Beef internal temperature and steak doneness chart.
Two different questions. A steak or roast is safe at 145 F with a 3 minute rest, and the Beef Board calls that medium rare. Steakhouses pull medium rare at 130 to 135 F, which is a preference below the USDA minimum. Brisket, chuck and short ribs are a third thing: they go to 195 to 205 F, probe tender, because collagen needs the heat. Ground beef is 160 F, always.
145 F (62.8 C), then rest at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming
Steaks, chops and roasts (whole muscle). Food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, read before removing from the heat source. 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.
160 F (71.1 C)
Ground meat, burgers, sausage mixtures, meat loaf, and organ or variety meats. Food thermometer through the side of a patty to the centre. 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.
One cut? Ground beef internal temp, Tri-tip internal temp.
Beef by cut
| Cut | USDA minimum | Finish | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck | 145 F + 3 min rest | 200 to 205 F, probe tender (craft) | Chuck guide |
| Rib | 145 F + 3 min rest | Your doneness, at or above the minimum | Rib guide |
| Short loin | 145 F + 3 min rest | Your doneness, at or above the minimum | Short loin guide |
| Sirloin | 145 F + 3 min rest | Your doneness, at or above the minimum | Sirloin guide |
| Brisket | 145 F + 3 min rest | 195 to 205 F, probe tender (craft) | Brisket guide |
| Plate | 145 F + 3 min rest | 200 to 205 F, probe tender (craft) | Plate guide |
| Flank | 145 F + 3 min rest | Your doneness, at or above the minimum | Flank guide |
| Round | 145 F + 3 min rest | Your doneness, at or above the minimum | Round guide |
| Shank | 145 F + 3 min rest | 200 to 205 F, probe tender (craft) | Shank guide |
The tough cuts go higher
195 to 205 F, probe tender
Brisket commonly becomes tender between 195 and 205 F, but the number is a checkpoint. It is done when a probe enters the flat with very little resistance. Texas A&M Meat Science puts the collagen-to-gelatin conversion at an internal temperature of 185 to 195 F; backyard convention runs about 10 degrees higher because the flat keeps tightening until the last of it lets go. 203 F is a useful place to start checking, not a guaranteed endpoint.
Pit 225 to 250 F. roughly 1 to 1.5 hours per pound at 225 to 250 F; 10 to 16 hours for a whole packer. Approximate. Rest: 1 to 2 hours wrapped, held above 140 F. A long hold in a cooler or warm oven is craft practice for slicing and juiciness; it is not the 3 minute safety rest and it must stay above 140 F.
200 to 205 F, probe tender
Chuck and short ribs follow brisket logic: pull when probe tender, commonly 200 to 205 F. The Beef Board describes chuck short ribs as tender when slow-cooked and brisket as a low-and-slow primal because it is a working muscle.
Pit 250 to 275 F. chuck roast roughly 1.5 hours per pound; plate short ribs 6 to 8 hours at 250 to 275 F. Approximate. Rest: 30 to 60 minutes.
Preference, with the minimum printed beside it
beef industry
Steaks and roasts, final temperature after rest. Culinary preference, as published by the industry body cited below.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 145 F, rest at least 3 minutes | At or above the minimum. |
| Medium | 160 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 170 F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Roasts rise 5 to 15 F after leaving the heat; allow 15 to 20 minutes standing time.
beef convention
Steaks, steakhouse and pitmaster convention, pull temperatures. Culinary preference, barbecue convention.
| Doneness | Internal temp | Vs. USDA 145 F |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120 to 125 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium rare | 130 to 135 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium | 140 to 145 F | Below the minimum. Preference, not safety. |
| Medium well | 150 to 155 F | At or above the minimum. |
| Well done | 160+ F | At or above the minimum. |
Carryover: Craft convention: 5 to 10 F rise on a steak during a 5 to 10 minute rest.
Rare, medium-rare and medium figures are culinary preference ranges that fall below the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145 F with a 3 minute rest. USDA does not consider them safe. Where the two differ, the USDA minimum governs.
Where the thermometer goes
Steaks: through the side to the centre, not touching bone or fat. Roasts: thickest part, checked in more than one place. Brisket: the thickest part of the flat, and feel matters more than the number.
- The danger zone. Bacteria grow fastest between 40 F and 140 F, doubling in as little as 20 minutes. Never leave food out of refrigeration more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the air is above 90 F. Hold hot food at or above 140 F and cold food at or below 40 F.
- Where the probe goes. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food, not touching bone, fat or gristle. For thin foods insert through the side. Check large or irregular pieces in several places. For a whole bird check the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
- Colour is not doneness. Appearance and colour are not reliable indicators of safety or doneness. A burger can be brown and unsafe or pink and safe. Pork at 145 F can be pink. Smoked chicken can stay pink at the bone at 165 F.
- The 3 minute rest is part of the 145 F rule. For whole-muscle beef, pork, lamb, goat and veal the safety rule is 145 F AND a rest of at least 3 minutes before carving or eating. The rest is not optional and it is not the same thing as the long barbecue rest.
Cook it, then log it
The beef cut guide has every region, the woods and the mistakes. The full temperature chart has every animal and every source.