If you happen to purchase dear steaks, you want to know find out how to inform when meat is cooked. 

There’s lots on the road! Undercooked meat places you in danger for foodborne sickness. And if it’s overcooked? Effectively, that’s hard-earned money down the drain. And as of March 2025, common grocery costs had been roughly 2.4% larger than in March 2024, in keeping with Shopper Value Index (CPI) information (5). 

Cooking meat good means you get probably the most worth out of your meals funds. 

That’s why I’m breaking down find out how to inform when meat is cooked—so it’s secure, juicy, and by no means overdone. 

If you happen to’re utilizing Meal Planner to get extra protein-packed meals on the desk, you’ll positively need the following pointers in your again pocket.

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The Greatest Solution to Inform If Meat Is Cooked: A Meat Thermometer

The gold commonplace for temping meat is an efficient outdated meat thermometer. 

In line with the US Division of Agriculture, meat thermometers are the one approach to know for positive in case your protein is cooked to a secure inner temperature (1). 

If you’re cooking meat, it’s best to contemplate investing in and utilizing a meat thermometer each for security and to get juicy, completely cooked steak, hen, and pork each time.

The precise approach to make use of a meat thermometer

There’s no sense in utilizing it when you’re not utilizing it appropriately! So, maintain the following pointers in thoughts as you’re taking out the meat thermometer to temp your protein decide:

• Insert your clear meat thermometer into the thickest a part of your protein. 
• Keep away from hitting the bones, fats, or gristle to get probably the most correct studying. 
• Depart the thermometer in place for 15 seconds to get an correct studying.
• For bigger proteins (suppose: complete hen or brisket), temp a number of areas to make sure doneness. 

Secure inner temperatures 

Relying on the protein you’re cooking, the secure inner temperature will range (1,2). Screenshot and print this chart so you possibly can tape it to your fridge when you want a mild reminder!

Methods to Verify Meat Doneness With no Thermometer

So that you don’t have that thermometer but. Don’t stress! Enlisting the assistance of some chef’s secrets and techniques can take a look at if particular cuts of meat are executed. 

In line with MyFitnessPal’s registered dietitian, Emily Sullivan, the hand-test and cake-test strategies are two fast methods to examine for doneness. 

Nonetheless, have in mind these are greatest used for complete cuts of meat, like steaks, chops, or roasts. They’re not for floor meats.

Concerning the Specialists

Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT, is a diet professional, four-time cookbook creator and early diet pioneer within the area of fertility diet. She is the president and proprietor of the USA-based diet communications and consulting agency Shaw Easy Swaps.

Emily Sullivan, RD, is a meals information curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her bachelor’s diploma and accomplished her dietetic internship at The Ohio State College, and obtained her culinary arts diploma from Johnson and Wales College.

Hand take a look at

“The hand take a look at is a useful methodology for gauging the doneness of meat through the use of the texture of your hand,” says Sullivan. 

Right here’s find out how to use your hand as a information to assist take a look at for doneness.

• Uncooked: Open your palm and press the world beneath your thumb. This very tender really feel matches a uncooked steak.
• Uncommon: Contact your thumb to index finger and press the bottom of your thumb. This barely firmer really feel matches uncommon steak.
• Medium-Uncommon: Contact your thumb to your center finger and press the bottom of your thumb. This firmer really feel matches medium-rare steak.
• Medium: Contact your thumb to ring finger and press the bottom of your thumb. This even firmer really feel matches medium steak.
• Effectively-Accomplished: Contact your thumb to pinky and press the bottom of your thumb. This very agency really feel matches well-done steak.

Cake tester

Sullivan additionally says you possibly can take a look at meat doneness with a cake tester. (A cake tester is a skinny steel skewer used to examine if baked items are executed.) 

It’s a way usually utilized by cooks in eating places as a substitute for a meat thermometer. 

Right here’s the way it’s executed:

Step 1: Insert a cake tester, or skinny skewer into the thickest a part of the meat. Depart it in for about 3 seconds.

Step 2:  Take away the tester, and evenly press it to your wrist. 

Step 3: Assess the tester’s temperature, If it feels:

• Chilly: the meat is uncommon
• Heat: it’s medium-rare
• Sizzling: the meat is well-done

Take note: If you happen to’re cooking a poultry protein, like a hen breast or turkey leg, it ought to be nearer to white than pink if you reduce into it. If it’s pink and has pink juices operating out, it might not be executed. 

Professional Tricks to Keep away from Overcooking 

While you’re hungry, it’s tempting to crank up the warmth to prepare dinner your meat sooner. However, nosh on some veggies and let the meat prepare dinner in keeping with the advisable recipe temperature to keep away from overcooking. 

Attempt these different ideas from Sullivan to get probably the most out of your meat:

• Watch the time and temperature: Prepare dinner meat slowly over medium warmth to keep away from burning or drying it out.
• Let it relaxation earlier than chopping: Give meat a couple of minutes to relaxation after cooking so the juices can redistribute. Reducing too quickly may cause them to expire, leaving the meat dry.
• Use the suitable strategies: Sluggish-cooking or braising with liquid retains meat tender and juicy—particularly useful when you’re not utilizing a thermometer.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions (FAQs)

The Backside Line

Utilizing a meat thermometer is the most secure approach to make sure your meat is cooked correctly with out overcooking it. 

