Can I eat a soft-boiled egg with a runny yolk safely?

Soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks are not recommended by the USDA because the yolk may not reach 160°F (71°C). The white should be fully set. If you choose to eat them, use pasteurized eggs or eggs from a reliable source, and avoid them if you are in a high-risk group such as pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised.

What temperature kills Salmonella in eggs?

Salmonella is killed instantly at 160°F (71°C). At lower temperatures, it dies more slowly—for example, at 140°F (60°C) it takes about 3.5 minutes. The USDA uses 160°F as the safe internal temperature for cooked eggs to ensure immediate destruction.

Do I need a thermometer to check if eggs are safe?

No. For most cooking methods, you can rely on visual cues: the white should be completely opaque and firm, and the yolk should be thickened and not runny. A thermometer is helpful for baked dishes like casseroles or custards where the center is hard to judge by sight.

Are pasteurized eggs safe to eat raw?

Yes. Pasteurized eggs are heated in-shell to 140°F (60°C) for 3.5 minutes, which kills Salmonella without cooking the egg. They are safe to use in raw preparations like homemade mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, or meringues. Check the carton label to confirm the eggs are pasteurized.

Safe Internal Temperature for Cooked Eggs: Yolk and White Guidelines

What "Safe Internal Temperature" Means for Eggs

Unlike whole cuts of meat, eggs are a single-ingredient food that firms up as it heats. The safe internal temperature for cooked eggs is the point at which both the yolk and the white have reached a heat level that destroys Salmonella bacteria, the main pathogen of concern in raw eggs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends cooking eggs until the yolk and white are firm. The commonly cited benchmark is 160°F (71°C), which is the temperature at which the entire egg—yolk and white together—is considered safe to eat immediately.

Because eggs are small and cook quickly, the internal temperature is rarely measured directly. Instead, visual cues—firm whites and thickened yolks—are the practical indicators. However, for recipes that call for a precise temperature, such as custards or sous-vide eggs, knowing the target number matters.

A digital thermometer inserted into a cooked egg on a plate

Temperature Guidelines for the Yolk

The yolk is the part of the egg that remains soft and runny at lower temperatures. A raw yolk begins to thicken around 145°F (63°C) and becomes fully set at roughly 158°F (70°C). For safety, the yolk must reach at least 160°F (71°C) if you want it fully cooked.

If you prefer a soft-cooked egg with a runny yolk, the white must still be fully set, and the yolk should be heated to at least 140°F (60°C) for several minutes to reduce risk. However, the USDA does not endorse eating undercooked yolks, especially for children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

For recipes like hollandaise sauce or Caesar dressing that use raw or lightly cooked yolks, the standard recommendation is to heat the yolk mixture to 160°F (71°C) to ensure safety, or to use pasteurized eggs instead.

Yolk State	Temperature	Safety Note
Runny / soft	Below 160°F (71°C)	Not recommended for high-risk groups
Thickened but soft	145–158°F (63–70°C)	Still undercooked by USDA standards
Fully set	160°F (71°C) or above	Safe for everyone

Temperature Guidelines for the White

The white contains the majority of the egg's protein and sets at a lower temperature than the yolk. Egg whites begin to coagulate around 144°F (62°C) and become completely firm at about 150°F (66°C).

For food safety, the white must reach at least 160°F (71°C) just like the yolk, even though it looks done at a lower temperature. A white that is still translucent or slippery indicates it has not reached a safe heat level.

When frying or poaching eggs, the white often cooks faster than the yolk. You can use this to your advantage: cook the white until it is completely opaque and firm, which usually means the yolk has also received enough heat to be safe if you prefer it fully cooked.

White State	Temperature	Safety Note
Translucent / raw	Below 144°F (62°C)	Unsafe—may contain Salmonella
Opaque but soft	144–150°F (62–66°C)	Looks set but not fully safe
Firm and white	160°F (71°C) or above	Safe for everyone

How to Measure Egg Temperature at Home

Most home cooks don't use a thermometer for eggs because the cooking time is short and the food is small. But if you want precision, an instant-read thermometer is the best tool. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the yolk or white, avoiding the pan bottom, and wait for the reading to stabilize.

For baked dishes like quiche, frittata, or egg casseroles, the target internal temperature is the same 160°F (71°C). Insert the thermometer into the center of the dish, not near the edges, because the middle is the last part to cook.

Note that eggs continue to cook after you remove them from heat due to residual heat. If you pull a custard at 155°F (68°C), it may rise to 160°F (71°C) as it rests. This "carryover cooking" matters when you're aiming for a precise texture.

Use an instant-read thermometer, not a meat thermometer with a thick probe.
Insert the probe into the yolk center for whole eggs, or the center of the dish for baked eggs.
Clean the thermometer probe with soap and hot water before and after each use to avoid cross contamination.
Calibrate your thermometer in ice water periodically to ensure accuracy.

A hand holding an instant-read thermometer above a baked egg dish

Why 160°F (71°C) Is the Standard

Salmonella bacteria are killed when they are held at 160°F (71°C) for a few seconds. This temperature is high enough to denature the proteins in the egg, which is why the yolk and white become firm at this point. Lower temperatures can also kill Salmonella if held longer, but the USDA chose 160°F as a simple, reliable target for home cooking.

Eggs can be contaminated on the outside of the shell or inside the egg. Even clean, uncracked eggs can contain Salmonella, which is why the USDA advises cooking eggs thoroughly rather than relying on the egg's appearance or the hen's health.

Commercial pasteurization heats eggs to 140°F (60°C) for 3.5 minutes, which destroys pathogens without cooking the egg. This is why pasteurized eggs are safe to use in raw preparations. At home, you cannot easily replicate this process, so cooking to 160°F remains the safest approach.

Special Cases: Sous-Vide, Custards, and Meringues

Sous-vide eggs are cooked at precise temperatures to achieve specific textures. A 63°C (145°F) egg has a runny yolk and set white, but this is not considered safe by USDA standards unless the egg is held at that temperature for at least 30 minutes. The longer hold time compensates for the lower temperature.

Custards and sauces like crème anglaise or lemon curd are safe when they reach 160°F (71°C) and thicken enough to coat a spoon. The thickening itself is a sign that the eggs have coagulated, which happens at the same temperature range as safety.

Meringues made with raw egg whites are a known risk. Swiss and Italian meringues are safer because the sugar syrup heats the whites to at least 160°F (71°C) during preparation. French meringues, which use raw whites, should be avoided by high-risk individuals unless made with pasteurized whites.