How to Use a Meat Thermometer

To use a meat thermometer, push the probe into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone and fat, wait until the number stops moving, then check a second spot before you call it done. How to use a meat thermometer well comes down to three habits: placing the sensing area in the right spot, giving the reading enough time to settle, and knowing whether your thermometer is still accurate. This guide walks through each step, the right depth for each thermometer type, and which probes can stay in the meat while it cooks.

This guide covers thermometer technique and draws on public food safety guidance from the CDC and university extension services. It is not medical advice. If you think someone has a foodborne illness, contact a healthcare provider.

Why color and juices are not enough

The CDC’s food safety guidance is direct: “The only way to tell if food is safely cooked is to use a food thermometer.” It adds that you cannot judge doneness by color and texture, with seafood as the one exception. A thermometer replaces that guesswork with a number you can act on.

A thermometer also protects quality. Penn State Extension notes that using one “takes the guesswork out of deciding if food is done,” which prevents the overcooking that leaves meat dry and tough. The same article cites federal survey data: 67% of adults have a food thermometer at home, but only 14% of home meal preparers use one in a typical week.

How to use a meat thermometer, step by step

1. Confirm accuracy before a big cook. Put the stem in a glass of ice water and look for 32°F. The full method is in the calibration section below.
2. Start checking near the end, not at the end. A University of Maryland Extension fact sheet advises checking “towards the end of cooking time, but before the food is expected to be done.” That gives you room to pull the meat on time instead of discovering it ran past your target.
3. Find the thickest part. Insert the probe so the sensing area sits in the center of the thickest section, away from bones and fat.
4. Insert to the right depth for your thermometer. A digital probe senses near the tip, while a dial stem must go in up to the dimple mark. See the table below.
5. Keep the probe off the pan and grate. The Maryland fact sheet says the thermometer should never touch the bottom or edge of the pan. The same logic applies to a cast iron skillet or the grate of a smoker.
6. Wait for the reading to settle. The Maryland fact sheet says to wait 10 to 20 seconds after inserting before you read it. For bimetal dial stems, Penn State Extension’s calibration video says to leave the stem in for at least 15 seconds before taking a final reading.
7. Check a second location. Penn State Extension recommends inserting the thermometer into the thickest part of the food “at two different locations.” On an uneven cut like a tri-tip or a whole bird, go by the lower of the two readings.
8. Compare with the safe minimum internal temperature. Each food has its own minimum. Check the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart for the temperature and any rest time for each food.
9. Clean the probe. Wash it before it touches anything else, especially if you probed raw or partly cooked meat.

How deep to insert each type of thermometer

Depth matters because each design measures temperature over a different part of the stem. The Maryland fact sheet explains that a dial instant-read thermometer averages the temperature along the probe, from the tip to 2 to 3 inches up the stem, so a shallow insertion reads partly from the surface. A digital probe measures near the tip, which is why Penn State Extension’s video describes digital models as easier to use with thinner foods like hamburgers.

Sources: Penn State Extension, Kansas State University, and the University of Maryland Extension fact sheet linked above. The two digital depth figures differ slightly; inserting at least ½ inch satisfies both.

Where to put the probe in different foods

Steaks, chops, and roasts

Insert the probe into the thickest part and away from bones or fat, per the Maryland fact sheet. On a bone-in rib roast or pork chop, angle the probe so the tip lands in the center of the muscle rather than against the bone. For a large roast on a pellet grill, take the two readings Penn State Extension recommends, for example one in the center and one in the thickest end.

Burgers and thin cuts

Insert the thermometer sideways into a patty, from the edge toward the center, as the Maryland fact sheet describes. Penn State Extension gives the same advice for dial thermometers used with thin foods: insert the stem horizontally. A digital instant-read probe is the practical choice here, because a dial stem that needs 2 inches of contact cannot get it in a thin burger.

Whole chicken and turkey

Kansas State University advises checking whole poultry in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and in the thickest part of the breast. The Maryland fact sheet adds that the probe should go into the inner thigh near the breast, avoiding any bones. On a whole turkey that will smoke for hours, this means at least three checks before you pull it: thigh, wing, and breast.

Ground meat loaves and casseroles

For a meatloaf, insert the thermometer into the thickest part. For casseroles, go into the center or thickest part without touching the side or bottom of the pan. Both points come from the Maryland fact sheet.

Can you leave a thermometer in meat while cooking?

Only if it was designed for that. Kansas State University lists two types that can stay in: a dial oven-safe thermometer, which “can be left in the food while cooking large foods like whole poultry and roasts,” and a digital oven probe with a cord, whose base unit sits on the counter or stovetop. Instant-read thermometers, both dial and digital, are listed as not oven-safe. The Maryland fact sheet says the same: instant-read models “are not designed to remain in food while it is cooking.”

