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My Chicken Temperature Chart has the best temps for chicken no matter what you’re cooking, from chicken breast, thighs, and drumsticks, up to the whole bird! If you struggle with how long to cook chicken for the perfect results every time, or need a reminder, this chart of chicken internal temps is just what you need.
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Chicken Cook Temp
Whether you’re roasting a whole chicken or baking chicken wings, this baked chicken temperature chart has the approximate cooking times you need for the perfect internal temperature.
Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done cooking in the oven.
The bone-in chicken will always take slightly longer to cook than boneless. The times in the chart reflect boneless and bone-in chicken. Frozen chicken should be thawed beforehand.
What Temperature does Chicken Need to Be?
| Chicken Part | Oven Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Whole Chicken | 350°F | 20 minutes per pound, plus 15 minutes; ex. 5-pound chicken for 1 hour 55 minutes |
| Boneless Chicken Thighs | 425°F | about 35 minutes |
| Bone-in Chicken Thighs | 425°F | about 45 minutes |
| Boneless Chicken Breasts (Large) | 375°F | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Bone-in Chicken Breasts (Large) | 375°F | 35 to 40 minutes |
| Chicken Wings | 400°F | 45 minutes |
| Chicken Legs | 425°F | 40-45 minutes |
| Chicken Tenders | 375°F | 20-25 minutes |
What Temp to Grill Chicken
Cooking chicken on the grill is a great way to bring out amazing flavors in the meat. Whether you’re grilling a whole chicken or making chicken wings on the grill, this chart will show you what temp to grill chicken.
Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done cooking on the grill.
Temperatures are for a charcoal or gas grill using thawed chicken. I recommend marinating chicken for 30 minutes to 2-3 hours before grilling it for the juiciest results.
| Chicken Part | Grill Temperature | Lid Open or Closed | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole Chicken | Medium-high; 375°F | Closed | 1 hr. 25 minutes; face legs towards the back of the grill, then rotate at at 45 minutes to face wings towards the back of the grill |
| Boneless Chicken Thighs | Medium to medium-high, 350°F-375°F | Closed | 6 minutes per side |
| Bone-in Chicken Thighs | Medium to medium-high, 350°F-375°F, lowered to 300°F | Closed | 4 minutes per side; lower heat to medium-low, cook another 3-5 minutes |
| Boneless Chicken Breasts (Large) | Medium-high to high, 375°F-400°F | Closed | 6-8 minutes per side |
| Bone-in Chicken Breasts (Large) | Medium-high, 375°F | Closed | 6-8 minutes per side |
| Chicken Wings | Medium heat, 350ºF | Closed | 20-25 minutes; check and flip as they darken |
| Chicken Legs | High, 400°F | Closed | 30-35 minutes; flip every 5 minutes |
| Chicken Tenders | Medium-high, 375°F | Closed | 3-4 minutes per side |
Cooking Chicken in a Pan
If you’re cooking your chicken in a pan, follow this chicken temperature chart to find the best heat for cooking whichever cut you’re using.
Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure doneness when cooking chicken in a pan.
| Chicken Part | Stove Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless Chicken Thighs | Medium heat | 5 minutes on one side, flip, 3-5 minutes on opposite side |
| Bone-in Chicken Thighs | Medium heat | 20-30 minutes uncovered skin-side down; flip, cook 20 more minutes |
| Boneless Chicken Breasts (Large) | Medium-high heat | 5-7 minutes on one side, flip, 5-7 minutes on opposite side |
| Bone-in Chicken Breasts (Large) | Medium heat | Sear 5 minutes on one side, flip, cook 45-50 minutes (covered) |
| Chicken Wings | High heat reduced to low | Sear 2 minutes per side, reduce heat, cover, cook 20 minutes. Flip 2-3 times while cooking. |
| Chicken Legs | Medium heat | 15-20 minutes on one side, rotate, cook another 15 minutes, then rotate a final time and cook a final 15 minutes |
| Chicken Tenders | Medium heat | 3.5 minutes per side |
Sous Vide Chicken Temperatures
For cooking chicken sous vide, follow these sous vide chicken temperatures. When cooking sous vide, you don’t have to worry about over-cooking or undercooking your food.
As long as you set the sous vide temperature correctly and cook for the right amount of time, your chicken will be perfectly cooked. Still, it’s a good idea to check the internal temperature of chicken using a meat thermometer.
| Chicken Part | Sous Vide Temperature | Cooking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless Chicken Thighs | 165°F | 1 hour to 4 hours; finish in a skillet over medium heat, 4-5 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the opposite side |
| Bone-in Chicken Thighs | 165°F | 1 hour to 4 hours; finish in a skillet over medium heat, 4-5 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the opposite side |
| Boneless Chicken Breasts (Large) | 146.5ºF | 1 hour; finish in a skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute per side |
| Bone-in Chicken Breasts (Large) | 146.5ºF | 1 hour; finish in a skillet over medium-high heat, 1 minute per side |
| Chicken Wings | 160°F to 165°F | 2 hours at 160°F for fall-off-the-bone; 1 hour at 165°F for tender, but not fall-off-the-bone; finish in oven or on stove |
| Chicken Legs | 165°F | 2 hours; sear in a skillet over medium-high heat to finish, 1 minute on each side |
| Chicken Tenders | 146.5ºF | 1 hour; finish in a skillet over medium-high heat for 1-5 minutes on each side |
Free Printable Chart
Click here for a free printable version of this chart: Chicken Temperature Chart
Best Chicken Recipes
If chicken dinner is a household favorite for you, you need to try my best chicken recipes! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- One Pot Chicken Orzo Recipe
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Noodle Soup
- Lemon Butter Chicken Tenders
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cooking Guides
- Sign up for our Newsletter for easy recipes every week to help get started cooking!
- Cooking Measurements Chart
- Turkey Temperature
- How to Make Perfect Rice
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📋 Recipe
Chicken Temperature – How to Cook Chicken Breast
Equipment
- 1 grill pan or grill
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless, skinless, and pounded thin
Grilled Chicken Marinade
- ½ cup dill pickle juice strained
- ½ cup whole milk
Grilled Chicken Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil for grilling the chicken breasts
Instructions
- Add chicken breast to a zip-lock bag. Keep the bag open so the air can escape. Tenderize the chicken by pounding it thin with the flat end of a meat mallet.2 large chicken breasts
- Combine whole milk and strained dill pickle juice in a measuring cup or bowl. Pour the marinade into the chicken breast bag and seal it. Massage the marinade into the chicken breast, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.½ cup dill pickle juice, ½ cup whole milk
- After marinating, allow your chicken breasts to come to room temperature by letting them rest for 30 minutes before grilling them. In the meantime, mix together powdered sugar, fine sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon zest in a bowl. Refrigerate the spice mix until it’s time to use it.2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- Use a paper towel to pat down both sides of the chicken breasts so they are dry.
- Once dry all over, sprinkle the spice rub onto the chicken and rub it into the meat on both sides of each breast.
- Add olive oil to a grill pan. Allow it to heat over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then add a single chicken breast. If using an outdoor grill, you can grill both chicken breasts at the same time. Cook 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes.3 Tablespoons olive oil
- Flip the chicken using tongs and cook an additional 4 minutes on the other side. Once finished cooking, remove and repeat with the other chicken breast. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F as read by a meat thermometer.
- Allow cooked chicken to rest for 10 minutes on a plate covered with foil. When ready to serve, slice with a sharp knife against the grain of the chicken, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Grill chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F as read by a meat thermometer.
- Follow my chicken temperature chart to cook more than just chicken breasts on the grill, including thighs!
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!