Meat Resting Time Calculator

When meat cooks, the heat causes the muscle fibres to contract and push juices towards the centre. If you cut into it immediately, those concentrated juices run out onto the board. Resting allows the fibres to relax and the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat. The result is noticeably juicier, more tender meat. This is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your cooking.

The general rule is 1 minute per 100g of meat. A 1.5kg beef joint needs about 15 minutes, a 5kg turkey needs 30-60 minutes, and a steak needs 5-10 minutes. The minimum useful resting time is about 5 minutes for a steak and 10 minutes for a joint. Do not rest for longer than the recommended maximum or the meat will cool too much.

Tent the meat loosely with foil — this retains warmth without trapping steam. Do not wrap tightly as the steam will make any crispy skin or crackling go soft and soggy. For steaks, resting without any cover on a warm plate is fine for the 5-10 minutes needed.

A large joint loses only about 5-10°C in 20 minutes of resting, and the internal temperature actually continues to rise by 3-5°C during the first part of the rest (carry-over cooking). This means you should remove meat from the oven slightly before it reaches your target internal temperature. Rest in a warm part of the kitchen, not in a draughty spot.

Yes — remove your meat from the oven about 3-5°C below the target internal temperature. During resting, the residual heat will continue to cook the meat. For example, for medium whole beef joints (target 63°C), remove at around 58-60°C. For poultry, food safety comes first: chicken and turkey must reach at least 75°C in the core (or 70°C held for 2 minutes) per FSA guidance. Carry-over can help cross that threshold, but always verify the finished core temperature with a meat thermometer before serving — never rely on the removal temperature alone, especially for the very young, elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised.