Chicken when is it cooked

Using a food thermometer is the only sure way of knowing if your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria. A whole chicken must reach this temperature throughout the bird.

Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook poultry to higher temperatures. For approximate cooking times for chicken, go to Chicken from Farm to Table. Related Information Title. URL Name. An official website of the United States government. Have a Question? How long can you keep cooked chicken?

Information Knowledge Article. Related Information Title. URL Name. Related Articles How long can you freeze chicken? How long can you keep cooked pork? Calibrate your thermometer by reading a freezing temperature. Fill a large pitcher with ice and cold tap water, and mix thoroughly until the ice is distributed evenly. No matter what kind of thermometer you are using, making sure it is calibrated correctly is essential to ensure you get an accurate temperature reading.

Find the thickest part of the chicken. Testing the temperature of the thickest part of the meat ensures that your entire piece of chicken is cooked, and not just the thin portions. Identify which area of the chicken has the most meat on it, usually toward the center of the piece. Insert your thermometer. Stab your thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, making sure that the end of the thermometer stays near the middle of the piece.

Wait about 30 seconds, or until your thermometer reading becomes steady. If it is under these temperatures, it needs more cooking time. Did you make this recipe? Leave a review. Method 2. Test the firmness of the meat to make sure it is cooked.

When cooking, chicken loses moisture and will tighten up. Raw chicken feels rubbery or wobbly, while cooked chicken should feel firm and spring back from your touch. A good example of what cooked chicken should feel like can be felt by keeping your hand limp and pressing your middle finger to your thumb. While cooking, there is often juice that collects in the pan or dish that your chicken is cooking in.

Food thermometers are available at most grocery stores in various formats and price ranges. Use our chart to make sure that your chicken is cooked to perfection every time. Download PDF.