• A meat thermometer is the most authentic fashion to measure whether a steak is done.
  • The target temperature can range from 125 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your desired doneness.
  • Chefs more often than not advise aiming for a medium-rare to medium doneness level for maximum flavor.

It can be difficult to tell when a steak is done cooking — just fortunately, meat thermometers take the guesswork out of the process. Using a meat thermometer ensures that you don't undercook the meat (which poses a risk of foodborne affliction) or overcook it (which dries it out and compromises the flavour).

The temperature you're looking for, though, will be contingent on your personal preferences.

"The fourth dimension information technology takes to attain your desired level of doneness depends on the steak cut, size, shape, and marbling of the steak," says Christopher Arturo, a senior culinary arts chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. "Melt with caution, and call up that you can always cook steak more merely tin can't cook it less."

Whether yous're grilling your steak or pan-searing information technology and finishing it in the oven, here are some tips for achieving the perfect level of doneness every time.

Steak temperature chart

Arturo says the amount of time it takes to attain each of these temperatures will vary significantly — the thicker the steak, the longer it volition take to reach the ideal temperature. That's why information technology'southward of import to continue an eye on the meat thermometer.

If yous're looking for consistency, Arturo suggests using a combination of cooking methods for the best results.

"Grilling and searing volition develop flavor and a squeamish chaff while keeping the moisture inside the meat," he says. "However, if yous grill or sear for the whole cooking time, the steak will be burnt on the outside by the fourth dimension information technology's fully cooked through. If yous roast a steak for the entire procedure, information technology'll be dry by the fourth dimension it develops a crust."

Beneath, Arturo explains the best combination of cooking methods to achieve each desired doneness.

Rare steak temperature

The center of a rare steak will be bright scarlet.
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The temperature of a rare steak with a red center is typically between 125 and 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to Arturo, this level typically only requires a quick sear on both sides in order to trigger the Maillard reaction — a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars in the meat that results in browning on the exterior.

If you're searing, it will accept near two to three minutes on each side in the pan and then 9 to 11 minutes in the oven for a steak that'southward 1 ½ inch thick. Information technology will likely accept about four to vi minutes on each side if you're grilling.

Medium-rare steak temperature

For a medium-rare steak with a warm cherry center, wait for a temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Arturo recommends pan-searing the steak on each side for ii minutes to go a golden-brown crust and then placing it in a convection oven set to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or a regular oven set to 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. If yous're grilling, a steak that'due south one ½ inch thick may take v to half-dozen minutes per side.

Medium steak temperature

The ideal temperature range for a medium steak with a warm pinkish center is between 140 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a steak that'southward i ½ inch thick, Arturo suggests searing all sides of your steak for ii to iii minutes earlier roasting it for an additional five minutes. Or, you can grill it for 6 to vii minutes per side.

Medium-well steak temperature

The temperature of a medium-well steak that's slightly pink in the heart is nigh 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to Arturo, this will crave roasting the steak for six minutes later searing it for iii minutes on each side (if information technology's about 1 ½ inch thick). If you're grilling, aim for seven to nine minutes on each side.

Well-done steak temperature

The center of a well-washed steak will be brown with no signs of pink.
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A well-washed steak, which has piddling to no pink colour in the center, is by and large cooked to 155 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. Arturo says for a steak about 1 ½ inch thick, this will take eight minutes in the oven after searing all sides, or it will accept 8 to 10 minutes on each side on the grill.

Most chefs don't recommend cooking a steak well-done. Co-ordinate to Arturo, a lot of the moisture has evaporated by this point, so the texture may be dry out and tough.

Non merely that, merely chef Rich Hudson of Donovan'southward Mod American Meatery in Riverview, Florida, adds that information technology can compromise the gustation, too. "Every bit the steak cooks, the water in the cells is heated to the bespeak that the cell wall collapses and the liquid comes out taking nearly of the natural flavors with it," he says.

How to use a meat thermometer

A meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat is the all-time way to decide if your steak is washed to your liking.
arinahabich/Getty Images

Experts agree that a probe meat thermometer is the most accurate way to ensure you get perfectly cooked steak.

Before using your meat thermometer, Hudson says it'south important to bank check if it'south properly calibrated. You can test this by placing it first in boiling h2o and checking for a temperature of about 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and so placing it in water ice h2o to see if information technology reads 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

If it doesn't, Hudson says most punch thermometers have a scale nut at the lesser where the stalk meets the punch that you can utilise to manually arrange information technology, and some digital thermometers feature a scale mode to suit the reading.

Arturo recommends sticking the thermometer into the steak horizontally. Ideally, you want the tip of the thermometer to be at the center.

If the cutting has a bone, Arturo says to aim shut to the bone without touching it. This is considering the bone is dense, so it remains cold for longer — which means that area won't give yous an authentic read on the temperature of the steak itself.

Avoid piercing the steak multiple times, equally Arturo says this will upshot in losing a lot of the juices.

How to ensure food safe

Keep in mind that The United States Department of Agriculture advises against eating undercooked beef cooked to a temperature beneath 145 degrees Fahrenheit, as it may comprise disease-causing bacteria that would otherwise be killed off by heat when the meat is cooked for longer.

According to Hudson, the highest risk factor for foodborne disease is fecal contamination when the brute is harvested. Since this is surface-level contagion, as long as the internal temperature of the steak reaches at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit, the outside will reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than enough to kill any potentially harmful leaner.

That said, there are certain people who should avoid eating rare or medium-rare steak to be on the safe side. "Young children, elderly people, and women who may be pregnant can be immunocompromised and lack the tools to break down pathogens that can exist in a raw product," says Arturo. "If you're good for you, err on the side of caution and eat rare steak in pocket-sized quantities."

Insider's takeaway

Though it may take some practice to smash it every time, using a meat thermometer volition greatly increase the likelihood of cooking your steak to the perfect doneness.

The amount of time it takes to get to that ideal temperature will vary depending on how thick the steak is, so it's crucial to keep checking your thermometer throughout the cooking process.

You'll as well want to remove the steak from the heat source when it's about x degrees below its target temperature. Information technology will proceed to cook equally you permit it remainder, which y'all should do earlier cut and serving.

Rebecca is a freelance writer for Insider.