The checklist helps organise the official guidance in this guide. It does not confirm that food is safe to eat.
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What official guidance says
Food Standards Agency guidance for England, Northern Ireland and Wales says the middle of food should reach 70°C for 2 minutes or an equivalent time-temperature combination. It also says to use a clean thermometer where possible. When there is no thermometer, its visual checks include steam through the middle and, for chicken, no pink meat with clear juices.[1]
NHS Inform guidance for Scotland says chicken, duck, pork and offal should reach a core temperature of 75°C. It says burgers and sausages should be cooked all the way through. It gives no pink meat, clear juices and steaming heat as checks when a thermometer is not available.[2]
FoodSafety.gov and USDA FSIS say US readers should use a thermometer because appearance and colour are not reliable indicators of safety. Their chart separates whole cuts from ground meat and poultry. That difference matters when deciding whether food can be served pink.[3] [4]
UK and US cooking checks compared
| Food | England, Northern Ireland and Wales | Scotland | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, turkey, duck and other poultry | Cook through. FSA gives 70°C for 2 minutes or 75°C for 30 seconds. Without a thermometer, check the thickest part for steam, no pink meat and clear juices. | 75°C at the core. No pink meat, clear juices and steaming hot throughout if no thermometer is available. | 165°F / 74°C. Check the thickest area away from bone. |
| Burgers, sausages and other minced meat | Cook all the way through. Burgers should not be served rare or pink at home. | Cook burgers and sausages all the way through. | 160°F / 71°C for ground meat and sausage. |
| Whole beef, lamb, veal or pork steaks, chops and roasts | Whole cuts other than poultry and pork may be pink if the outside is properly seared. Follow product instructions. | Beef and lamb steaks and whole joints may be rare if the outside is properly cooked. Pork must be cooked through. | 145°F / 63°C plus a 3-minute rest for whole beef, pork, veal and lamb cuts. |
| Fish | Fish flesh should turn opaque and separate easily with a fork. | 63°C or opaque flesh that flakes easily. | 145°F / 63°C or flesh is no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork. |
Why the advice differs
The sources use different formats. Food Standards Agency guidance gives equivalent time-temperature combinations. NHS Inform gives a simple 75°C household benchmark for several foods. US sources set a minimum temperature and rest time for each food category. Do not turn one source into another country’s universal instruction.
How to use a food thermometer
Start with a clean probe. Food Standards Agency guidance says to clean the thermometer after each use. USDA says the reading is useful only when the probe is in the right place. Put it in the thickest part or centre, away from bone, fat and gristle.[1] [4]
For a thin burger, sausage, pork chop or chicken breast, USDA says to insert the probe from the side so the sensing area reaches the centre. For a whole bird, check more than one place. USDA names the innermost thigh, innermost wing and thickest part of the breast. Check the thermometer manufacturer’s instructions for its sensing area and cleaning method.[4]
When visual checks help and when they do not
Visual checks are useful where the official guidance describes them. Food Standards Agency and NHS Inform guidance says that when a thermometer is not available, poultry should be checked in the thickest part for no pink meat, clear juices and steam through the middle. Use those checks together rather than relying on one sign.[1] [2]
USDA is more explicit: colour, firmness and grill marks are not reliable indicators that food has reached a safe internal temperature. A brown burger may still be undercooked. A thermometer measurement at the centre is the reliable US check.[4]
The meat type changes the decision
Poultry and pork
Poultry and pork need cooking all the way through in the UK guidance used here. Use a thermometer if possible. Do not use a pink centre as a personal judgement call. Follow the package instructions where they are more specific.[1] [2]
Burgers, sausages and minced meat
Burgers, sausages, kebabs, rolled joints and other minced or skewered meat need cooking throughout because bacteria on the outside can be moved into the middle during preparation. Food Standards Agency guidance says burgers should not be served rare or pink at home. In the US, ground meat and sausage need 160°F / 71°C.[1] [3]
Whole steaks and joints
A whole beef or lamb steak is not the same as a burger. Food Standards Agency guidance explains that bacteria on a whole cut are normally on the outside. A whole cut other than poultry or pork can be served pink if its outside is properly seared. This does not apply to minced meat, burgers, skewered meat, rolled joints, poultry or pork.[1]
A simple cooking sequence
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify the food | Decide whether it is poultry, pork, ground meat, a whole cut or fish. | The safe instruction can change with the food type. |
| 2. Follow the label | Use the package or recipe instructions where they are more specific. | Cooking time depends on the portion, appliance and starting condition. |
| 3. Check the centre | Use a clean thermometer in the thickest or centre part. Avoid bone, fat and gristle. | The outside may heat before the middle. |
| 4. Apply the country rule | Use the UK or US time, temperature and rest-time advice that applies to you. | It avoids blending different official approaches into one rule. |
Who should be especially cautious?
Take particular care when cooking for young children, older people, pregnant people or someone with a weakened immune system. This is a public-information guide. It does not replace medical, dietary or professional food-safety advice for an individual situation.
Practical conclusion
The simplest safe habit is to use a clean thermometer and check the centre of the food. Follow the country-specific number and rest time for the food you are cooking. If you do not have a thermometer, use the visual checks the applicable UK guidance gives for that food. Do not use one pink-centre rule for every kind of meat.
For connected food-safety questions, read how to store raw meat safely in the fridge, how to thaw frozen food safely, how to cool and reheat cooked food safely and how to clean after a recalled food or raw-meat leak.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to check that chicken, burgers and other meat are cooked safely FAQs
Can a burger be pink in the middle?
Food Standards Agency guidance says burgers should not be served rare or pink at home. In the United States, ground meat and sausage should reach 160°F / 71°C at the centre.
Can clear juices tell me chicken is safe?
Food Standards Agency and NHS Inform guidance use clear juices, no pink meat and steam throughout as a combination of visual checks when no thermometer is available. A clean thermometer gives the clearest measurement.
Where should I put a thermometer in a burger?
USDA says to insert the probe from the side of a thin burger so the sensing area reaches the centre.
Why does a steak have a different rule from a burger?
Bacteria on a whole cut are normally on the outside. Minced or skewered meat can move bacteria through the middle. Food Standards Agency guidance therefore says burgers and other minced meat need cooking all the way through.
Do I need to rest meat after cooking?
FoodSafety.gov specifies a 3-minute rest for whole beef, pork, veal and lamb steaks, chops and roasts after they reach 145°F / 63°C. Follow the applicable source and product instructions.
References
Official sources
England, Northern Ireland and Wales source · 1
Food Standards Agency - Cooking your foodReviewed 5 October 2026
Scotland source · 2
NHS Inform - Preparing and cooking food safelyReviewed 5 October 2026
United States source · 3
FoodSafety.gov - Safe Minimum Internal TemperaturesReviewed 5 October 2026
United States source · 4
USDA FSIS - Food ThermometersReviewed 5 October 2026
RecallBite editorial note: RecallBite is an independent aggregator of public official information. It is not a regulator or medical provider. This guide cannot assess a particular food from a description, smell or appearance. Check the linked official source and follow current package instructions and official notices.