Skills Hub
food-safety-temperature
Minimum Cooking Temperatures
Always tested on the ServSafe
Poultry 165; ground meat 155; whole muscle 145. Use a calibrated thermometer.
About this skill
Minimum internal cooking temperatures per FDA Food Code: poultry 165°F, ground meat 155°F, whole muscle meat 145°F (with 3-minute rest), fish 145°F, eggs for hot service 145°F.
11 total steps
6 critical steps
Time limit: 5 min
What graders are watching for
- 1Color is not reliable — use a thermometer
- 2Whole muscle needs 3-minute rest time
- 3Reheat cooked foods to 165°F
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
- !Relying on color
- !Skipping the rest time
- !Not measuring the thickest part
Practice this skill step-by-step
The static walkthrough above is the marketing overview. The full step-by-step interactive practice (with critical-step highlighting, per-step "why this matters" rationale, and what graders watch for on each individual step) is unlocked with a subscription.