So, at 165°F, the chicken is safe pretty much
instantaneously. This is why the USDA sets 165°F as
the lower limit for their general guidelines. At 155°F,
the same bacterial reduction takes 44.2 seconds to
occur in chicken. At 150°F, 2.7 minutes: 2.7 minutes!
That’s all!
What this means is that as long as chicken stays at
150°F or higher for at least 2.7 minutes, it is as safe
to eat as chicken that has been cooked to 165°F. I
monitored a few pieces of chicken that I cooked to
150°F before removing them from the heat and
found that their temperature increased to about
153°F during the first few minutes and stayed at well
above 150°F for a good 6 minutes before they
started to cool down again. Even chicken cooked to
145°F can be safe if you let it rest. It easily maintains
its temperature for the requisite 8.4 minutes.§
My mom often comments on how incredibly moist
my roast chicken is, believing that it’s some secret
technique or marinade I’m using to get it that way.
Want to know the secret? Just don’t overcook it.
What Temperature Should I Cook
Chicken To?
Fact: 145°F chicken is not for everybody. Some folks
used to chicken having a certain texture may find it
a little too wet and soft. Here’s a quick guide to
chicken temperatures: