Chicken breast cooking time and internal temperature – how to get it right

Chicken breast is one of the safest weeknight choices: it cooks quickly, works with almost any flavour and is an affordable way to get protein on the plate. Yet chicken is also the easiest meat to overcook. A few degrees too many and a juicy fillet turns dry and stringy. The good news is that nothing here is guesswork: once you know the right internal temperature and how to measure it, chicken works every time.

The right internal temperature for chicken breast

Poultry should be cooked through to at least 75°C. Food safety authorities give this figure for home kitchens, and it applies to chicken breast too. Unlike beef, chicken has no medium-rare option: it is always cooked all the way through.

A practical tip: take the fillet off the heat slightly before the target, because the temperature keeps rising a few degrees while it rests. If the thermometer reads about 72–73°C and you let the meat rest, it reaches a safe 75°C without drying out.

How to measure the temperature correctly

How you measure matters more than the clock. Push the tip of the thermometer into the thickest part of the fillet, ideally at an angle from the side, so the tip stays in the centre of the meat and does not touch the pan or the dish. If you are cooking several fillets, measure the thickest one — it finishes last.

Timing is a useful guide as long as you treat it as approximate. Cooking time depends on the thickness and weight of the fillet, its starting temperature and the power of your hob or oven. Use the clock as a rough frame and the thermometer as the check.

In a pan

A standard fillet of roughly 150–200 grams takes about 5–8 minutes per side over medium heat. A thick fillet can be butterflied or gently flattened so it cooks faster and more evenly. Turn it only once or twice so the surface has time to brown properly.

In the oven

At 175–200°C the same fillet usually needs about 20–25 minutes. The oven is handy when you cook several fillets at once or want to roast vegetables on the same tray. Sear the surface in a pan first if you want both colour and even doneness.

How to keep chicken juicy

Dry chicken is usually the result of cooking it too long, but preparation matters as well. Take the fillet out of the fridge about 15 minutes before cooking, pat the surface dry and season it in good time. A hot pan and an unhurried browning bring flavour that cooking alone cannot give.

Rest the fillet for a few minutes, lightly covered, before slicing. The juices settle back into the meat instead of running onto the board. Slice against the grain for a more tender bite.

When you want to try chicken in a new way, try this chicken curry in a creamy sauce — quick cooking and generous seasoning at their best.