Chicken Temperature

[paulraphael]

Just a quick survey to see what temp people like to cook their roasted chicken to.

I used to pull it out of the oven when a thermometer stuck between the thigh and breast read 155 to 160 ... then let it rest under a loose foil tent for 10 minutes or so. I forget what temp it would rise to, and it's actully been a long time since I've used a thermometer at all.

I do know I like it somewhere between what the government recommends (incinerated) and what James Peterson recommends (still flapping its wings).

I'm especially curious what people think the ideal temperatures are for the white meat and the dark meat separately.

(I like to cover the breast meat with foil for the first several minutes of cooking so I can control the two separately)

Edited January 17, 2007 by paulraphael (log)

[tino27]

When I cook chicken breasts by themselves, I cook them to 160 deg F and then let rest for about 5 minutes. They usually only go up another 5 or 6 deg F.

When I do entire chickens (4 pounders), I let it go until the breast meat is 165 deg F. By the time it has rested about 10-15 minutes, the temperature has usually gone up to 172-173 deg F.

I found that when cooking whole chicken until the breast meat was 160 deg F, sometimes the thighs would not be cooked enough. And the extra 5 degrees doesn't seem to affect the juiciness that much.

[Luckylies]

holy schamole!

I cook my chix breast to 155 and then rest..

and my thight to 160 then rest...

at work we reccomend...INCINERATE!!!!!!!!

JUST KIDDING...

160. WHITE 165. DARK.

[Chris Amirault]

Thigh to 160F -- but I'm partial to the drumstick bone twist myself.

[KensethFan]

Breast 155, Thigh 160. Rest. Should come to 160 for breast and 165 for thigh after rest.

[russ parsons]

since practically speaking you can't specify temp for both breast and thigh, i cook until the thigh is about 155 to 160. that's measured deep near the joint. it's sometimes slightly pink, but not bad.

[jackal10]

140F/60C for at least 15 mins as per the FDA specification.

Hotter, like the 155F quoted above is overcooked and leads to dry tough meat.

[paulraphael]

140F/60C for at least 15 mins as per the FDA specification.

Hotter, like the 155F quoted above is overcooked and leads to dry tough meat.

←

I've tried this a couple of times. James Peterson recommends taking out of the overn at 140 or 145 at the thickest point--my friends and I were thoroughly grossed out by the results!

It's possible that these are primitive American tastes (like old people who like their steaks burnt to a crisp) but we couldn't get into that pink, translucent, slippery meat. I don't think there are any safety issues with medium rare poultry ... just gag issues. If you like it, go for it. Personally, I need to feel a cooked texture (but not so cooked that it dries out and toughens up).

[Marc Olson]

I cook chicken breasts (boneless) sous vide at 140 F for 12 hours. The kids love the result as lunch meat. Tender and juicy, completely cooked. And well within the FDA guidelines.,

[russ parsons]

there is a difference in breast meat and the legs, of course. the legs have a lot of connective tissue in them and to my taste they need to be cooked to a little higher temperature in order to be palatable. chicken isn't the only case, either. though rare lamb is the fashion, i prefer the leg cooked to the medium side of medium-rare (pink and juicy but definitely set).