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Steak Cooking Time Calculator
Grilling time per side, by thickness and how you like it — plus the internal temperature to pull at, which is the number that actually decides.
Your results
Per side, on a hot grill
4 min
Total on the grill
8 min
Pull at
125°F / 52°C
Rest before slicing
5 min
A one-inch steak on a properly hot grill wants about four minutes a side for medium rare. Double the thickness and the time more than doubles, because heat has to travel from both faces to a centre that is now twice as far away.
Pull five degrees below your target. A steak keeps cooking off the heat — carryover of about 5°F (3°C) on a one-inch cut, more on a thick one. Taking a steak off at exactly 130°F means eating it at 135°F.
The one number that is not negotiable: ground beef needs 160°F (71°C), whole-muscle steak does not. The inside of an intact steak has never been exposed to air, which is why rare steak is normal and rare burger is not.
Questions people ask
How long to cook a 1-inch steak at 450°F?
About four minutes a side for medium rare, eight minutes total, then five minutes of rest. Pull at 125°F (52°C) and it will settle at 130°F.
How long to grill a 1.5-inch ribeye?
Six minutes a side for medium rare, twelve total, with a ten-minute rest. On a thick cut, sear both sides hot then finish over indirect heat so the centre catches up before the crust burns.
Do I need to rest a steak?
Yes, and thickness sets the length: five minutes for an inch, ten for a thick cut. Cut too early and the juice ends up on the board instead of in the meat.
Should I salt a steak in advance?
Either salt right before it hits the grill, or at least forty minutes ahead. In between is the worst window: the salt has drawn moisture to the surface but not yet been reabsorbed, so the steak steams instead of searing.