Chicken is the most commonly undercooked meat in home kitchens — and one of the most important to get right. Here's the correct internal temperature, cooking times for every cut, and how to keep it moist.
Chicken killed more people from foodborne illness than any other protein — campylobacter and salmonella are both serious pathogens, both common in raw poultry, and both destroyed by heat. Getting the temperature right isn't optional.
This applies to every cut: breast, thigh, wing, drumstick, whole bird. There's no safe "medium" chicken. Unlike beef, where surface pasteurisation is sufficient for whole cuts, chicken can harbour pathogens throughout the flesh.
These are guides. Always verify with a thermometer. Ovens vary, and even a well-calibrated oven can't account for differences in starting temperature (fridge-cold vs room temp) or thickness variation.
Start checking temperature at 10 minutes before the predicted finish time. Remove from oven when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C and rest for at least 15–20 minutes.
Chicken breast is almost pure protein with very little fat. At 74°C, it begins to dry out quickly — this is why overcooked breast has that chalky, dry texture. Thighs contain more intramuscular fat and connective tissue, making them more forgiving and remaining juicy even cooked slightly above 74°C.
For the juiciest breast meat: brine the chicken (soak in salted water 30–60 minutes), cook at a slightly lower temperature (180°C), and pull from the oven at 71°C, allowing carryover cooking to bring it to 74°C during resting.
For BBQ: never cook bone-in chicken entirely over direct high heat — the outside chars before the centre reaches safe temperature. Sear first, then move to indirect heat and close the lid.