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Home » Is This Chicken Done?

Is This Chicken Done?

By Marybeth Feutz 13 Comments

Have you ever thought you had a perfectly cooked chicken breast, but when you sat down to eat it wasn’t quite cooked all the way through? A meat thermometer is the only way to know if that chicken is really fully cooked, or if it just looks like it’s fully cooked.

collage of chicken breasts on the grill

Is This Chicken Done?

{This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.}

I know I’ve done it… The chicken looked done on the grill (or in the pan, or in the oven), so I took it off and got ready to serve it to my family. Or even worse, to my friends! And when I made the first cut into the chicken, it was still pink inside. It wasn’t ready to eat, so back to the grill it went. Then it ends up overcooked and dry on the outside, and just barely cooked in the middle. Nobody likes to eat chicken like that. Yuck.

Let’s take a look at a chicken breast during grilling… and see how we can tell if it’s cooked!

Undercooked Chicken

What do you think? Is this chicken breast done?

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

A tell-tale sign that this chicken isn’t cooked is that when I flipped it over on the grill, it stuck to the grates. That happens when the chicken isn’t “ready” to be flipped yet. When the outside of the chicken is cooked, you should be able to easily flip it over on the grill (or on your stove).

Cutting into the chicken breast shows that it is definitely not cooked. Still very pink and raw in the middle. Don’t eat this!

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

And when I checked the internal temperature with a digital thermometer, it’s barely hitting 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius). We want chicken to be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73.9 degrees Celsius).

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

Okay, so what about this one? Looks nice and brown on the outside, and it has those beautiful grill marks. It flipped over pretty easily, and I left it on the grill a lot longer than I did the first one.

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

Cutting it open, it looks pretty good. It’s white all the way through, and the juices are clear. In fact, it looks like a pretty juicy chicken breast!

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

But when I checked the internal temperature, it’s just at 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius), still way under the 165 (73.9) degrees we’re shooting for.

collage of undercooked chicken breasts

Fully Cooked Chicken

What about this one? Looks done… nice and golden brown, pretty grill marks, and I left it on even longer.

collage of cooked chicken breasts

The inside looks pretty – it’s white all the way through, the juices are clear. It doesn’t look too dry. It looks like it’s cooked through!

collage of cooked chicken breasts

The internal temperature was 163 degrees Fahrenheit (72.7 degrees Celsius), just shy of the 165 (73.9) we’re looking for. I wouldn’t put this back on the grill, but I would let it rest for a few minutes before eating it. You wouldn’t be wrong if you wanted to cook this chicken for just a little bit longer.

collage of cooked chicken breasts

The best way to tell if your chicken (or any other meat) is fully cooked is with a meat thermometer. The way it looks on the outside and on the inside can be a good indication, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. If you don’t have a good meat thermometer, it is definitely worth the investment! It’s an inexpensive way to keep your family safe from potential food poisoning from bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia.

Do you want to see it in action? Watch me grill chicken and take its temperature in this video:

Free Printable for Is This Chicken Done?

Click here to download your free printable. Keep this cheat sheet handy in your kitchen or near your grill, and never have undercooked chicken again!

printable cheat sheet to know when chicken is fully cooked

Is This Pork Done?

Now that you know how to tell when your chicken is done, what about pork? Pork can get overcooked and dry pretty easily. Use these tips to know when your pork chops are cooked perfectly!

How to Cook the Perfect Steak

There is a way to get a good estimate if your steak is done – you can use the “touch test” that I explain in this post. But I still recommend double-checking with a thermometer!

Can’t remember all the recommended cooking temperatures for different meats? Check out this article, and download your free printable cheat sheet!

collage of chicken breasts with meat thermometer

Enjoy!

3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen

  • Should I Use Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs? – free printable!
  • What is the Best Seasoning for Chicken? – free printable!
  • What is the Paper Inside the Chicken Package?

3 Recipes to Try

  • Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings
  • Fall-Off-The-Bone Roast Chicken
  • Honey-BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs

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Filed Under: Holiday Tool Box, Kitchen Printables, Kitchen Tips, Tricks, & More, Where is My Food From? Tagged With: chicken, cooking, cooking tips, food safety, grill, kitchen tips, meat thermometer, thermometer

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Hi! I'm Marybeth, the blogger behind My Fearless Kitchen! Jump in, and let me share what I'm learning about food, farming, quick kitchen tips, and easy recipes to chase the fear out of YOUR kitchen! Read more.
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