Can Meatloaf Be Pink Inside? (2024)

FAQs

Can Meatloaf Be Pink Inside? ›

To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked. The pink color can be due to a reaction between the oven heat and myoglobin, which causes a red or pink color.

Nitrates are natural chemicals that bind proteins in the meat to prevent them from releasing oxygen molecules during cooking. Due to this, the meat's proteins still contain oxygen which can cause it to retain a pink color inside, even when it is fully cooked.

As noted above, the most reliable way to tell when meatloaf is done is by checking the internal temperature of the meatloaf with an instant-read thermometer, inserting it into the center of the meatloaf. Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

When a patty is cooked to 160 degrees F throughout, it can be safe and juicy, regardless of color. Eating pink ground beef patties without first verifying that the safe temperature of 160 degrees F is reached is a significant risk factor for foodborne illness (Kassenborg et al, 1998; slu*tsker et al, 1998).

Cooking at a higher temperature also creates a temperature gradient where the outside gets much hotter than the inside, which can result in an unevenly cooked meatloaf. The outer layer of the meatloaf can dry out and even become overly browned or crusty before the middle reaches the desired internal temperature.

Because doneness and safety cannot be judged by color, it is very important to use a food thermometer when cooking ground beef. To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked.

meatloaf is made with ground beef (or turkey) -- and that's fairly pink when it's undercooked. Did you not notice that the first time you ate it? If it's only slightly pink you're fine. If it was undercooked to the point of being dangerous it would have tasted raw.

Your question is a great reminder that color is not a reliable indicator of doneness in ground beef. A ground beef patty or meatloaf cooked to the required temperature of 160 F (71 C) is safe. Yet under certain conditions it may still be pink in color.

When making meatloaf, the recipe will tell you about how long to bake it. But it might not also tell you what the internal temperature of the meatloaf should be when it's completely cooked and safe to eat: 160 degrees F.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

What happens if I eat undercooked ground beef? ›

Raw and undercooked meat may carry harmful bacteria including AMR bacteria. When meat is minced, harmful bacteria from the surface of the raw meat are mixed throughout the whole piece. Thorough cooking of meat including burger patties and steaks can reduce the risks of food poisoning and acquiring bacteria with AMR.

Check the color

Nevertheless, you should throw away ground beef if it has turned either brown or gray on the outside, as this indicates that it's beginning to rot. Additionally, mold can spoil cooked ground beef, so you should toss your leftovers if you notice any fuzzy blue, grey, or green spots.

However, when beef is ground, bacteria from its surface are mixed throughout the meat as it is chopped into tiny pieces. That means ground beef—and all other ground meats, like ground chicken, turkey, pork or lamb, which are processed the same way—must be cooked all the way through in order to kill the bacteria.

Toward the end of the cooking time (our standard two-pound meatloaf takes about one hour), follow this simple method to know when it's done. Use an instant-read thermometer ($18, Walmart). The meat loaf's internal temperature should register 160°F when the thermometer is inserted into the center.

Adding more to your mixture is always easier than taking some out. Another common reason meatloaf is mushy is too much filler, like breadcrumbs, bread, and oatmeal. Too much filler will stop it from baking correctly and becoming a fully formed meatloaf.

No meatloaf, no matter how well bound or how much milk you add, can withstand overcooking. Because it is made of ground meat, we must cook all meatloaf to 160°F (71°C). But because we don't want to dry it out, we don't want to go beyond that temperature at all, if we can help it.

The pink tinge in canned chicken is often a result of chemical changes during cooking. Chicken blood cells contain a protein called hemoglobin. When chicken cooks in a gas or electric oven, the oven's gasses react with the hemoglobin, and boom — pink chicken.

For commercially made sausages, a slight pink hue can be normal, even when the sausage is fully cooked. This can be due to the preservatives used, such as sodium nitrite, which can cause the meat to retain a pink color.

It is now known that three distinct pigments may commonly cause red or pink color in cooked meats. They are 1) undenatured myoglobin and oxymyoglobin, the red pigments of fresh meat, 2) nitrosyl hemochrome, the pink pigment of cured meat, and 3) reduced globin hemochromes of well-cooked meats.