🌡️ Burger Temperature Chart
Technique Updated July 2026
One page, every burger temperature you need, in Fahrenheit and Celsius. The headline numbers: ground beef is safe at 160°F (71°C), poultry burgers at 165°F (74°C), and reheated leftovers at 165°F (74°C). Below that you'll find the full doneness scale, what each level looks like, and why ground beef plays by different rules than steak. Print it and stick it on the fridge.
The three numbers that matter
| What you're cooking | Safe internal temperature |
|---|---|
| Ground beef (hamburger) | 160°F / 71°C |
| Ground turkey or chicken burgers | 165°F / 74°C |
| Reheated leftover burgers | 165°F / 74°C |
Those are the USDA safe minimums, measured in the center of the patty with a food thermometer. Everything else on this page is context. If you remember nothing else: 160°F for a beef burger, 165°F for poultry and for leftovers.
The full doneness chart
| Doneness | °F | °C | Center looks like | Safe for ground beef? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 120–125°F | 49–52°C | Cool red center, very soft | No — below the safe minimum |
| Medium-rare | 130–135°F | 54–57°C | Warm red center, juicy | No — below the safe minimum |
| Medium | 140–145°F | 60–63°C | Warm pink center, springy | No — below the safe minimum |
| Medium-well | 150–155°F | 66–68°C | Faint pink, firm | No — below the safe minimum |
| Well done / safe | 160°F+ | 71°C+ | No pink from doneness, still juicy with 80/20 beef | Yes — this is the target |
The doneness scale above is the standard one used for beef generally. For a hamburger specifically, only the last row is a safe target — the others are included so you know what a reading means, not as options to cook to. This is the chart the interactive Doneness & Temp Guide is built on.
Why ground beef is different from steak
A steak can be served medium-rare because bacteria live on the surface of whole muscle meat, and searing the outside kills them; the interior was effectively sterile to begin with. Grinding changes that completely. It takes whatever was on the surface of the beef and distributes it throughout the patty, so there is no longer a safe interior — the center has to reach a temperature that makes it safe, and that temperature is 160°F (71°C).
That's why the USDA recommends 145°F (63°C) plus a 3-minute rest for a whole steak but 160°F (71°C) with no rest requirement for ground beef. Same animal, different rule, for a good reason. It applies regardless of how you like your steak.
Poultry, and other patties
Turkey and chicken burgers: 165°F (74°C), no exceptions and no pink. Ground poultry carries a higher risk of salmonella and needs the higher temperature. Because lean ground poultry dries out fast past that point, a thermometer matters even more here than with beef — pull it the second it reads 165°F.
Plant-based patties aren't a food-safety risk in the same way, but most manufacturers specify an internal temperature (commonly 165°F / 74°C) for texture and for the safety of any binders used — follow the package. Stuffed burgers like a Juicy Lucy should still hit 160°F (71°C) in the meat, measured away from the molten cheese core.
How to take the temperature correctly
A right number read the wrong way is still a wrong number.
- Probe from the side. Slide the tip in horizontally through the edge so it sits in the geometric center of the patty. Probing from the top on a 1/2-inch patty usually pushes the tip straight through into the hot pan.
- Check the thickest patty in the batch, not the first one you can reach.
- Wait for the reading to settle — a good instant-read stabilizes in 2–4 seconds.
- Calibrate occasionally: a thermometer in a slushy ice-water bath should read 32°F (0°C). If it doesn't, it needs recalibrating or replacing.
- Wash the probe after checking raw or undercooked meat.
Which thermometer to buy is covered in Best Meat Thermometer for Burgers.
Color is not a doneness test
Two facts that surprise people, and both argue for a thermometer. A burger can turn brown all the way through while still below 160°F (71°C) — premature browning is common with meat that has been frozen or exposed to air. And a burger can be perfectly safe at 160°F and still look pink, because of myoglobin chemistry, nitrites in the seasoning, or a smoky cooking environment. Neither the color of the meat nor the color of the juices tells you the temperature. Full explanation in Can a Cooked Burger Still Be Pink?
Print this page, or use the interactive version
This page is designed to print cleanly — press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on a Mac) and pin the tables somewhere near the stove. If you'd rather have it on screen while you cook, the Doneness & Temp Guide is the interactive version, with the same temperatures plus per-doneness cooking notes. For minutes-per-side to go with these temperatures, see How Long to Cook Burgers; for reheating, How to Reheat Burgers.
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Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a burger be cooked to?
Ground beef burgers should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center, measured with a food thermometer. Ground turkey and chicken burgers should reach 165°F (74°C), and leftover burgers should be reheated to 165°F (74°C).
Can you eat a medium-rare burger?
Not safely with ordinary ground beef. Grinding spreads surface bacteria throughout the patty, so the center has to reach 160°F (71°C) — unlike a steak, where searing the outside is enough. This matters most for young children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone immune-compromised, who should never eat undercooked ground beef.
What temperature should turkey burgers be cooked to?
165°F (74°C) in the center, higher than the 160°F (71°C) used for beef. Ground poultry needs the extra margin, and because it's lean it dries out quickly past that point — pull it as soon as the thermometer reads 165°F.