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What
Asked: What temperature should I cook a whole chicken to?
USDA and FDA food-safety figures
165
Safe internal temperature
Innermost part of the thigh [1]
Good to know
Innermost part of the thigh
Check in the thigh
165°F (74°C) [1]
FDA Food Code
145°F (63°C) held 8.5 min [3]
Lower and slower
Cooking for
Bacteria die from a combination of temperature and time, not temperature alone. At 165°F (74°C) the chicken reaches a 7-log10 reduction — 99.99999% of bacteria destroyed — instantly, which is why the FDA Food Code recommends it [3].