At What Temperature Is Fish Considered Cooked?

The safe threshold is 63°C / 145°F, regardless of the fish's type, thickness, or cooking method. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part, from the side toward the center, without touching a bone. Measuring fish can seem difficult because it is thin, but an instant-read thermometer can do it without a problem. At this temperature, the texture is also where many people want it: the fish flakes apart but is not yet dry. The temperature also checks the recipe's timing: time is an estimate, while temperature is a measurement.

A lower target is often used for fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout. At 52–55°C / 125–130°F, the center remains darker in color, the texture is silky, and the fish is noticeably moister. This is a common preference both in restaurants and at home. However, it should be clear that this range is below the safe threshold and does not provide the full safety assurance of cooking to that threshold. If choosing it, you should know where the product came from.

There are situations when the threshold should not be lowered. Fish from an unknown source, fish that has been frozen and thawed, and fish that has been stored for a long time should be cooked to 63°C / 145°F. The same target applies to ground fish, fish patties, and fish mixtures because everything on the surface has been mixed into the interior. For bivalves and seafood such as shrimp, use visible signs rather than a measured temperature: mussels open, shrimp turn pink and curl, and squid becomes opaque. Do not lower the threshold for food prepared for pregnant women, children, older adults, or people with weakened immune systems.

If you do not have a thermometer, use a texture test; it is more reliable for fish than for meat. Insert a fork into the thickest part and turn it gently. The fish is cooked if it flakes apart and the center no longer looks translucent. For bony fish, there is another test: the flesh near the backbone is cooked if it separates easily from the bone. These two tests do not fully replace a thermometer, but the fish's thin structure leaves less room for error.

Fish also continues to rise in internal temperature for a while after it is removed from the heat, but the increase is much smaller than with red meat because the piece is thin and cools quickly. Even so, leaving a few °C of room can help with thick salmon slices. Fish does not need the long resting time used for red meat; 1–2 minutes is enough, and that much time passes while it is being brought to the plate anyway. Do not leave cooked fish at room temperature for more than 2 hours.