Steak Cooking Time
Time a pan or grill steak by thickness and doneness.
About Steak Cooking Time
Each side gets roughly four minutes per inch of thickness at high heat, while the doneness target sets pull temperature. Thick steaks need longer or a reversed method; matching minutes to thickness avoids a seared exterior with a raw core.
Formula
Steak Cooking Time
Time per side ~ thickness x 4; temps rare 120 to well 150 F
- time per side
- For a hot, single-sided sear with the other side flipped
Worked example
With the default values below, Steak Cooking Time returns Time per Side of 4.0. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Steak thicknessminimum 0.25 in
- 1 in
- Donenessone of Rare 120 F, Medium-rare 125 F, Medium 130 F, Medium-well 140 F, Well 150 F
- Medium-rare 125 F
Results
- Time per Side
- 4.0 min
- Total Time
- 8.0 min
- Target Temp
- 125 F
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Steak Cooking Time
- 3Time per Side= 4.0 min
- 4Total Time= 8.0 min
- 5Target Temp= 125 F
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Steak Cooking Time calculated?
Time per side ~ thickness x 4; temps rare 120 to well 150 F Each side gets roughly four minutes per inch of thickness at high heat, while the doneness target sets pull temperature.
Why does Steak Cooking Time matter?
Thick steaks need longer or a reversed method; matching minutes to thickness avoids a seared exterior with a raw core.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Steak thickness, Doneness. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.