Meat Cooking Time Calculator
Roasting times and internal temps for beef, lamb, pork and chicken.
About this tool
Choose the meat and doneness, enter the weight in kg or lb and when you want to serve. The tool gives the approximate roasting time, the internal temperature to take it out at and after resting, the resting time and when to put it in the oven.
Roasting by time and temperature
Roasting time grows with weight, but doneness is set by the internal temperature, so plan with time and finish with a thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone. At about 180 °C (350 °F, 160 °C fan) a beef or lamb joint takes roughly 33 minutes per kg for rare, 40 for medium-rare, 44 for medium and 55 for well done. A 2 kg joint for medium-rare takes about 80 minutes. Take meat out a few degrees before your target: it keeps rising by 3–5 °C (5–10 °F) while it rests, loosely covered, for 15–20 minutes, which also lets the juices settle. Pull medium-rare beef at about 54 °C (130 °F). Food-safety guidance from the USDA is 63 °C (145 °F) plus a rest for whole cuts of beef, lamb, pork and veal, 71 °C (160 °F) for minced meat, and 74 °C (165 °F) for all poultry. A whole chicken takes about 44 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes. Honest limits: times vary with oven accuracy, joint shape and thickness, bone, and whether the meat started fridge-cold. Rolled boneless joints cook faster, and convection ovens faster still. Not food safety advice; follow your local guidance. The turkey roasting calculator and the BBQ smoking time calculator are related.
Frequently asked questions
How long to cook a 2 kg beef roast?
About 80 minutes at 180 °C for medium-rare, then rest 15 to 20 minutes; check it reaches about 54 °C before resting.
What temperature should beef be for medium-rare?
Take it out at about 54 °C (130 °F); it rises to about 57 °C (135 °F) while resting.
How long to roast a chicken per kg?
About 40 to 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes at 180 to 190 °C, until the thickest part reaches 74 °C (165 °F).
Why rest meat after roasting?
The temperature evens out and keeps rising slightly, and the juices settle, so less runs out when carved.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing is stored or sent.