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Grilling Steak Time Chart – How to Know When Your Steak is Done
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Cooking a steak is an art form, but checking meat cooking temperatures can be a challenge. In order to cook your steak just right, follow our ultimate steak grill time guide, with specific steak cooking times broken down by cut, thickness, and degree of doneness. Learn how to navigate your way to a delicious piece of meat by properly setting up the grill and accounting for carryover cooking.
A meat thermometer is the easiest way to achieve a perfectly cooked steak, but, if you don’t have one, can’t find one, or you’re simply unsure about cooking steak for the first time, we have this handy breakdown to get you started. So look no further, you’re one step closer to that crisp outer crust and delicate pink center.
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What is the best steak to grill?
Just as with all cooking, the best steak for grilling is the cut that tastes the most delicious to you. Since cuts of meat vary in fat content, marbling, taste, and texture, there is no “one size fits all” approach. For example, chef Edward Lee’s personal favorite is ribeye and he believes grilling a ribeye is superior to grilling flank steak or flat iron steak. This is a topic he covers extensively in his YesChef lesson: Open fire grilled steaks & vegetables with kalbi butter.
Our best advice is to experiment and pick your favorite cut of meat. Take note of the cooking steak chart below and have a timer and/or instant-read thermometer ready. While a thermometer will produce the most accurate results, a timer is a useful tool to give you a good estimate. Sometimes a meat thermometer reading can be inaccurate on steaks less than one inch thick, hence why timing the steak’s cooking time will give you another layer of confidence.
If all else fails, the finger test is your next best option. No matter what method you use, chefs Edward Lee and Nancy Silverton both recommend touching and feeling the meat at different cooking stages. The more you do it when you cook steak, the better you will become at understanding doneness just by feel. With time and practice, you will get better acquainted with your food and become a skilled and confident home chef.
How hot should the grill be for steak?
The grilling temperature for steak is in the range of 450-500°F (232.2-260°C). To ensure your grill is at the right temperature, turn your gas grill to high heat, keep the lid down, and allow it to warm up for 10-15 minutes. When ready to grill, keep one side of the grill set at high (direct heat) and reduce the other side to low (indirect heat).
Grilling steak time
Grilling times for steaks depend upon the cut and thickness. Grilling steak to medium rare, for example, can take anywhere between 2 ½ to 7 minutes per side. This is where our cooking steak chart comes in mighty handy for both outdoor grilling and for cooking steak in a pan. These are suggested guidelines that will give you a general idea of steak cooking times, so keep in mind that actual times may vary based on the pan you use, grill type, and temperature.
Note: The cooking steak chart times are in minutes, and all steaks are already at room temperature.
| Cut | Thickness | Rare 120 – 125°F (48.9 – 51.6°C) | Medium Rare 130 – 135°F (54.4 – 57.2°C) | Medium 140 – 145°F (60 – 62.8°C) |
| Ribeye (Boneless) | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 2 min per side 2.5 min per side 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side | 2.5 min per side 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side 4.5 min per side | 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side 4.5 min per side 5 min per side |
| Ribeye (Bone-In) | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 5 min first side 3 min second side 5 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 5 min second side 6 min per side | 4.5 min per side 5.5 min per side 6 min per side 6.5 min per side 7 min per side | 6 min first side 4 min second side 7 min first side 5 min second side 7 min per side 8 min first side 7 min second side 8 min per side |
| Flank | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 5 min first side 3 min second side 5 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 5 min second side 6 min per side | 4.5 min per side 5.5 min per side 6 min per side 6.5 min per side 7 min per side | 6 min first side 4 min second side 7 min first side 5 min second side 7 min per side 8 min first side 7 min second side 8 min per side |
| New York Strip | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 5 min first side 3 min second side 5 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 5 min second side 6 min per side | 4.5 min per side 5.5 min per side 6 min per side 6.5 min per side 7 min per side | 6 min first side 4 min second side 7 min first side 5 min second side 7 min per side 8 min first side 7 min second side 8 min per side |
| Sirloin Strip | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 5 min first side 3 min second side 5 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 5 min second side 6 min per side | 4.5 min per side 5.5 min per side 6 min per side 6.5 min per side 7 min per side | 6 min first side 4 min second side 7 min first side 5 min second side 7 min per side 8 min first side 7 min second side 8 min per side |
| Filet Mignon | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 2 min per side 2.5 min per side 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side | 2.5 min per side 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side 4.5 min per side | 3 min per side 3.5 min per side 4 min per side 4.5 min per side 5 min per side |
| Porterhouse (T-Bone) | 1” 1.25” 1.5” 1.75” 2” | 5 min first side 3 min second side 5 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 4 min second side 6 min first side 5 min second side 6 min per side | 4.5 min per side 5.5 min per side 6 min per side 6.5 min per side 7 min per side | 6 min first side 4 min second side 7 min first side 5 min second side 7 min per side 8 min first side 7 min second side 8 min per side |
Account for carryover cooking
Remember to account for carryover cooking, the 5-10°F (about 3-6°C) degrees increase in internal temperature after the meat has been removed from the grill. Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
The times noted above already account for the expected rise in the internal temperature of the steak, but we believe that every home chef should invest in a decent meat thermometer. It will serve you for life.
If grilling is a new cooking technique for you, check out our 7 tips on how to cook a perfect steak for indispensable grilling steak tips and tricks.
Cooking another type of meat? Check out our grilling steak temperature chart.
Chi Spacca Pepper Steak
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Edward Lee
James Beard Award winning writer and best-selling cookbook author Edward Lee takes viewers from the farm to his restaurants and home in Louisville, Kentucky and teaches lessons on his beloved dishes including Fried Chicken with Gochujang Sauce, Oysters and Grits, Cabbage-Steamed Fish, and more.
