Why Temperature Is Everything
I do not care how good your rub is, how expensive your smoker was, or how many YouTube videos you have watched. If you are not hitting the right internal temperature, you are guessing. And guessing gets you dry chicken, raw pork, and brisket that chews like a tire. Get yourself a good instant-read thermometer and treat this chart like gospel.
Beef
Brisket: Pull at 200 to 205 degrees internal. Probe should slide in like butter. Do not go by time. Every brisket is different, and the only thing that tells you it is done is the probe.
Steaks (Ribeye, Strip, Filet): Rare is 125, medium rare is 135, medium is 145. Pull 5 degrees early because carryover cooking will bump it up while it rests. Medium well is 155 and well done is 165, but if you are reading this site, I trust you are not going there.
Burgers: Ground beef to 160 degrees for food safety. No exceptions, even if your uncle says otherwise. You can still get a juicy burger at 160 if you use good meat with enough fat content (80/20 is the sweet spot).
Beef Ribs: 200 to 205 degrees, same as brisket. Probe tender is the goal.
Pork
Pulled Pork (Shoulder/Butt): 200 to 205 degrees internal. The collagen breaks down around 195 and the meat starts falling apart. That is what you want. Anything less and you will be slicing, not pulling.
Pork Ribs (Spare and Baby Back): 195 to 203 degrees. The bend test works here too: pick up the rack with tongs in the middle and if it bends and the meat starts to crack on the surface, you are there.
Pork Chops: 145 degrees and let them rest. The USDA lowered this from 160 back in 2011, and it was the best decision they ever made. A pork chop at 145 is juicy and safe. At 165 it is a hockey puck.
Pork Tenderloin: 145 degrees. Same rule. Rest it for 5 minutes.
Chicken and Poultry
Whole Chicken (Smoked): 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh. The breast will hit 165 first, but the thigh is what matters because dark meat has more connective tissue that needs to break down.
Chicken Thighs: 175 to 180 degrees is actually better than 165 for thighs. The extra heat renders more fat and breaks down the collagen, making them silky instead of rubbery. Trust me on this one.
Chicken Breast: 165 degrees, not a degree more. Brine it first if you want insurance against drying out.
Turkey: 165 in the thigh, 160 in the breast (carryover will finish it). Spatchcock if you want even cooking.
Seafood
Salmon: 125 to 130 for medium (my preference). 145 for well done.
Shrimp: Cook to 120 degrees. They are done when they curl into a C shape. If they curl into an O, you went too far.
The Rules That Apply to Everything
Always rest your meat. Five minutes minimum for small cuts, 30 minutes to an hour for brisket and pork butt. Resting lets the juices redistribute so they do not all pour out on your cutting board.
Always temp from the thickest part, away from bone. Bone conducts heat faster than meat, so a reading near bone will lie to you.
And always calibrate your thermometer. Stick it in ice water. It should read 32 degrees. If it does not, adjust or replace it. A thermometer that is off by 10 degrees will ruin a cook every single time.
