Steak Internal Temperature Chart (Rare to Well Done)
*Quick answer: Medium rare = 130-135°F (54-57°C). Pull your steak at 125°F, rest it 5 minutes, and it'll coast up to the target. Need a timer? Use our cooking time calculator.
I ruined my first expensive ribeye. $40 piece of meat, cooked until it was gray all the way through because I was scared of undercooking it. Tasted like a shoe. The next week I bought a $15 instant-read thermometer and haven't overcooked a steak since. That thermometer is the best kitchen investment I've ever made — more valuable than the steak itself.
This page is the reference I wish I'd had. Temperatures, pull temps, cut-by-cut advice. No recipes, no 20-step instructions. Just the numbers.
The Steak Temperature Chart
These are final resting temperatures — the temp your steak reaches after resting, not when you pull it off heat.
| Doneness | Final Temp °F | Final Temp °C | Pull Temp °F | Center Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Rare | 115-120 | 46-49 | 110 | Cool red, very soft |
| Rare | 120-130 | 49-54 | 115-120 | Cool red center |
| Medium Rare | 130-135 | 54-57 | 125 | Warm red center |
| Medium | 135-145 | 57-63 | 130-135 | Warm pink center |
| Medium Well | 145-155 | 63-68 | 140-145 | Slightly pink |
| Well Done | 155+ | 68+ | 150+ | No pink, gray-brown |
Pull Temperatures Explained (Carryover Cooking)
The pull temp is the temperature at which you remove the steak from heat. It will keep cooking as it rests — this is carryover cooking, and ignoring it is the number one reason people overshoot their target.
Here's why it happens: the exterior of your steak is much hotter than the center. Once you pull it, that heat continues migrating inward. A steak pulled at 125°F will land at 130-135°F after resting. If you pull at 135°F thinking you want medium rare, you'll end up with medium or worse.
How much carryover you get depends on thickness:
| Steak Thickness | Carryover Rise | Pull Temp Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Thin (under ¾ inch) | 3-5°F | Pull 3-5°F below target |
| Medium (¾ to 1.5 inches) | 5-8°F | Pull 5-8°F below target |
| Thick (1.5 inches+) | 8-15°F | Pull 8-15°F below target |
Best Temperature by Cut
Not all steaks are the same. Fat content, muscle fiber, and thickness all affect which doneness works best.
| Cut | Best Doneness | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ribeye | Medium rare, 130-135°F | Heavy marbling needs enough heat to render the fat. Below that, the fat stays waxy and unpleasant. |
| Filet Mignon | Rare to medium rare, 120-135°F | Very lean — there's no intramuscular fat to keep it moist if you overcook it. |
| NY Strip | Medium rare, 130-135°F | Firmer texture, handles heat well. The fat cap along the edge crisps up nicely. |
| T-Bone / Porterhouse | Medium rare, 130-135°F | Two muscles (strip and tenderloin) cook at different rates. Medium rare is the compromise that keeps both sides happy. |
| Skirt / Flank | Rare to medium rare max, 120-135°F | Thin, fibrous cuts that go chewy and tough above medium. Slice against the grain. |
| Sirloin | Medium rare to medium, 130-145°F | Leaner than a ribeye, so it can handle a touch more heat without drying out. |
How to Take Steak Temperature Correctly
A thermometer is only useful if you're reading the right spot.
Insert from the side, not the top. Push the probe horizontally into the thickest part of the steak, aiming for the geometric center. If you go in from the top, you might read the temperature near the surface instead of the coldest point.
Avoid bone and fat. Both conduct heat differently than muscle. A reading next to the bone will be hotter than the actual center of the meat. Fat pockets give false readings too.
Use an instant-read thermometer. A leave-in probe works for roasts, but for steaks you want a fast reading — 2-3 seconds. Open the grill, insert, read, close. You don't want the lid open for 30 seconds waiting for a slow thermometer to settle.
Check the thickest section. If your steak varies in thickness, always temp the fattest part. The thin end will be more done — that's fine, it gives you a gradient from medium on the edges to rare in the center.
Resting Rules
Resting is not optional. Skip it and you'll cut into the steak, juices will flood your plate, and the meat will be drier than it should be.
Minimum 5 minutes for standard steaks. A 1-inch strip or ribeye needs at least 5 minutes. The internal temp will rise, the juices will redistribute, and the muscle fibers relax.
Thick steaks: 8-10 minutes. A 2-inch tomahawk or a thick filet needs more time. The larger thermal mass means more carryover and more time for the juices to settle.
Tent loosely with foil. Don't wrap tightly — you'll steam the crust you worked hard to build. Just a loose tent to slow heat loss. Some people skip foil entirely. Both work.
Don't rest on a cold plate. A cold surface sucks heat out of the bottom of the steak. Use a warm plate or a wooden cutting board.
USDA Safe Temperature vs. Chef-Preferred
This matters, so let's be clear about it.
The USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to 145°F with a 3-minute rest. That's medium by the chart above. Most chefs and steakhouses serve steaks at 130-135°F — medium rare — which is below the USDA guideline.
Why do chefs do this? Because with whole muscle cuts (not ground), bacteria live on the surface, not inside the meat. A proper sear — 500°F+ on the exterior — kills surface bacteria. The interior of an intact steak is effectively sterile.
Ground beef is different. Grinding mixes surface bacteria throughout the meat. Always cook ground beef to 160°F (71°C)*. No exceptions. Burgers, meatloaf, meatballs — all to 160°F.
Who should stick to the USDA temp: anyone with a compromised immune system, pregnant women, young children, and elderly individuals. When in doubt, 145°F with a 3-minute rest is the safe call.
FAQ
What temperature is medium rare steak?
130-135°F (54-57°C) after resting. Pull the steak off heat at 125°F and let carryover cooking bring it to the target. The center should be warm and red.
Do I really need a meat thermometer?
Yes. The finger-poke test and timing-based methods are unreliable because every steak is different — thickness, starting temp, grill heat, ambient temperature all vary. A $15 instant-read thermometer removes the guesswork entirely. Need to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? Use our unit converter.
How long does it take to cook a steak to medium rare?
It depends on thickness, heat source, and starting temperature. A 1-inch steak on a 500°F grill takes roughly 3-4 minutes per side, but that's a rough estimate. Use our cooking time calculator for a more accurate answer based on your setup.
Is it safe to eat medium rare steak?
For whole muscle cuts, yes — surface searing kills bacteria on the exterior, and the interior of intact steaks is not contaminated. The USDA recommends 145°F for extra safety. Medium rare at 130-135°F is standard at virtually every steakhouse. Ground beef is a different story — always cook to 160°F.
Next Steps
- Use the cooking time calculator to estimate grill times for your steak thickness
- Convert between Fahrenheit, Celsius, grams, and ounces with the unit converter