North Dakota State University Extension adds a specific warning: “Do not leave thermometers with plastic lens covers in foods during cooking.” Its advice is to use a meat thermometer “or other thermometer that can withstand the heat of the oven.”

For pellet grills and smokers, a practical workflow uses both kinds. Run a leave-in probe in the thickest part of the meat so you can track progress without lifting the lid every few minutes. When it nears your target, confirm with an instant-read thermometer in a second spot, since one probe position cannot represent an entire brisket flat or a whole bird. If your grill came with a wired meat probe, follow its manual for placement and cable routing.

Pop-up indicators deserve the same caution. Kansas State University says to always double-check doneness with a conventional thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh and thickest part of the breast.

How to use a digital meat thermometer

Penn State Extension’s video gives a short sequence for a digital model: turn the unit on, then insert the tip into the thickest part of the meat so the tip sits in the center of the item, and take the temperature in two locations. Because the sensor is at the tip, you do not need to bury the whole stem.

Digital models have a few trade-offs. The same video notes that they need new batteries on occasion and can break if they are dropped or get wet. Most cannot be recalibrated: Penn State Extension’s article says that if a digital thermometer does not read 32°F in ice water, replace it. NDSU Extension notes that some digital models can be calibrated, so check the manual for a reset or calibration function before replacing one.

How to check and calibrate a meat thermometer

Penn State Extension says thermometers used for food should be accurate to plus or minus 2°F. The ice water method is the simplest way to confirm that:

1. Fill a large glass with crushed ice, then add water to the top and stir.
2. Insert the stem at least 2 inches into the center of the glass, without touching the sides or bottom.
3. Wait about 30 seconds, or until the dial or display stops changing.
4. Read it. A correct thermometer shows 32°F.
5. For a dial thermometer that is off, keep the stem in the ice water and turn the calibration nut under the dial head with a small wrench or pliers until it reads 32°F.

The Maryland fact sheet adds one detail: hold the thermometer by the head, not the stem, because handling the stem affects the reading.

The boiling water method is the alternative. Penn State Extension’s video says a thermometer in boiling water should read 212°F, but elevation changes the boiling point of water. NDSU Extension says to decrease the setting by 1°F for each 550 feet above sea level and recommends the ice point method for high altitudes. If you cook in the mountains, ice water is the easier check.

How often to check depends on whom you ask. Penn State Extension’s video says dial stems can be calibrated as often as each day and anytime the unit is dropped. The Maryland fact sheet calls daily ideal but at least weekly. NDSU Extension says at least once a month. For a home cook, a sensible routine is to check before any long cook, like an overnight pork shoulder, and again after any drop.

Cleaning and storing your thermometer

Penn State Extension says to wash the thermometer stem in hot soapy water, dry it, and return it to its protective sheath, and to hand-wash unless the instructions say otherwise. Its video adds that you can dip the stem in a sanitizing solution or wipe it with an alcohol pad. The Maryland fact sheet recommends cleaning before and after every use, including the storage case, and warns that the probe is sharp. Store the thermometer where it will not get knocked around in a drawer: NDSU Extension notes that thermometers “can get out of adjustment if they are jarred.”

FAQ

How do you use a meat thermometer?

Insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat, and the pan. Wait until the reading stops changing (the Maryland fact sheet suggests 10 to 20 seconds), then check a second spot. Compare the lower reading with the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart, which gives the temperature and any rest time for each food.

How do you use a digital meat thermometer?

Turn it on, insert the tip into the center of the thickest part, and read it once the number settles. Penn State Extension lists a reading time of 2 to 10 seconds for digital models and an insertion depth of ¼ to ½ inch or deeper. Check accuracy in ice water from time to time.

Can you leave a thermometer in meat while cooking?

Only oven-safe dial thermometers and probes designed for leave-in use, such as a digital probe with a cord to an outside display. Instant-read thermometers are not oven-safe, and NDSU Extension warns against leaving thermometers with plastic lens covers in food during cooking.

Where do you put the thermometer in a whole chicken or turkey?

Kansas State University advises the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Keep the probe off the bone.

How do you know if a meat thermometer is accurate?

Place the stem at least 2 inches into a glass of ice water without touching the sides or bottom. After about 30 seconds it should read 32°F. Adjust a dial model with its calibration nut; replace a digital model that is off unless its manual describes a calibration function.

How long should you leave the thermometer in the meat?

Long enough for the reading to stabilize. Penn State Extension lists 2 to 10 seconds for digital models, 15 to 20 seconds for dial instant-read models, and 1 to 2 minutes for oven-safe dial thermometers.

A meat thermometer only gives useful numbers when it is accurate, placed in the thickest part of the food, and given time to settle. Check it in ice water before long cooks, probe more than one spot, and match each food against the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart.

About the author