If a thermometer isn’t out there, dietitian Emily Sullivan with MyFitnessPal recommends utilizing the hand-test and cake-test strategies to check for doneness. These fast exams will help forestall overcooking your proteins. Plus, enlisting the assistance of carryover cooking, moist-heat cooking strategies, and naturally, frequent sense, will help take advantage of out of your protein picks. 

The publish How to Know When Your Meat is Actually Cooked Without Overcooking It appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Meal prepping helps you keep on observe together with your diet targets—however how lengthy does meal prep final earlier than your proteins flip dry or unappetizing? In case you’ve ever opened a container midweek to seek out your hen rubbery or your tofu soggy, you understand the battle. There’s hope. With the appropriate cooking and storage methods, your proteins can keep moist, flavorful, and able to eat all week.

It’s not nearly the way you prepare dinner your proteins—you’ve gotta retailer them the appropriate manner too. Treating your proteins proper not solely retains them moist and scrumptious but additionally helps you narrow down on meals waste, get monetary savings, and make wholesome consuming a lot simpler (5). 

When your meals keep recent, you’re extra prone to stick together with your plan as a substitute of scrambling for a last-minute quick meals meal as a result of you must toss your prepped turkey burgers that look and scent a bit … off.

Preserve studying for easy recommendations on the best way to prepare dinner, retailer, and reheat your proteins so that they keep juicy, tasty, and protected all week lengthy.

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What to Know Earlier than Cooking Your Protein for the Week

A number of strategic selections earlier than you begin cooking might help get essentially the most out of your meal prep efforts (4).

Select the appropriate cuts 

Not all cuts maintain up properly for meal prep. For hen, thighs keep juicier longer than breasts due to their larger fats content material (2). In case you like leaner cuts, marinating or utilizing a sauce might help forestall dryness (4). For fish, oilier varieties like salmon or trout maintain moisture higher than leaner white fish (3). 

Sear and marinate to retain moisture

“Marinating meats earlier than grilling might help add taste and maintain them moist,” says Emily Sullivan, a dietitian with MyFitnessPal (6). 

Marinades (like olive oil, citrus, and yogurt) assist lock in moisture and stop protein from drying out within the fridge (6). That is additionally true for watery marinades like soy sauce and vinegar-based blends—additionally they improve moisture in your protein, so it gained’t dry out as rapidly (6).

“Marinating proteins in fermented dairy merchandise can enhance the juiciness of proteins,” says Sullivan (6). Dry rubs are additionally nice for moisture retention as a result of they assist tenderize the meat, which improves texture in addition to taste (7).

“Brining proteins earlier than cooking is one other nice approach to improve the moisture content material of meat,” notes Sullivan. It’s choice for leaner cuts like hen breast or pork loin (8).

“Cooking floor beef with a small quantity of baking soda could make it extra moist,” Sullivan explains. This system adjustments the pH stage, so the bottom beef retains extra moisture (9).

Concerning the Specialists

Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, is a nationally acknowledged meals and diet knowledgeable, media persona, diet marketing consultant, and writer. Cassetty is a former diet director for Good Housekeeping and the co-author of the ebook Sugar Shock.

Emily Sullivan, RD is a meals knowledge curator at MyFitnessPal. She earned her bachelor’s diploma and accomplished her dietetic internship at The Ohio State College, and obtained her culinary arts diploma from Johnson and Wales College.

Listed below are one of the best lean protein choices for meal prep that gained’t dry out rapidly 

Sullivan suggests specializing in these lean proteins when meal prepping. 

• Beans, saved of their cooking liquid
• Laborious boiled eggs
• Braised hen breast, saved in its braising liquid. 
• Tuna or hen salad made with Greek yogurt and veggies corresponding to celery, onion and radish 
• Tofu 
• 93/7 floor beef cooked with baking soda (9) 
• Floor turkey or hen cooked in a sauce or blended with a sauce after cooking

Sensible Cooking Methods to Lock In Moisture

The way you prepare dinner your protein makes an enormous distinction in whether or not it stays juicy or dries out by midweek. Listed below are some professional tricks to make them keep moist longer.

Low and sluggish—baking, braising, sluggish cooking—is finest for more durable cuts of meat like pork shoulder or beef chuck (4). “Braising proteins and storing them of their cooking liquid helps to each add and retain moisture and taste,” says Sullivan (4).

Excessive warmth—grilling, searing, or roasting—works properly for lean proteins like hen breast and fish, however it’s straightforward to go too far and find yourself with one thing dry and hard.(4). “Avoiding overcooking your proteins will assist maintain them moist,” says Sullivan (4). Utilizing a meat thermometer will make sure you prepare dinner your meat to the right temperature so it is going to have the proper texture (1). 

