Master Your Meat Thermometer (The Right Way)

The Quick Take: How Do You Use a Meat Thermometer Correctly?

To use a meat thermometer correctly, insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding bone, fat, and gristle. For steaks or chicken breasts thinner than one inch, insert the probe horizontally through the side. Read the temperature while the food is still on the grill: USDA sets the safe minimum at 165°F for poultry, 160°F for ground meat, and 145°F for fish and for whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal (whole cuts then rest 3 minutes). Carryover cooking during the rest can take a steak to a preferred doneness above that, but never count on it to make poultry, ground meat or fish safe.

At a Glance: Meat Thermometer Essentials

Cooking over a live wood or charcoal fire requires precision. An instant-read meat thermometer is the only tool that guarantees your food is safe to eat and cooked to the exact doneness you want. Relying on touch tests or cutting into the meat lets valuable juices escape and leads to dry, overcooked food.

Different proteins require different target temperatures for safety and optimal texture. You must also account for the resting phase. The temperature you read on the grill is not the final temperature of the meat when you slice it.

Use this reference table to know when to take food off the heat. The number is the reading you want on your thermometer while the food is still on the cooktop, per the USDA safe temperature chart. For more cuts, see our internal temperature chart.

Food safety note: Medium-rare steak is cooked below the USDA's 145°F. Many people choose it for whole, intact cuts, but that is a personal choice. Cook to at least 145°F for anyone who is pregnant, older, very young, or has a weakened immune system, and never serve poultry, ground meat or fish below the temperatures in the table.

Where Exactly Should You Insert the Probe?

The biggest mistake beginners make is probing the wrong part of the meat. Your thermometer only reads the temperature at the very tip of the probe. If that tip is resting in a pocket of fat or touching a bone, you will get a false reading. Bone conducts heat faster than muscle, so meat directly next to a bone will read hotter than the rest of the cut.

For thick cuts like whole roasts or thick chicken breasts, insert the probe straight down from the top into the thickest part. For steaks, chops, and burgers under one inch thick, top-down probing is inaccurate. The tip will likely push completely through the center and measure the heat of the cooktop.

Follow this exact technique for thin cuts and steaks to guarantee an accurate reading every time:

1. Pick up the meat with your tongs to expose the side profile.
2. Insert the thermometer probe horizontally into the dead center of the cut.
3. Push the probe slightly past the center of the meat.
4. Slowly pull the probe back toward you while watching the digital display until you find the lowest temperature reading. That lowest number is your true internal temperature.

How Does Carryover Cooking Affect Your Target Temperature?

Cooking does not stop the second you take your food off the grill. The intense heat built up in the outer layers of the meat continues to drive inward while the meat rests on your cutting board. This phenomenon is called carryover cooking, and ignoring it is why your medium-rare steak often turns medium-well by the time you eat it.

For whole cuts of beef, pork or lamb that you want above the USDA minimum, take them off about 5°F below the doneness you're aiming for and let carryover finish the job. Poultry, ground meat and fish are different: take them off only once the reading on the grill has reached 165°F, 160°F and 145°F. For larger cuts like a whole pork loin or a thick tri-tip, carryover cooking can raise the internal temperature by up to 10°F during a 15-minute rest.

Pro Tip: For steaks, pull them off the grill about 5°F before the doneness you want. Carryover cooking brings them up while they rest on your cutting board.

Resting is non-negotiable. Beyond allowing the temperature to stabilize, resting gives the muscle fibers time to relax. This allows the juices, which were driven toward the center of the meat during cooking, to redistribute evenly. Slice too early, and those juices will flood your cutting board.

How Do You Manage Temperatures on the Arteflame Grill?

Using a meat thermometer correctly goes hand-in-hand with managing your heat zones. The Arteflame grill is built for this. The center grill grate sits directly over the wood or charcoal fire, reaching temperatures well over 1,000°F. This is where you sear to build a flavorful crust.

The flat solid-carbon steel cooktop that surrounds the center grate creates natural heat zones. It is hottest near the inner edge and gradually cools toward the outer edge. Because there are no knobs to turn and no lid to trap ambient heat, you control the cooking process entirely by moving the food.

• Sear your steaks or chops on the center grate for two minutes per side to build a crust, then move them to the flat cooktop to finish cooking.
• Use the cooler outer edges of the carbon steel cooktop to bring thick cuts up to your target temperature slowly and gently.
• If your thermometer shows the meat is heating up too fast, simply slide the food further outward away from the center fire.
• Because grease drains inward into the fire, you never have to worry about flare-ups ruining your temperature readings or scorching your food.

When your thermometer reaches the temperature in the table, slide the meat completely off the grill. While the grill is still warm, scrape any food residue directly into the center fire, wipe the cooktop with a cloth, and apply a thin coat of cooking oil to season it.

What Are the Most Common Thermometer Mistakes?

Even with the best instant-read thermometer, user error can ruin a great piece of meat. The most common error on a flat top grill is letting the probe touch the cooking surface. If you push the probe too far through a thin burger, the tip will contact the carbon steel cooktop and immediately read 400°F or higher.

Pro Tip: If your thermometer reading jumps suddenly to 200°F or higher, the tip of your probe has likely pushed all the way through the meat and is touching the hot solid-steel cooktop. Pull it back slightly for an accurate reading.

Another frequent mistake is failing to calibrate the thermometer. Digital thermometers can drift over time. To test yours, fill a glass with crushed ice and add a little cold water. Stir it, then insert the probe. It should read exactly 32°F (0°C). If it does not, follow the manufacturer instructions to reset it.

Finally, do not obsess over poking the meat. While a thermometer is essential, checking the temperature every thirty seconds will turn your steak into a pincushion, letting juices escape. Wait until the meat looks close to done—firming up and showing a good crust—before taking your first reading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you leave a meat thermometer in while grilling?

You cannot leave an instant-read thermometer in the meat while cooking over an open fire. The intense heat of the Arteflame center grate or cooktop will melt the plastic housing and destroy the electronics. Only use leave-in probe thermometers that are specifically rated for high-heat grilling, and keep the braided metal wires away from direct flames.

How often should you check the meat temperature?

Check the temperature sparingly. Wait until you have seared both sides of the meat and it has spent a few minutes in a moderate heat zone before taking your first reading. Probing too often punctures the crust and allows internal juices to leak out onto the cooktop.

How deep should a meat thermometer go?

The probe should go deep enough that the very tip rests in the exact geometric center of the thickest part of the meat. For most digital instant-read thermometers, the temperature sensor is located in the first quarter-inch of the tip. Ensure this specific section is in the middle of the cut, away from bone and fat.

Does poking meat with a thermometer dry it out?

Poking meat a few times with a thin thermometer probe will not noticeably dry it out. The amount of juice lost through a tiny probe hole is negligible compared to the moisture lost by accidentally overcooking the meat. Always prioritize hitting the correct internal temperature.