How to Grill Food Safely, Temperatures and the Cooler Rules

Grilled meat is safe when a food thermometer says so, not when the outside looks charred. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) says meat and poultry on a grill "often browns very fast on the outside," so a thermometer reading is the only reliable check. The numbers: 145°F for steaks, roasts, and chops of beef, pork, veal, and lamb; 160°F for hamburgers; 165°F for all poultry. The figures follow the FSIS grilling page and Safe Temperature Chart as read in October 2026.

1. The temperatures to grill to

The current rule for pork steaks, chops, and roasts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest. That is what the FSIS Safe Temperature Chart, its food thermometer page, and the text of the grilling page all say. The small chart lower on the grilling page (page last updated March 21, 2022) still shows an older "All Cuts of Pork 160°F" line and a "Medium: 160°F" line. Those are not the minimum: FSIS says people may choose higher temperatures for personal preference, so 160°F is safe if you like pork more done. Ground meats, including ground pork, are 160°F on every FSIS page.

Place the thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, fat, or gristle. For thin foods such as burgers, FSIS says to insert it from the side until the tip reaches the center. Check each piece, since size and position on the grill make pieces finish at different times. FSIS also says most food thermometers give a reading accurate to within 2 to 4 degrees F, and only if placed correctly.

2. Never part-cook meat on the grill

One rule is stated in capital letters on the FSIS page: never partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later. Bacteria that survive a short, partial cook can multiply while the food sits.

Part-cooking elsewhere is a different matter. FSIS says precooking food partially in a microwave, oven, or on the stove is a good way to cut grilling time, provided the food goes immediately onto the preheated grill to finish.

3. Thawing before you grill

FSIS recommends thawing meat and poultry completely before grilling so it cooks evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow thawing, or thaw sealed packages in cold water. A microwave is acceptable if the food will go on the grill immediately afterward.

4. From the store to the grill

• Buy cold food last and put raw meat and poultry packages in plastic bags so juices cannot drip onto other items.
• Refrigerate perishables within 2 hours of buying, or within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F.
• When you carry food somewhere else, pack it from the refrigerator into an insulated cooler with enough ice or ice packs to hold 40°F or below.
• Keep the cooler in the shade and open it as little as possible. Put drinks in one cooler and perishables in another.
• Store raw meat at the bottom of the cooler in well-sealed packages. If poultry juice leaks onto other meat, that meat must be cooked to 165°F.
• Take out only the meat you will put on the grill right away.

5. Keep raw and cooked apart

Do not put cooked food back on the platter that held raw meat or poultry. FSIS says to bring plenty of clean utensils and platters, because bacteria in raw juices can contaminate food that was cooked safely. If you are away from home, bring water for washing, or clean cloths, moist towelettes, and a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

6. Keeping cooked food hot

After grilling, keep meat and poultry at 140°F or warmer until it is served. FSIS suggests moving cooked pieces to the side of the grill rack, away from the hottest part, or holding them in an oven set to about 200°F, in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.

7. The clock when it's hot out

Cooked food should not sit out for more than 2 hours. When the temperature is above 90°F, the limit is 1 hour. This applies to the serving table, and to leftovers: refrigerate them promptly in shallow containers, and throw out food left out past the limit.

FSIS also lists a smoking range: when smoking meat in a covered grill or smoker, keep the air temperature between 225°F and 300°F, monitored with a thermometer, and still check the food itself with a food thermometer.

8. A quick checklist

1. Thaw first, in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave right before grilling.
2. Keep raw meat cold until it goes on the grill.
3. Use one platter for raw and a clean one for cooked.
4. Grill to the number on the chart, checking each piece with a thermometer.
5. Hold cooked food at 140°F or warmer.
6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.

9. Key takeaways

• Browning outside tells you little; use a thermometer: 145°F steaks and chops (3-minute rest), 160°F burgers, 165°F poultry.
• Never partly grill meat and finish later. Partly cooking in the oven or microwave is fine if the food goes straight onto the grill.
• Use separate platters and utensils for raw and cooked food.
• Keep cooked food at 140°F or above, and limit time at the table to 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).
• Pack coolers at 40°F or below, with raw meat sealed at the bottom.