Cooking · Minutes on the grill
How long to grill steak
Over high, direct heat a 2.5 cm / 1 in steak takes about 6–10 minutes in total to reach medium-rare, a 1.5 cm / ½ in steak 3–5 minutes and a 4 cm / 1½ in steak 10–14 minutes, finished over indirect heat. Thickness matters far more than weight, and the times are only a guide: the steak is done when the centre reads 51–52 °C / 124–126 °F for medium-rare.
At a glance
- 2.5 cm / 1 in, medium-rare
- 6–10 min in total
- Heat
- High and direct, 230–290 °C / 450–550 °F
- From 4 cm / 1½ in
- Finish over indirect heat
- Pull (medium-rare)
- 51–52 °C / 124–126 °F
Thickness decides the time
Heat travels into a steak from the surface, and the time it needs to reach the centre grows roughly with the square of the distance: a steak twice as thick takes much more than twice as long. That is why grilling tables are organised by thickness rather than by weight, and why two steaks of the same weight, one thin and wide, one thick and small, cook so differently.
The times below are for a steak taken out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before, over a hot, direct fire of about 230–290 °C / 450–550 °F at the grate, with the lid open on charcoal and closed on gas. They follow the grilling guides of Weber, the US Beef Checkoff, AHDB and Meat & Livestock Australia, and they are the same figures used by the steak cooking time calculator.
Grilling times
| Thickness | Rare | Medium-rare | Medium | Medium-well |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 cm / ½–¾ in | 2–4 min | 3–5 min | 4–6 min | 5–8 min |
| 2.5 cm / 1 in | 5–8 min | 6–10 min | 7–12 min | 10–16 min |
| 4 cm / 1½ in | 8–11 min | 10–14 min | 12–17 min | 16–22 min |
| 5 cm / 2 in | 11–14 min | 14–18 min | 17–22 min | 22–29 min |
Pull temperatures
| Doneness | Pull at | After resting |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 47–48 °C 117–118 °F | 50–52 °C 122–126 °F |
| Medium-rare | 51–52 °C 124–126 °F | 54–56 °C 129–133 °F |
| Medium | 56–57 °C 133–135 °F | 59–61 °C 138–142 °F |
| Medium-well | 61–62 °C 142–144 °F | 64–66 °C 147–151 °F |
Direct and indirect heat
Steaks up to about 3 cm / 1¼ in cook entirely over direct heat, directly above the coals or lit burners. From about 4 cm / 1½ in the outside would burn before the centre is ready, so the steak is seared over direct heat for 2–3 minutes a side and then moved to the indirect zone, beside the fire rather than over it, with the lid closed, until it reaches its pull temperature. Very thick or bone-in steaks such as the tomahawk are often done the other way round: slowly over indirect heat first and seared at the end, as in the reverse sear.
Setting up the two zones, judging the fire and choosing between charcoal, wood and gas are covered in grilling over fire.
Gas or charcoal
A gas grill reaches a steady heat and keeps it, but most domestic models top out around 260–290 °C / 500–550 °F at the grate, so steaks brown more slowly and benefit from a full 10–15 minutes of preheating with the lid closed. Charcoal burns hotter and less evenly; a fire is ready when the coals are covered in grey ash, and a common test is that a hand held 10–12 cm / 4–5 in above the grate can stay there only 2–3 seconds. On the Argentine parrilla, where the grate is higher and the embers are spread thinly, the same steak takes noticeably longer.
Turning, resting and the clock
Turning the steak once halfway is the simplest rule; turning it every minute or so cooks it slightly faster and more evenly, with a thinner grey band. Either way, the steak should rest for 3–5 minutes after grilling while the core rises a few more degrees; see resting.
Wind, outside temperature, the height of the grate, the cut and how cold the steak was all change the time by several minutes. The table gets the cook close; an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone, decides. See steak temperatures and meat thermometers.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you grill a 1-inch steak?
About 6–10 minutes in total over high direct heat for medium-rare, turning once or several times; pull it at 51–52 °C / 124–126 °F.
How long to grill a steak for medium?
About 7–12 minutes for a 2.5 cm / 1 in steak and 12–17 minutes for 4 cm / 1½ in; pull at 56–57 °C / 133–135 °F.
How long do you grill a 2-inch steak?
About 14–18 minutes for medium-rare: sear 2–3 minutes a side over direct heat, then finish over indirect heat with the lid closed.
Should the grill lid be open or closed for steak?
Closed on a gas grill, to keep the heat; on charcoal, open for thin steaks over direct heat and closed when finishing thick steaks over indirect heat.
Sources
6
- Meat & Livestock Australia. Australian Beef — cuts and cooking methods. www.australianbeef.com.au/know-your-meat/beef-cuts
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (UK). Beef Meat Purchasing Guide. Kenilworth, 2016. ahdb.org.uk
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart. 2023. www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart
- McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. New York: Scribner, 2004.
- Weber-Stephen Products. Weber's Way to Grill. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009.
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association (Beef Checkoff). Grilling Guide. Centennial, CO, 2012.
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