This post is a response to a comment on my Ask me a temperature related question… post. If you have any questions related to the world of temperature or thermometers, post it on there and I’ll endeavour to answer it.
The Question
I had a bad experience recently cooking chicken, whereby a few members of my family fell ill.
I’m not keen to repeat my mistake. What temperature should I be cooking chicken to? And how do I test the temperature?
Any help gratefully received…
My Answer
To be cooked properly the inside of the chicken must reach 85°C at its thickest part.
If you’re worried about food poisoning, your best bet is to use a Meat or Poultry Thermometer with a probe which you insert into the thickest part of the chicken. They’re generally marked to show temperatures for various types of meat, poultry and fish.
For something simpler, you could try a Pop-Up Poultry Thermometer. You simply insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey or chicken before cooking and cook it in the oven as usual. The thermometer pops up when the bird has been cooked to the correct temperature of 85°C.
They’re manufactured from food-grade plastic so are perfectly safe.
For a really detailed article on cooking poultry, take a look at this Safer Christmas Eating article on one of the soon to be defunct Food Standards Agency websites.
Hope that helps!
The Thermometer Guy 