Air Fryer Internal Temperature Chart

An air fryer browns the outside of food faster than it heats the middle, so colour is a poor guide to whether meat is cooked. These are the internal temperatures to check for with a probe thermometer, in °C and °F.

Safe minimum internal temperatures

Minimums from the USDA FSIS safe temperature chart. Measure in the thickest part.
FoodMinimum internal temperature
Chicken, turkey, duck - whole, pieces or ground74°C / 165°F
Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal - burgers, meatballs, sausages71°C / 160°F
Beef, pork, lamb and veal - steaks, chops and roasts63°C / 145°F, then rest 3 min
Fresh (raw) ham63°C / 145°F, then rest 3 min
Fish with fins63°C / 145°F, or until opaque and flaking
Shrimp, lobster, crab and scallopsUntil the flesh is pearly or white, and opaque
Egg dishes such as frittata and quiche71°C / 160°F
Leftovers and casseroles74°C / 165°F

Source: USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart. The rest time counts: the temperature holds or keeps rising after the food leaves the basket, and that is part of what makes it safe.

UK guidance: 70°C for 2 minutes

The UK Food Standards Agency gives a time and a temperature together rather than one number per food. The standard is 70°C held for 2 minutes in the thickest part, and the pairs below are treated as equivalent. Hitting 75°C on an instant-read probe is the practical way to meet it at home.

Equivalent time and temperature combinations.
Core temperatureHold for at least
60°C45 minutes
65°C10 minutes
70°C2 minutes
75°C30 seconds
80°C6 seconds

Source: Food Standards Agency, cooking your food. The FSA also says poultry, pork, burgers and sausages should be cooked all the way through, while whole cuts of beef and lamb can be served pink if the outside is properly seared.

Target temperature for 139 air fryer foods

Every meat, fish and egg page on this site that has a probe target, with the air fryer setting that gets it there. A target marked as a doneness preference is below the USDA minimum for that food.

