This Is The Ideal Temperature For Perfectly Cooked Chicken
Chicken might seem like a perfectly easy and simple meal, but there are plenty of pitfalls even the best cooks can make. Ultimately, no one wants overly dry or chewy meat instead of a juicy and tender piece of chicken. Fortunately, you can cook your chicken to the best temperature possible every single time without worry of undercooking it or drying it out so long as you have a meat thermometer.
When taking the internal temperature of the chicken, you need to keep several things in mind. According to The Spruce Eats, there are a couple of different temperatures you need to look for to make sure different parts of the chicken are done. White meat should reach and hold a temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit for a minimum of three minutes while dark meat should do the same at 175 degrees. But to get an accurate reading, you need to make sure the meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of both the breast and the thigh to ensure the chicken is actually cooked through at these temperatures.
This is the temperature you should aim for
While these temperatures are a good starting place for checking the chicken, there is an even simpler way to check the chicken and to ensure it is cooked to perfection. According to MasterClass, the best temperature to indicate a well-cooked chicken is an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a safe place to stop cooking the chicken for both white and dark meat, as it is just about the median temperature of the two types of meat. It's a great solution for those who only have one meat thermometer and can really only get a single accurate reading for the whole bird instead of measuring two different places.
So, the next time you are grilling, pan-frying, or roasting chicken (be it your first or your hundred-and-first time) try checking the temperature of the meat to ensure it is cooked to perfection. You'll likely be pleased with the juicy, tender meat that results from such accurate cooking.