Meat Resting Time Calculator
Calculate the ideal resting time for cooked meat based on cut, weight, and cooking method.
Get perfect juicy results every time.
Meat resting time is essential for juicy, flavorful results. When meat cooks, the heat drives moisture toward the center. Resting allows juices to redistribute throughout the cut.
Why there is no single per-pound rule
You will see “5 minutes per pound” quoted a lot. It works for a small roast and falls apart on anything large: a 15 lb turkey would rest 75 minutes and arrive at the table cold. Resting is heat equalizing inward, which does not scale with weight, and in practice the upper limit is set by how long you are willing to let dinner cool rather than by physics.
So this calculator works from the table below, interpolating between the weights listed for each cut and never going outside the range shown. If your cut is heavier than the table’s top weight, you get the table’s top time, because more resting past that point costs you heat and buys you nothing.
Resting time by cut:
| Cut | Weight Range | Rest Time |
|---|---|---|
| Steak (1 inch thick) | 200–400 g (7–14 oz) | 5–8 minutes |
| Steak (1.5+ inches) | 400–600 g (14–21 oz) | 8–12 minutes |
| Chicken breast | 150–250 g (5–9 oz) | 5–7 minutes |
| Whole chicken | 1.5–2.5 kg (3–5 lb) | 15–20 minutes |
| Pork chops | 200–350 g (7–12 oz) | 5–8 minutes |
| Pork loin roast | 1–2 kg (2–4 lb) | 10–15 minutes |
| Beef roast (rib, sirloin) | 2–4 kg (4–9 lb) | 15–30 minutes |
| Whole turkey | 5–10 kg (11–22 lb) | 30–45 minutes |
| Lamb leg | 2–3 kg (4–7 lb) | 15–25 minutes |
Why resting matters: Cut into a steak straight off the heat and it floods the board. Rest it properly and the same steak sheds a fraction of that, because the muscle fibers have relaxed enough to hold onto what is in them. The effect is easiest to see on a thick cut and barely worth measuring on a thin one.
Temperature carry-over: Meat continues cooking while resting. Internal temperature typically rises by:
- 3–5°F (1.5–3°C) for steaks and chops
- 5–15°F (3–8°C) for large roasts
Remove meat from heat when it is 5–10°F below your target temperature.
Resting method:
- Roasts and whole birds: tent loosely with aluminum foil. Loosely matters, because sealed foil traps steam and softens the crust.
- Steaks and chops: skip the foil. They cool fast enough on their own and the crust is the part worth protecting.
- Rest on a warm plate or board, never on cold stone or metal, which pulls the heat straight out.
Tip: A properly rested steak will feel slightly firmer to the touch and the juices will appear thicker, almost syrupy, rather than watery.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.