The best doneness guide for beef, chicken, fish and shrimp

Question

What is the best doneness guide for beef, chicken, fish and shrimp?

Also, I’d like to know the ideal doneness temperature for the following :-

- chicken breast ( boneless, skinless) ( baked )
- ground beef ( on cast iron pan )
- salmon ( boneless, skinless) , ( baked )
- fajita
- meat balls ( baked )
- drumsticks ( fried, baked )

Kristen W. · Answer

Thanks!

Kristen W. · Answer

Thanks!

Nancy · Answer

Here's the link, in case you have trouble finding the chart:https://blog.thermoworks.com/thermometer/chef-recommended-tw-approved/

Kristen W. · Answer

Oh that’s so cool!  Thanks for the clarification.  I have never been able to find anything like that online so I assumed  it was another site that just listed the basic guidelines for “doneness”.  I’m curious to take a look at it myself. :)

Nancy · Answer

Kristen W -
Agree completely.
And so does Thermo Blog....it wades into the divisions about what constitutes certain levels of doneness, and allows for differences, while still articulating minimums.
(Sometimes I err on the side of brevity, both for myself and for others who are looking for opinions/answers. I see your longer take on an answer has other advantages of depth or nuance.)

Kristen W. · Answer

Once out of the danger zone bacteria-wise, there is a certain amount of personal preference involved.  Most recipes for chicken thighs I see, for example, says something to the effect of "cook until internal temperature reaches 165", at which point they're technically cooked, but I  prefer them closer to 175-180 for texture (although a chicken breast would be overcooked at that temperature).  I prefer a higher temp on drumsticks and there is leeway with salmon as well, depending on personal preference.  With respect to ground beef, I think it can depend on the application (ground beef in a sauce would potentially be cooked to a higher temp than ground beef in the center of a burger.  Once you find out what temperature makes the protein safe to eat (perhaps on Thermo Blog as suggested by Nancy), you can experiment a little with what temperatures you like best for different applications of different proteins.

Nancy · Answer

Don't know if it's the best, but Thermo Blog has a very good one.
You may not get every soevific item (for example, meat balls) but look for the closest main ingredient (ground beef, lamb, pork or turkey).

The best doneness guide for beef, chicken, fish and shrimp

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