Doneness troubleshooting
Chicken still pink at 165°F: what to check
Color alone is not a doneness test. A valid 165°F (74°C) reading in the required locations is the home-cooking check.
U.S. home food-safety guidance.Check the source and scope
What to do
- Repeat the reading in the thickest meat with the tip clear of bone and pan.
- For a whole bird, check breast, inner thigh, and inner wing; check stuffing separately if present.
- If the reading is below the minimum, cook further. If it meets the minimum, do not treat pink pigment alone as evidence of undercooking.
Conditions and limits
- Smoking, oven gases, and bone pigments can affect cooked poultry color.
- A pink spot is not a reason to ignore an unreliable or missing reading.
Source and scope
Primary reference: USDA FSIS The Color of Meat and Poultry. Equipment-specific steps and quality suggestions are practical guidance; check the appliance or product instructions for your model. How this site uses sources.