FoodInternal temp
Air Fryer Baby Back RibsRecipe88°C / 190°F
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped AsparagusRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Hot DogsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Bang Bang ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer BBQ ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Beef Short RibsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Beef TenderloinRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Blackened SalmonRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Boneless Pork RibsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage LinksRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Buffalo WingsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Carne AsadaRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer CatfishRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Char SiuRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Cheeseburger SlidersRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Chicken BurgersRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken Cordon BleuRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken DrumsticksRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken FajitasRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken KabobsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken KatsuRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken MeatballsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken NuggetsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken ParmesanRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken Pot PieRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken QuartersRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken ShawarmaRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Chicken SkewersRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Coconut ShrimpRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer CodRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Corn DogsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Corned BeefRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Cornish HenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Country Style RibsRecipe88°C / 190°F
Air Fryer Crab CakesRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Crispy Chicken WingsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Duck BreastRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Duck LegsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Egg BitesRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Egg CupsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Egg MuffinsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Filet MignonRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Fish and ChipsRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Fish FilletsRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Fish TacosRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Flank SteakRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer FlounderRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer FrittataRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Frozen BurgersFrom frozen71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken BreastFrom frozen74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Strips (Tenders)From frozen74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Frozen Chicken WingsFrom frozen74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Frozen Fish FilletsFrom frozen63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Frozen MeatballsFrom frozen74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Frozen SausagesFrom frozen71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Gammon SteakRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan WingsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer General Tso ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer GyozaRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer HaddockRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer HalibutRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Honey Garlic ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Honey Garlic SalmonRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Hot Honey WingsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Italian SausageRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer KielbasaRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Korean Fried ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Lamb ChopsRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer LasagnaRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper WingsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Lobster TailRecipe60°C / 140°F
Air Fryer Mahi MahiRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer MeatballsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer MeatloafRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer OmeletteRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Orange ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Popcorn ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Pork BellyRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Pork Loin RoastRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Pork MeatballsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Pork ShoulderRecipe90°C / 195°F
Air Fryer Pork TenderloinRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer PotstickersRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Pulled PorkRecipe90°C / 195°F
Air Fryer Rack Of LambRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Ribeye SteakRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer RibsRecipe88°C / 190°F
Air Fryer Roast BeefRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Salmon BitesRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Salmon PattiesRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Sausage and PeppersRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Sausage BallsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Sausage LinksRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Sausage PattiesRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Sausage RollsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer ScallopsRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Scotch EggsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Scrambled EggsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Sesame ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Shrimp TacosRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Sirloin SteakRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Spring Roll BowlsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer Steak BitesRecipe57°C / 135°Fdoneness preference
Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken BreastRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Tandoori ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Teriyaki ChickenRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Teriyaki SalmonRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer TilapiaRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Toad in the HoleRecipe71°C / 160°F
Air Fryer TonkatsuRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer TroutRecipe63°C / 145°F
Air Fryer Turkey BreastRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Turkey BurgersRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Turkey LegsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Turkey MeatballsRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer Turkey TenderloinRecipe74°C / 165°F
Air Fryer WontonsRecipe71°C / 160°F
Brats in the Air FryerRecipe71°C / 160°F
Chicken Breast in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F
Chicken Legs in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F
Chicken Tenders in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F
Chicken Thighs in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F
Fish Fingers in the Air Fryer (Fish Sticks)Recipe63°C / 145°F
Fried Chicken in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F
Frozen Chicken Nuggets in the Air FryerFrom frozen74°C / 165°F
Gammon in the Air FryerRecipe71°C / 160°F
Hamburgers in the Air FryerRecipe71°C / 160°F
Poached Eggs in the Air FryerRecipe71°C / 160°F
Pork Chops in the Air FryerRecipe63°C / 145°F
Reheat BurgerReheating71°C / 160°F
Reheat Chicken NuggetsReheating74°C / 165°F
Reheat Cooked ChickenReheating74°C / 165°F
Reheat Fried ChickenReheating74°C / 165°F
Reheat SteakReheating63°C / 145°F
Salmon in the Air FryerRecipe63°C / 145°F
Sausages in the Air FryerRecipe71°C / 160°F
Shrimp in the Air Fryer (Prawns)Recipe63°C / 145°F
Steak in the Air FryerRecipe54°C / 130°Fdoneness preference
Whole Chicken in the Air FryerRecipe74°C / 165°F

Showing 139 of 139 foods.

How to take a reading in an air fryer

  • Pull the basket out and close the drawer again if you can, so the chamber keeps its heat.
  • Push the probe into the thickest part, away from bone and not through to the basket.
  • Check the largest piece. If that one is done, the smaller ones are.
  • If the outside is brown but the centre is short, drop the setting by 10°C / 20°F and give it a few more minutes instead of turning the heat up.

For times and settings by food, see the air fryer cooking times chart or the printable cheat sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What internal temperature should chicken reach in an air fryer?+

74°C / 165°F in the thickest part, away from the bone. That is the USDA minimum for all poultry, whether it is breast, thigh, wings, a whole bird or ground chicken.

Does air frying change the safe internal temperature?+

No. The safe temperature belongs to the food, not the appliance. An air fryer only changes how quickly the outside browns, which is exactly why the surface can look finished while the centre is still under temperature.

Where do I put the thermometer?+

In the thickest part of the food, not touching bone, fat or the basket. For thin food such as burgers and chicken tenders, push the probe in from the side so the tip sits in the centre.

Is 145°F safe for pork?+

Yes for whole cuts such as chops, loin and tenderloin: the USDA minimum is 63°C / 145°F followed by a 3-minute rest. Ground pork and sausages need 71°C / 160°F.

Why do some recipes aim higher than the safe minimum?+

For texture. Ribs, pork shoulder and pulled pork are safe at 63°C / 145°F but still tough; they are cooked on to around 88-90°C / 190-195°F so the connective tissue breaks down.