What is the best and safest internal temperature to cook chicken, taking into account different cuts like whole chicken, chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and chicken wings, and also considering different cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, frying, and slow cooking, to ensure both food safety and optimal tenderness and juiciness?

Answer

The best internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165°F (74°C), as measured with a food thermometer. This applies to all cuts of chicken, including breasts, thighs, legs, wings, and ground chicken.

Ensuring the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) is critical for food safety. This temperature is sufficient to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are commonly found in raw poultry and can cause foodborne illness. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends this minimum internal temperature.

To ensure accurate temperature readings, insert the food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding bone. For chicken breasts, this is typically the center of the breast. For thighs and legs, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. If cooking a whole chicken, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, again avoiding the bone, and also check the breast. Several locations ensure the whole bird is properly cooked.

While some older guidelines may have suggested higher temperatures, research has demonstrated that 165°F (74°C) is sufficient to eliminate harmful bacteria instantly. Cooking the chicken to higher temperatures, while still safe, can result in a drier, less palatable product, especially for leaner cuts like chicken breast.

If using a probe thermometer that remains in the chicken during cooking, monitor the temperature closely and remove the chicken from the heat source when it reaches 165°F (74°C). Carryover cooking will continue to slightly raise the internal temperature even after the chicken is removed from the oven or grill.

For ground chicken, the same 165°F (74°C) minimum internal temperature applies. Ensure the thermometer is inserted into the center of the ground chicken patty or other ground chicken dish.