Cooking Times by Thickness: Steak, Chicken, Pork, Fish and Shrimp

How long something takes to cook depends mostly on how thick it is. A 1/2-inch pork chop is done in about five minutes; a 1 1/2-inch chop needs three times as long. These charts give starting times by thickness and doneness for every kind of meat and seafood used in our recipes, with the internal temperature that tells you it is done.

Measure thickness at the thickest point. Cook from refrigerator-cold unless a recipe says otherwise, preheat your grill, pan or oven fully, and start checking with an instant-read thermometer a minute or two before the shortest time.

Jump to: Calculator | Steak | Flank and London broil | Burgers and meatballs | Chicken breasts | Chicken pieces | Pork chops | Pork tenderloin and roasts | Ribs | Kabobs | Fish | Tuna | Shrimp and scallops

Beef steaks

Strip, ribeye, top sirloin, filet mignon, T-bone and porterhouse. Grill over direct high heat or cook in a preheated heavy skillet, turning once. Times are minutes per side.

Temperature: Remove at 120°F (rare), 125°F (medium-rare), 135°F (medium), 145°F (medium-well) or 155°F (well done). USDA safe minimum: 145°F plus a 3-minute rest. Steaks 1 1/2 inches and thicker: sear 3 to 4 minutes per side over high heat, then move to indirect heat or a 400°F oven to finish; the times shown are the total per side. Over medium coals, as in our Pirate Steak, a 2-inch steak takes about 15 minutes per side.

Recipes: Cast-Iron Ribeye with Garlic Thyme Butter, Grilled New York Strip with Herb Butter, Filet Mignon with Red Wine Pan Sauce, Reverse-Seared Thick-Cut Steak, Pirate Steak (Beer-Basted Grilled Sirloin)

Flank steak, skirt steak and London broil

Lean, long-grained cuts cooked fast and sliced thin across the grain. Broil 2 to 3 inches from the heat or grill over direct high heat, turning once. Times are minutes per side.

Temperature: Best at rare to medium-rare, 125°F to 135°F after resting. USDA safe minimum: 145°F plus a 3-minute rest. Rest 5 minutes, then slice very thin across the grain.

Recipes: London Broil with Sauteed Onions

Ground beef patties and meatballs

Burgers, meatballs and baked patties. Ground meat is always cooked through.

Temperature: Cook ground beef and pork to 160°F in the center.

Recipes: Waikiki Meatballs (Sweet and Sour Pineapple Meatballs), Teriyaki Meatballs, Barbecued Beefies (Baked Barbecue Beef Patties)

Boneless chicken breasts

Skinless, boneless breasts and cutlets. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat, turning once, or bake on a sheet pan.

Temperature: Cook all chicken to 165°F in the thickest part. Thick breasts cook more evenly if you pound them to an even thickness or slice them in half horizontally.

Recipes: Chicken Cordon Bleu with Cream Sauce, Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad with Candied Pecans

Chicken pieces, whole chicken, turkey breast and Cornish hens

Bone-in and boneless pieces and whole birds. Bake on a rack or sheet pan; grill bone-in pieces over indirect medium heat with the lid closed.

Temperature: Safe at 165°F. Thighs, legs and wings are more tender at 175°F to 185°F. For whole birds, check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone; for turkey breast, the thickest part of the breast.

Recipes: Lemon Herb Roast Chicken, Garlic Rosemary Roasted Cornish Game Hens, Herb Butter Roast Turkey Breast

Pork chops

Boneless and bone-in loin and rib chops. Grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat, turning once, or bake on a sheet pan. Bone-in chops take 1 to 2 minutes longer per side.

Temperature: Cook pork chops to 145°F and rest 3 minutes. The center will be juicy with a faint blush of pink.

Recipes: Cajun Grilled Pork

Pork tenderloin and pork loin roast

Whole tenderloins and boneless or bone-in loin roasts. Roast uncovered on a rack, or grill tenderloin over medium-high heat, turning every few minutes.

Temperature: Remove at 145°F and rest 3 minutes for tenderloin, 10 to 15 minutes for a loin roast.

