Chicken cuts.
Every part of a chicken, including ground chicken and stuffing, is safe at 165 F, checked in the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest breast. No rest is required by USDA. Pink meat near the bone can persist at 165 F, especially on smoked young birds, and is not a sign of danger.
Tap a region on the diagram, or use the list below.
Six regions, matching master chicken-B (whose diagram labels all six correctly; chicken-A omits the thigh callout on the bird). USDA FSIS names the parts it regulates as breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing.
Pick a region
- 01
Breast
Lean white meat. 165 F is both the safety minimum and the practical ceiling; past it, it dries.
Tenderness 3/5. Richness 1/5. Grill.
- 02
Wing
Drumette, flat and tip. Skin and fat make it forgiving; the skin needs high heat to crisp.
Tenderness 4/5. Richness 4/5. Smoke then crisp.
- 03
Thigh
Dark meat, juicy, forgiving. Safe at 165 F; most cooks prefer it at 175 F or higher, where the connective tissue renders.
Tenderness 4/5. Richness 4/5. Smoke.
- 04
Drumstick
The lower leg. Dark, rich, a handle built in. Same rules as the thigh.
Tenderness 3/5. Richness 3/5. Smoke.
- 05
Back
The backbone and frame. Little meat, deep flavour: stock, and the piece you remove to spatchcock.
Tenderness 2/5. Richness 3/5. Simmer (stock).
- 06
Tail
The parson's nose. A small, fatty morsel; smoked, it is a cook's treat, or it goes in the stockpot.
Tenderness 3/5. Richness 5/5. Smoke (on the bird).
Safe first. Then done.
165 F (73.9 C)
Breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets and stuffing. For a whole bird, check the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. This is a food safety floor, not a preference. Where any other number on this page is lower, this one governs.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, page updated 2025-04-14, read 2026-09-02.
chicken dark meat preference
Thighs, drumsticks and whole legs. Culinary preference, barbecue convention.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 165 F |
|---|---|---|
| Safe minimum (all chicken) | 165 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Dark meat, rendered and tender | 175 to 185 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Pulled or shredded | 190 to 205 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: A whole bird rises several degrees during a 10 minute rest; the rest is for juiciness, USDA requires none.
Collagen cuts do not use a doneness scale. They cook to a tenderness window, shown on each cut page and on the chicken temperature page.
What to burn under chicken
| Wood | Strength | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | mild | Sweet, fruity, gentle. Builds slowly; forgiving on poultry and pork. |
| Cherry | mild | Fruity, mild, and it colours the meat a deep mahogany. Pairs with almost everything. |
| Pecan | medium | Nutty, warm, slightly sweet. A softer relative of hickory. |
| Maple | mild | Soft, sweet, subtle. Good with pork, poultry, ham and vegetables. |