Straight answers
Cooking questions, answered
One question, one number, at the top of the page — then the reasoning, and a calculator if your numbers are different.
How long to cook a 200 g chicken breast at 400°F
A 200 g (7 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breast takes 18 to 20 minutes at 400°F (205°C), from fridge-cold, in a fully preheated oven. Start checking at 15 minutes and take it out the moment the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
How long to cook a 250 g chicken breast at 375°F
A 250 g (9 oz) boneless chicken breast takes 25 to 28 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Start checking at 19 minutes. It is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part, and not a degree later.
How long to cook a 1-inch steak at 450°F
Four minutes a side — eight minutes total — for medium rare. Three a side for rare, five for medium, six for medium well. Pull at 125°F (52°C) for medium rare and rest five minutes; it settles at 130°F.
How long to grill a 1.5-inch ribeye
About six minutes a side for medium rare, twelve minutes total — but not all over direct heat. Sear both faces hot for two to three minutes each, then move the steak to the cooler side of the grill until the centre reads 125°F (52°C). Rest ten minutes.
How long to smoke a 4 lb pork shoulder
Six to seven hours at 225°F (107°C), plus at least an hour of rest. It is done at 203°F (95°C), when a probe slides in with no resistance and the blade bone twists free — not at a time on the clock.
How long to smoke a 10 lb brisket at 225°F
About fifteen hours at 225°F (107°C) — but plan for seventeen and rest it for at least one. It is done at 200-205°F (93-96°C), when a probe slides into the flat like it is going into peanut butter.
How long to cook a 12 lb turkey at 325°F
About 2 hours 40 minutes unstuffed, or 3 hours 10 minutes stuffed. Start checking the thigh at two hours. It is done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone — and it needs twenty minutes of rest after that.
How long to air fry frozen chicken breast
22 to 25 minutes at 360°F (182°C) for a 200 g frozen breast, flipped halfway. Do not go by the clock: it is only done when the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C), and a frozen breast browns outside long before the middle gets there.
How long to air fry 2 chicken breasts
16 to 18 minutes at 375°F (190°C) for two fresh 200 g breasts, flipped once — the same time as one breast, as long as they sit in a single layer without touching. Done at 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part.
How much pulled pork for 15 people
Buy 4.5 kg (10 lb) of raw pork shoulder for 15 people. That yields about 2.25 kg (5 lb) of pulled pork, or 150 g a head — a generous sandwich each with a little to go round again.
How much brisket for 25 people
Buy about 8.8 kg (19-20 lb) of raw packer brisket for 25 people — in practice, two whole briskets. That yields roughly 4.4 kg (9-10 lb) cooked, or 175 g a head.
How many burgers for 40 people
Sixty burgers for 40 people — one and a half each. At 150 g a patty that is 9 kg (20 lb) of ground beef, 66 buns, and 60 slices of cheese.
How many hot dogs for 30 people
Sixty hot dogs for 30 people — two each. That is five packs of twelve, and eight packs of buns to cover them, since buns come in eights and sausages in twelves.
How much potato salad for 20 people
4 kg (9 lb) of potatoes for 20 people, which makes about 5 kg of finished salad once dressed — 200 g a head. Use a waxy potato, and make it the day before.
How much pasta salad for 50 people
3 kg (6.6 lb) of dry pasta for 50 people, which triples to about 9 kg of finished salad — 60 g dry a head. Add roughly 1.5 L of dressing, and hold half of it back until serving.