Beef Doneness Guide: Perfect Temperatures & Tips For Amazing Results!

03 May, 2025

Are you ready to master the art of the perfect steak? Understanding beef doneness and internal temperatures is the key to culinary excellence, ensuring every bite is a symphony of flavor and texture.

The quest for the perfectly cooked steak is a journey undertaken by both seasoned chefs and home cooks alike. It's a dance between heat, time, and the subtle changes within the meat itself. Achieving the desired "doneness" from a barely-seared rare to a fully-cooked well-done is a critical skill. The internal temperature is your most reliable guide. While experience plays a role, using a meat thermometer removes the guesswork and ensures consistent results. The visual cues, like the color of the meat, offer additional clues, but can be misleading, especially when dealing with ground beef or meatloaf. Understanding how the meat changes at different temperatures is key to unlocking the flavor profiles. Each degree of doneness presents a unique experience for the diner, offering varying levels of tenderness, juiciness, and flavor concentration. For those who favor the "medium well" doneness, the steak should be cooked to have a mostly brown center and firm texture, the longer the cooking time, the drier the steak will be.

Below is the information about the temperature and the time that is recommended by USDA:

Doneness	Internal Temperature (F/C)	Characteristics
Rare	125-130F / 52-54C	Bright red center, pink edges, warm.
Medium Rare	130-140F / 54-60C	Warm red center, pink throughout. The temperature of filet mignon medium rare is the most popular internal temperature.
Medium	140-150F / 60-66C	Hot pink center and slightly firmer texture. Medium steak will have a hot pink center and slightly firmer texture. The internal temperature for medium is no less than 140 f to 150 f (60 c to 66 c).
Medium Well	150-160F / 66-71C	Slightly pink center and warm throughout. The temperature required for medium well cooked beef is 160F/71C. Medium well steak is slightly pink inside, hot throughout the entire steak, and firm due to a significant loss of juices.
Well Done	160F+ / 71C+	Mostly brown center and firm texture. This is a bit too done for many people.

Cooking temperatures are relatively the same across all cuts of beef, but cooking times can vary based on the type, thickness, and size of the steak. The beef should be removed from the heating element a few degrees before your desired doneness is reached, as the temperature will continue to rise while the beef rests. This is referred to as "carryover cooking." For instance, when cooking a steak to medium, take it off the heat when it's approaching 140F, so it can reach 145-150F while resting. Resting your meat is a vital step after the cooking process. It allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful product. When touched, the steak should feel moderately firm but with a bit of springiness.

When it comes to ground beef, the rules change slightly. Ground beef, unlike whole cuts, should be cooked to a specific internal temperature to ensure safety. Ground beef should be cooked to a safe and savory 160F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness. Hamburgers at this temperature usually have a tough texture and can be drier than others. Due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients often used in meatloaf, such as onions, celery, and bell peppers, meatloaf may remain pink even when a 160-degree Fahrenheit internal temperature has been reached. Follow these safety guidelines to ensure your beef is cooked safely and ready to be enjoyed.

The USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145F (63C) for medium-rare and 160F (71C) for medium when cooking whole cuts of beef (steaks, roasts). To make it easy to remember, the safe internal temperature for cuts of beef, lamb, and pork is all the same!

For fattier cuts like chuck roast, cooking to medium helps break down connective tissue, rendering the meat more tender. Approximate total cooking time internal temperature* petite tender roast: 20 to 25 minutes medium: The meat will be drier as water evaporates during the cooking process. Cook the beef for 9+ minutes per side at a temperature of 160F (71C).

Here's a visual guide to help you select your ideal temperature:

Rare: Bright red center, pink edges, warm;

Medium Rare: Slightly pink center and warm throughout;

Medium: Steak cooked to a medium steak temperature will have a hot pink center and slightly firmer texture.

Medium Well: Medium well steak will have a mostly brown center and firm texture. The longer cooker time will make your steak slightly drier and the bite less tender.

Well Done: This is a bit too done for many people.

Beef comes in various cuts, each with its unique characteristics and recommended cooking methods.

Here's our internal cooking temperature guide for rare, medium-rare and well-done beef. The chart below will make it super simple to find the perfect doneness for any piece of meat, beginning with the USDA recommended minimum. Not sure what doneness to cook to?

Achieving the ideal medium roast beef temperature. To achieve perfect medium doneness, the right cooking temperature is only part of the equation.

Knowing the internal temperature of beef tenderloin is essential for perfect results.

Understanding beef doneness is a key to unlocking a world of culinary possibilities, and the perfect steak is always achievable with a little knowledge and practice.

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