Get the perfect cook time for any steak by thickness, doneness, and method. Choose pan-sear, grill, oven, or sous vide and see exact times per side, internal temperature targets, and rest time.
| Step | Duration | Cumulative time | Notes |
|---|
| Doneness | Internal temp (before rest) | Internal temp (after rest) | Center color |
|---|
| Thickness | Rare | Medium rare | Medium | Well done |
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| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|
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Founder & CEO, Toolraxy
Faiq Ur Rahman is a web designer, digital product developer, and founder of Toolraxy, a growing platform of web-based calculators and utility tools. He specializes in building structured, user-friendly tools focused on health, finance, productivity, and everyday problem-solving.
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Cooking a steak to the right doneness is mostly a timing problem. Get the pan hot, season the meat, and the rest comes down to how long it sits on the heat. But “four minutes a side” only works for one specific thickness and one specific doneness. A 2-inch ribeye cooked medium-rare and a half-inch flank steak cooked well-done don’t share a cook time. This calculator lets you enter the actual thickness of the meat in front of you, choose your target doneness, and pick the method you’re using. It returns a cook time you can set a timer to, plus the internal temperature you’re aiming for. The USDA safety note is baked in, so you’ll see when your target falls below the recommended minimum.
Choose your unit system. Switch between imperial (inches, Fahrenheit) and metric (centimetres, Celsius). The tool converts thickness and oven temperature automatically.
Measure your steak’s thickness. Use a ruler or tape measure at the thickest part of the meat. Enter the value in the thickness field.
Select your doneness level. Pick from rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. The preset buttons below the dropdown do the same thing.
Pick your steak cut. Choose ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon, sirloin, T-bone, flank, or flat iron. The cut adjusts the timing slightly based on density and fat content.
Set your cooking method. Select pan-sear, grill, oven roast, or sous vide. Each method applies different timing factors.
Choose your heat level. High, medium-high, or medium. Higher heat sears faster but can burn the crust before the center cooks.
Decide on butter baste and rest. Butter basting adds about 30 seconds to the cook. Resting the steak adds 5 to 8 minutes after cooking.
Read the result and start the timer. The hero card shows total cook time. Hit “Start timer” and the countdown begins.
Cooking a delicious steak doesn’t require too many ingredients or tools, but having the right ones can make the process much easier. Here are a few things you may want to have on hand:
Meat thermometer to check the steak’s internal temperature;
Timer to keep track of your cooking time;
Steak cook time calculator to help determine how long to cook your steak;
Salt and pepper for simple seasoning;
High-smoke-point oil, such as avocado or peanut oil; and
Butter, garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary if you’re planning to pan-sear your steak.
There are countless ways to season and prepare steak, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find your favorite combination.
Planning a barbecue and not sure how much meat you’ll need for your guests? Our BBQ Party Calculator can help you estimate the right amount and make planning your cookout easier.
The calculator builds a per-side cook time from four multipliers applied to a base rate.
Formula: Per-side time = 4.0 min × thickness (in) × doneness factor × heat factor × cut factor
The base rate is 4.0 minutes per side for a 1-inch steak cooked medium-rare at high heat. Thickness scales that linearly: a 2-inch steak gets double the base. Doneness adjusts the target temperature and the time: rare uses a 0.85 multiplier, well done uses 1.65. Heat factors run from 1.0 at high heat to 1.35 at medium. Cut factors range from 0.8 for flank to 1.1 for T-bone.
Pan-searing and grilling use the full per-side time on both sides, with the second side multiplied by 0.85 to account for residual pan heat. Oven roasting sears briefly on the stovetop (1.5 minutes first side, 1.0 second side) then finishes in the oven for roughly 6 minutes per inch of thickness. Sous vide cooks in a water bath for 60 to 90 minutes depending on doneness, then sears for about 45 seconds per side.
Butter basting adds 0.5 minutes to the total. Rest time is 5 minutes for steaks under 1.5 inches, 8 minutes for thicker cuts, and 2 minutes for sous vide.
A 1-inch steak at medium-rare needs about 3 to 4 minutes per side on high heat. Total active cooking is 6 to 8 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes. The internal temperature should read 125°F to 130°F before rest and 130°F to 135°F after. Thicker steaks need more time; thinner steaks need less.
For medium-rare, aim for an internal temperature of 130°F to 135°F after rest. Pull the steak at 125°F to 130°F. Cook time depends on thickness: a 1-inch steak takes 3 to 4 minutes per side, a 1.5-inch steak takes 4 to 5 minutes per side, and a 2-inch steak takes 6 to 8 minutes per side. Always use a thermometer.
The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef. That falls between medium and medium-well. Rare (125°F) and medium-rare (130°F to 135°F) are below that line. They’re widely served but carry a small safety risk.
For oven roasting, sear the steak on the stovetop for about 1.5 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second. Then transfer the pan to a 300°F oven. A 1-inch steak needs about 6 minutes in the oven. A 1.5-inch steak needs about 9 minutes. Total time from sear to pull is roughly 9 to 12 minutes.
Yes. Resting lets the juices redistribute and the temperature equalize. A 1-inch steak needs 5 minutes. A 1.5-inch steak needs 8 minutes. Cutting too early lets the juices run out and the steak dries. Tent it loosely with foil while it rests.
Pan-searing a 1-inch steak at medium-rare takes about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 minutes on the second. That’s 7 to 8 minutes of active cooking. Use high heat and a heavy pan. Flip once. Add butter and aromatics in the last minute if you want a baste.
You can, but it takes longer and the exterior cooks faster than the center. The calculator assumes a room-temperature start. If you’re cooking from frozen, add roughly 50% to the cook time and use a thermometer to confirm doneness. A frozen 1-inch steak might need 5 to 6 minutes per side instead of 3 to 4.
For steaks 1.5 inches or thicker, oven roasting or reverse searing gives the most even results. Sear on the stovetop first for crust, then finish in a 300°F oven until the thermometer reads 5°F below your target. Rest for 8 to 10 minutes. The oven’s even heat prevents the outside from burning before the center cooks.
Set the water bath to your target doneness temperature: 130°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium. Seal the steak in a vacuum bag or zip-top bag and submerge it. A 1-inch steak needs about 1 hour. A 2-inch steak needs 2 hours. Sear in a ripping hot pan for 45 seconds per side after the bath.
Butter basting adds richness and helps build a crust. It adds about 30 to 60 seconds to the cook time. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak repeatedly during the last minute of cooking. It’s optional but recommended for pan-seared steaks.
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