Meat cooking time calculator
Roasting time depends mostly on weight, so cooks use minutes per pound as a rule of thumb. Enter the weight to get a time range for the oven temperature, and the internal temperature the USDA says the meat must reach.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose the meat and enter the weight of the roast.
- Heat the oven to the temperature shown and put the meat in.
- Start checking the internal temperature with a thermometer at the low end of the range.
How it works
Time = weight in pounds × minutes per pound. The tool uses these rule-of-thumb ranges: beef roast 20 to 30 minutes per pound at 325 °F, pork roast 20 to 25 at 350 °F, leg of lamb 20 to 25 at 325 °F and whole chicken 20 to 25 at 350 °F. The safe temperatures are the USDA FSIS minimums.
Worked example
A 4 lb beef roast at 325 °F: 4 × 20 = 80 minutes and 4 × 30 = 120 minutes, so check from about 1 h 20 min and expect it done by 2 h. Take it out when a thermometer reads at least 145 °F (63 °C), then let it rest 3 minutes.
Tips
- Small amounts and very large roasts do not scale linearly; use the thermometer.
- Pull a roast a few degrees early if you want to let carry-over heat finish it, but never below the safe minimum.
- For a slower, precise method try the sous vide calculator; for oven settings see the oven temperature converter.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are the cooking times?
They are estimates. Shape, bone, starting temperature, the oven and how often you open the door all change the time. Always check with a food thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, and go by that reading, not the clock.
What internal temperature is safe?
USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures: 165 °F (74 °C) for poultry and 145 °F (63 °C) for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes. Ground meat needs 160 °F (71 °C).
Why is there a range, not one number?
The low end suits a smaller or leaner roast, the high end a larger one or one you want cooked further. Start checking the temperature at the low end.
Do I cook it from frozen?
Thaw first in the refrigerator or in cold water (see the meat thawing time calculator). A roast that is still frozen in the middle will not match these times and may be undercooked at the centre when the outside looks done.
Does this work for a turkey?
Turkeys have their own USDA chart that depends on whether they are stuffed, so use the turkey cooking time calculator instead.