Meat Cooking Time Calculator
Estimate roasting time for turkey, chicken, beef, pork, ham, or lamb from weight and doneness, with USDA-safe internal temperatures and rest times.
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Meat Cooking Time Calculator
Enter a weight to estimate the roasting time.
About Meat Cooking Time Calculator
Pick the meat and doneness, enter the weight, and get a minutes-per-pound estimate at a standard oven temperature — about 13 min/lb for an unstuffed turkey at 325°F, 20 min/lb for chicken, 18 min/lb for medium-rare beef. Alongside the time you get the internal temperature to pull at and how long to rest before carving.
The clock is only a planning tool. Shape, bone, and starting temperature swing real times by 20% or more, which is why every result comes with the same advice: verify with a thermometer.
Common uses
- Plan what time a Sunday roast needs to go in the oven
- Check the safe internal temperature for pork or poultry
- Compare how much longer well-done beef takes than medium-rare
Example
Input
Turkey (unstuffed) · 14 lb
Output
~3 hr at 325°F · pull at 165°F · rest 20 min
Limitations
- Estimates assume a thawed roast near room temperature in a conventional oven; convection runs faster.
- Doneness below the USDA minimum (like medium-rare beef at 135°F) is a common preference but carries the usual caveats.
- Always confirm doneness with a meat thermometer at the thickest point — time tables cannot guarantee safety.
Frequently asked questions
How many minutes per pound does a turkey take to roast?
About 13 minutes per pound for an unstuffed bird at 325°F, so a 14 lb turkey runs close to 3 hours. A stuffed turkey needs roughly 15 minutes per pound, and the stuffing itself must reach 165°F.
What internal temperature makes meat safe to eat?
Poultry is 165°F throughout; whole cuts of pork, beef, and lamb are 145°F with a rest; a fully cooked ham only needs reheating to 140°F. Take the reading at the thickest point, away from bone.
Is medium-rare beef at 135°F safe?
It sits below the USDA minimum of 145°F for whole beef cuts, but it's a common preference for intact roasts, where bacteria live on the seared exterior rather than inside the muscle. The calculator lists it as an option while flagging the official guidance.
Why should meat rest after roasting?
Resting lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the slices instead of running onto the board, and carryover heat finishes the center. The calculator suggests 10 minutes for chicken, pork, and ham up to 15–20 for beef, lamb, and turkey.
Is my information sent anywhere when I calculate cooking times?
No. The minutes-per-pound tables and math live in your browser; the weight and choices you enter never leave your device.