What Temperature Should a BBQ Be?
High Heat (230–350°C / 450–650°F):
Quick-cooking meats like steaks, burgers, and kebabs.
Medium-High (190–230°C / 375–450°F):
Sausages and chicken breasts.
Medium-Low/Low (120–175°C / 250–350°F):
Slow-cooked meats like pulled pork, brisket and ribs.
How to Measure BBQ Pit Temperature?
You can measure BBQ pit temperature using an air thermometer probe. These clip onto your grill grate to give an accurate reading inside the BBQ.
We recommend the Pro-Series Air Temperature Probe for this. It can be paired with the DOT, RFX GATEWAY, BlueDOT Smoke, Signals or ChefAlarm thermometers to keep track of your pit temperature while you cook. This helps keep things steady throughout low-and-slow cooks like pulled pork and brisket.
Want your pit temperature to automatically stay on track? Attach the Billows BBQ Temperature Control Fan to your grill, and it will maintain your desired pit temperature for you, adding air whenever the temperature drops.
BBQ Meat Temperature Chart
Pull temp vs cooked: stop cooking at the pull temp — it will rise to the cooked temp as it rests. Pull temps are estimated and may be affected by size, thickness and method.
| Pull Temp | Cooked Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | ||
| Rare | 47-51 °C | 50-54 °C |
| Medium rare | 51-54 °C | 54-57 °C |
| Medium | 54-60 °C | 57-63 °C |
| Medium Well | 60-65 °C | 63-68 °C |
| Well Done | 65-68 °C | 68-71 °C |
| Beef burgers | 72 °C | 75 °C |
| Brisket | 90-95 °C |
| Pull Temp | Cooked Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Lamb | ||
| Rare | 47-51 °C | 50-54 °C |
| Medium Rare | 51-54 °C | 54-57 °C |
| Medium | 54-60 °C | 67-63 °C |
| Medium Well | 60-65 °C | 63-68 °C |
| Well Done | 65-68 °C | 68-71 °C |
| Shoulder (Pulled) | 95 °C |
| Pull Temp | Cooked Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | ||
| Medium | 60 °C | 63 °C |
| Well done | 69 °C | 71 °C |
| Sausages | 72 °C | 75 °C |
| Pulled Pork | 95 °C | |
| Ribs | 95 °C |
| Pull Temp | Cooked Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | ||
| Breast | 71 °C | 74 °C |
| Legs/thighs/wings | 85-90 °C |
| Pull Temp | Cooked Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Minced Meat | ||
| Beef, Lamb, Pork | 72 °C | 75 °C |
| Fish | 57 °C | 60 °C |
Best BBQ Meat thermometers
Thermapen ONE
Best for: Spot-Checking
Rapid readings and an ultra-fine probe make the Thermapen ONE perfect for checking thin cuts like steaks, burgers and wings. Use it to double-check the tenderness of low-and-slow cooks like pulled pork, ribs, and brisket.
1-second readings. ±0.3 °C accuracy. Waterproof and backlit — essential for BBQ lovers.
RFX Starter kit
Best for: Wireless Monitoring
Track your cooks from your phone or tablet with RFX — no dropouts, just perfect results. Built with powerful radio-frequency wireless tech, RFX blasts readings through thick walls, ovens, and smokers with ease over long ranges.
Keep your grill closed and receive an alert when your meat is juicy and tender.
DOT Alarm Thermometer
Best for: Simple Tracking
Want an alert when your meat is cooked, without any wireless tech? DOT couldn’t be easier. Set your temperature using the up/down arrows, insert the probe, and watch the temperature climb on the screen.
A loud alarm will let you know when your food is perfectly cooked.
BBQ Recipes & Guides
BBQ FAQs
What Temperature Should BBQ Chicken Be?
Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 74 °C.
Chicken breast is a lean cut, so cooking higher than 74 °C will cause it to lose essential moisture and become dry.
Chicken legs, thighs and wings are fatty, bone-in cuts. Cooking them to a higher temperature allows fat and connective tissues to break down, becoming tender and melting in the mouth.
Read our chicken temperature guide to learn more.
What Temperature Should Burgers Be?
Burgers need to reach 75 °C throughout to be safe to eat. This is because they are made of minced meat. Unlike whole cuts like steak, minced meat needs to be thoroughly cooked all the way through to kill all of the bacteria.
Read our beef temperature guide to learn more.
What is BBQ Stall?
BBQ stall is when the internal temperature of low-and-slow cooks, like pulled pork or brisket, plateaus at around 65-75 °C. It can last for several hours.
BBQ stall occurs because moisture evaporates from the meat’s surface, which has a cooling effect just like sweating. Wrapping the meat in paper or foil once it reaches the stall temperature allows it to continue cooking.
What is the Difference Between Pull and Cooked Temps?
The pull temperature is when you should remove your meat from the BBQ. The cooked temperature is the peak temperature you want it to reach as it rests. Meat continues cooking as it rests, so removing it at the pull temperature prevents overcooking and helps you land on the finish you want.
Read our carryover cooking guide to learn more.
How Do I Keep My BBQ Pit Temperature Steady?
Use quality fuel and a controlled fire, adjust vents gently to manage airflow, and avoid opening the lid too often. For hands-off consistency, the Billows BBQ Control Fan automatically regulates airflow to maintain your target temperature.