Recipes: Stuffed Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pork Roast with Apple-Chili Glaze

Pork ribs

Baby back ribs, spareribs and country-style ribs. Ribs are safe at 145°F but need long, gentle cooking to turn tender. They are done when the meat pulls back from the bone ends and a rack bends easily when lifted.

Temperature: Done by tenderness, not temperature. Brush sugary sauces on only at the end so they caramelize instead of burning.

Recipes: Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce, Glazed Spareribs, Hawaiian Country-Style Ribs, Pressure-Cooker Ribs and Sauerkraut

Kabobs

Cubes of beef, chicken, pork or shrimp on skewers. Grill over medium-high heat, turning often. Cut everything to the same size.

Temperature: See the target for each meat below. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before grilling.

Recipes: Meal on Kabobs (Marinated Sirloin Kabobs), Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs

Fish fillets and fish steaks

Cod, haddock, halibut, mahi-mahi, salmon, snapper, swordfish and more. Rule of thumb: about 10 minutes of cooking per inch of thickness, measured at the thickest point.

Temperature: Cook fish to 145°F, or until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Fold thin tail ends of fillets underneath so the piece cooks evenly.

Recipes: Lemon Herb Baked Salmon, Fish Tacos with Lime Cabbage Slaw, Grilled Halibut in Cream Sauce, Ginger Glazed Mahi-Mahi, Cod with Coconut-Lime Curry Sauce

Tuna steaks

Ahi and yellowfin tuna, seared. Sear in a hot oiled skillet or on a hot grill over medium-high heat, turning once. Times are minutes per side.

Temperature: Many people serve tuna rare. The USDA safe minimum for fish is 145°F. Swordfish and salmon steaks are usually cooked through; use the fish fillet times above.

Recipes: Blackened Tuna with Mango Salsa

Shrimp and scallops

Peeled shrimp by size, sea scallops and bay scallops. Shrimp are sold by count per pound: the lower the number, the larger the shrimp.

Temperature: Cook until pearly and opaque. Shrimp curl into a loose C shape. Steam clams and mussels in a covered pot with a little liquid for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shells open. Discard any that stay closed.

Recipes: Baked Shrimp with Garlic Parmesan Crumbs, Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Butter

Why thickness matters more than weight

Heat travels from the outside of the food toward the center, so the distance to the center sets the cooking time. Two steaks of the same weight cook very differently if one is cut thin and wide and the other thick and narrow. Doubling the thickness roughly doubles the time on direct heat, and at about 1 1/2 inches it becomes worth searing first and finishing more gently so the outside does not overcook before the center is ready.

Carryover cooking and resting

Meat keeps cooking after it leaves the heat. Steaks and chops rise about 3 to 5 degrees as they rest, and large roasts can rise 10 degrees. That is why the charts tell you to remove steak a little below your target. A rest of 3 to 5 minutes for steaks, chops and chicken breasts, and 10 to 15 minutes for roasts, also keeps the juices in the meat when you slice it.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you cook a 1 inch steak?

Over high heat, a 1-inch steak takes about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare and 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium. Remove it at 125°F for medium-rare.

How long does a 2 inch steak take?

Sear a 2-inch steak for 3 to 4 minutes per side over high heat, then finish over indirect heat. Plan on about 10 to 12 minutes per side in total for medium-rare.

How long do you cook chicken breast?

A 3/4-inch boneless chicken breast takes about 5 to 6 minutes per side on a grill or in a skillet, or 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F. Cook to 165°F.

How long do you cook pork chops?

A 1-inch pork chop takes about 4 to 6 minutes per side over medium-high heat. Remove at 145°F and rest 3 minutes.

How long do you cook fish per inch?

About 10 minutes per inch of thickness. A 1-inch fillet takes 4 to 5 minutes per side in a skillet or 12 to 15 minutes at 400°F.

Why do cooking times vary?

Starting temperature, the heat of your grill or pan, bone-in versus boneless, and the exact thickness all change cooking time. A thermometer is the only sure test.

More charts: Cooking times by thickness | Steak doneness chart | Beef cuts chart | Fish chart | Safe temperatures