| What | Temperature | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef or pork, official safe minimum | 160°F (71°C) | USDA / FoodSafety.gov |
| Ground chicken or turkey, official safe minimum | 165°F (74°C) | USDA / FoodSafety.gov |
| ATK pub burger, medium-rare / medium | 125°F (52°C) / 130°F (54°C) | Juicy Pub-Style Burgers |
| Cemita burger, medium-rare / medium | 125°F (52°C) / 135°F (57°C) | Cemita Burger |
| Bulgogi burger, medium-rare | 120°F (49°C) | Korean-Style Bulgogi Burger |
| Weissman thick burger, medium-rare | 135°F (57°C) | Thick and Juicy Burger |
| Motz thick pub burger, medium-rare after resting | About 143°F (62°C) | Thick Pub Classic Burger |
| ATK ground chicken burgers | 160°F (71°C) | Buffalo Chicken Burgers |
| ATK Greek chicken burgers, Weissman fried chicken | 165°F (74°C) | Greek Chicken Burgers with Feta Sauce |
The official numbers
US food safety guidance sets 160°F (71°C) as the safe minimum for ground beef and 165°F (74°C) for ground poultry. Several recipes on this site cook beef to well below that. If you’re cooking for young children, older people, pregnant guests or anyone with a weakened immune system, follow the official temperatures.
What the chefs aim for
Most thick-burger recipes here target medium-rare or medium, between 120°F and 143°F, and say so. Some grind their own beef first, as ATK and Kenji do.
From: Juicy Pub-Style Burgers, The Fake Shack, Thick and Juicy Burger, Thick Pub Classic BurgerChicken is different: every chicken burger recipe here cooks to 160–165°F.
From: Buffalo Chicken Burgers, Greek Chicken Burgers with Feta Sauce, Wendy’s Spicy Chicken But Better, Crispy Fried Chicken
Use a thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way to know. The thick-burger and chicken recipes all give a target temperature for that reason.
From: Juicy Pub-Style Burgers, Korean-Style Bulgogi Burger, Buffalo Chicken Burgers
Smash burgers
Thin smash burgers cook through in about two minutes, so the recipes give times rather than temperatures.
From: Joshua’s Perfect Burger, Ultra-Smashed Cheeseburger
Sources: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures, FoodSafety.gov ↗
Every tip above is taken from the recipe it links to. Where the experts disagree, we say so rather than picking one.