In case you’re cooking with excessive warmth, attempt overlaying your protein with a lid midway by way of—this helps entice steam and lock in moisture.(4).

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Cooking methods for various proteins

Listed below are some cooking strategies to prepare dinner your proteins so that they keep moist longer.

• Rooster. Season, then sear all sides over medium-high warmth (4). Flip down the warmth and canopy to complete cooking (4). Ensure that the hen is 165°F as registered with a meat thermometer (1). 
• Beef & Pork. This is determined by the reduce, however for pork chops, you possibly can prepare dinner them just like hen (4). Nonetheless, pork must be cooked to an inner temperature of 145°F (1).
• Fish. Thick cuts, like salmon and halibut, can deal with a grill, however for skinny, flaky cuts, you wish to pan-sear rapidly (3). You may as well prepare dinner fish within the oven in parchment or foil to lock in moisture (3).
• Tofu. Press tofu earlier than cooking to take away extra water. On this case, it is going to protect the feel higher to take away the moisture.

Storage Methods to Preserve Protein Juicy

Don’t underestimate the function of storage on the subject of holding meal-prepped proteins juicy. Listed below are some storage ideas that may assist.

Easy methods to retailer meal-prepped proteins

For starters, use hermetic containers to stop moisture loss and keep away from contamination (1). Label every container with the date you made it in addition to the date it should be eaten or frozen earlier than (1).

For further moisture, retailer proteins with a bit broth, sauce, or cooking juices—that is particularly helpful for lean proteins like hen breast or pork loin. “In the event that they had been cooked in a flavorful liquid, retailer them in that very same liquid,” suggests Sullivan. “They’ll proceed to soak up the flavour of the liquid as they sit all through the week.” 

Lastly, retailer prepped proteins on the center shelf, the place the temperature is most constant (1). Keep away from placing your prepped substances in areas of the fridge the place you’ll overlook about them! And for freezer storage, wrap proteins tightly in freezer-safe luggage, vacuum-sealed pouches, or hermetic containers to stop freezer burn (1).

Fridge vs. freezer

In case you’re meal-prepping for a full week, you’ll must freeze some parts. 

Cooked proteins final three to 4 days within the fridge, however freezing extends their shelf life for as much as three months (1). 

Right here’s the best way to maintain meals protected when defrosting (1):

• Thaw proteins in a single day within the fridge.
• For a sooner choice, submerge the sealed container in chilly water, altering the water each half-hour.
• Microwave, overlaying your meals and including liquid and stirring as wanted (1).

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Easy methods to Reheat With out Drying Out

 Listed below are one of the best strategies to maintain your meals flavorful and juicy (1):

• Reheat in a skillet over low to medium warmth with a splash of broth, water, or sauce, and canopy to entice steam.
• Place protein in an oven-safe dish with a bit liquid. Cowl with foil and bake.
• Place protein in a microwave-safe dish, cowl with a humid paper towel, and warmth briefly intervals. Stir or flip between intervals for even heating.

Regardless of which technique you employ, use a thermometer to ensure your meals reaches an inner temperature of 165°F. In case you use a microwave, examine in a number of locations, as microwave cooking can go away chilly spots (1). 

Reheating don’ts

• Keep away from excessive warmth—it dries out proteins and makes them rubbery.
• Don’t reheat a number of occasions. 
• Watch out with the microwave since uneven heating can go away some components too sizzling whereas others stay chilly (1).
• Keep away from utilizing a sluggish cooker to reheat your meals, as it might permit micro organism to multiply (10).
• Don’t overlook to reheat leftovers to 165°F as registered with a meat thermometer (1).

Regularly Requested Questions (FAQs)

Ought to I cool proteins earlier than storing them?

No, it isn’t really helpful. For faster cooling, separate your meals into smaller containers earlier than putting them within the fridge. If you wish to keep away from condensation, you possibly can let your proteins cool within the fridge for a couple of minutes with out a lid (1).

How lengthy does meal-prepped protein final within the fridge?

Meal-prepped protein can final within the fridge for 3 to 4 days when saved correctly (1).

Can I freeze all sorts of cooked protein?

You’ll be able to freeze all sorts of cooked proteins excluding eggs of their shells (1, 11). 

What’s the easiest way to maintain hen moist when meal prepping?

Marinate your hen after which sear each side in a sizzling skillet (4). Then flip down the warmth and canopy to lock within the moisture whereas it finishes cooking (4).

Does storing protein with sauce assist maintain it from drying out?

Storing protein, like hen, with sauce, broth, marinade, or one other liquid will assist maintain it juicier. 

The Backside Line

Meal-prepping protein the appropriate manner ensures your meals keep recent, juicy, and appetizing. Selecting the best cuts and utilizing moisture-retaining cooking strategies helps lock in taste and stop dryness (2, 3, 4). Correct storage can also be a should to increase freshness and scale back meals waste (1). When it’s time to eat, reheat your proteins with extra moisture to make sure one of the best outcomes (1). 

The publish How To Store Prepped Protein So It Stays Juicy All Week appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.