Cooking Time Calculator
by Weight

Why Internal Temperature Matters More Than Time

Cooking time by weight is a useful starting point, but the single most reliable way to ensure your meat is safe to eat — and perfectly cooked — is to check its internal temperature with a probe thermometer. This is because ovens vary, cuts vary in shape and fat distribution, and even the starting temperature of the meat affects how quickly it cooks. The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) for all poultry, 63°C (145°F) for whole cuts of pork and fish, and 71°C (160°F) for ground meats. Beef and lamb roasts can be safely served at lower temperatures depending on doneness preference, with rare beef as low as 50°C (122°F).

The Importance of Resting Meat After Cooking

Resting cooked meat is one of the most overlooked steps in home cooking. When meat is removed from heat, the muscle fibres — which have contracted during cooking — begin to relax. This allows the juices that were pushed to the centre to redistribute throughout the meat. Cutting too soon causes those juices to run out onto the board, leaving the meat dry. A whole chicken benefits from 10–15 minutes of resting; a large turkey roast should rest 30 minutes or more. For beef steaks and roasts, resting at least 10 minutes per kilogram is a good rule of thumb. Tent loosely with foil to retain heat without steaming the crust.

How Cooking Time Scales With Weight

Cooking time does not scale perfectly linearly with weight. Larger pieces of meat take longer per kilogram than smaller ones because heat must travel further to reach the centre. This is why our calculator adds a fixed base time (e.g. +20 minutes for whole chicken) in addition to the per-kilogram rate — this accounts for the heat-transfer penalty of larger pieces. Bone-in cuts also cook differently to boneless: bone conducts heat faster in some areas and creates insulation in others. When in doubt, always use a thermometer rather than relying on time alone, and build in extra time — you can always give the meat more heat, but you cannot un-overcook it.

Low and Slow vs. High Heat Roasting

Not all cuts benefit from the same cooking approach. Tender, lean cuts like beef sirloin, pork loin, and chicken breast are best cooked quickly at higher temperatures to retain moisture. Tough, collagen-rich cuts like beef brisket, pork shoulder, and lamb shanks require long, slow cooking — typically 150–160°C for several hours — to allow the collagen to break down into gelatin, creating that fall-apart texture. Our calculator reflects these differences: slow-cook candidates are fixed at their ideal temperature and show a time range rather than a precise minute count, because low-and-slow results are more forgiving and depend on the individual cut. If you plan meals with these longer-cooking proteins, RecipeOK's meal planner can help you schedule your week around them.