BYTETOOLS

Roast Cooking Time Calculator

Work out roasting time by weight for turkey, chicken, beef, pork, lamb and ham, with resting time, target internal temperature and a start time to aim for.

3 h 02 min
Cooking time
2 h 47 min – 3 h 17 min
Expect somewhere between
13 min/lb
Rate used
20 min
Resting time
165 °F / 74 °C
Final internal temperature
155 °F / 68 °C
Pull from the oven at
3 h 22 min
Oven-to-table total

Working backwards from the table

14:38
Into the oven
17:40
Out of the oven
18:00
Carve and serve

USDA gives 2¾–3 h for 8–12 lb and 4½–5 h for 20–24 lb; larger birds need slightly fewer minutes per pound.

Time = weight × minutes per pound from published roasting charts, and the ±8% window reflects how much real ovens and joint shapes vary. Carryover cooking keeps raising the centre after you take the meat out, which is why the “pull” temperature is below the final target. A clock is only a plan — a probe thermometer in the thickest part, away from bone, is the only reliable test of doneness. USDA safe minimums are 165 °F for all poultry and stuffing, and 145 °F plus a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb; the rare and medium-rare figures here are culinary targets below that line, and are your own choice to make.

What is the Roast Cooking Time Calculator?

The ByteTools Roast Cooking Time Calculator multiplies the weight of your joint by the minutes per pound from standard published roasting charts.

  • 25 cuts across turkey, chicken, duck, beef, pork, lamb and ham
  • Minutes per pound or per kilogram from standard roasting charts
  • A ±8% time window instead of a single false-precision figure
  • Final internal temperature and a carryover-adjusted pull temperature
  • Resting time built in and a start time worked back from serving
  • Cut-specific notes for stuffing, pulled pork and pre-cooked ham

How to use the Roast Cooking Time Calculator

  1. 1

    Choose the meat and cut, then the oven temperature the chart supports for it.

  2. 2

    Pick your doneness — the options shown are the ones that cut has published times for.

  3. 3

    Enter the weight in pounds or kilograms.

  4. 4

    Type your target serving time on the 24-hour clock.

  5. 5

    Read the cooking time and range, resting time, target and pull temperatures, and the oven-in and oven-out times worked backwards from serving.

About the Roast Cooking Time Calculator

The ByteTools Roast Cooking Time Calculator multiplies the weight of your joint by the minutes per pound from standard published roasting charts. Twenty-five cuts are covered — whole turkey stuffed and unstuffed, turkey breast, chicken, duck, five beef roasts, pork loin and shoulder, four lamb cuts and three kinds of ham — each with its own oven temperature and doneness options.

You get the cooking time with a realistic ±8 per cent window rather than a false-precision single number, plus resting time, the final internal temperature, and the lower temperature to pull the meat out at so carryover cooking finishes the job. Enter your target serving time and it works backwards to tell you when the roast has to go in.

Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is uploaded. A clock is a plan, not a test of doneness — a probe thermometer in the thickest part away from bone is the only reliable check. USDA safe minimums are 165 °F for all poultry and stuffing and 145 °F plus a three-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb.

Frequently asked questions

How long to cook a turkey per pound?

At 325 °F, about 13 minutes per pound unstuffed and 15 minutes per pound stuffed. A 14 lb unstuffed bird works out at roughly three hours. Large birds need slightly fewer minutes per pound than small ones, which is why the tool shows a range rather than one number.

What temperature should a roast be when it is done?

Poultry needs 165 °F throughout. For beef and lamb, 125 °F is rare, 135 °F medium rare, 145 °F medium and 160 °F well done. Pork loin is best at 145 °F with a short rest. USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb is 145 °F plus three minutes.

What is carryover cooking?

Heat continues moving into the centre of a roast after you take it out of the oven, raising the internal temperature by 5 to 10 °F on a large joint. That is why this calculator gives a pull temperature below your target — take it out at that reading and it will rest into the doneness you wanted.

How long should meat rest after roasting?

Roughly 15 to 20 minutes for a large roast or whole bird, 5 to 10 for something small. Resting lets the juices redistribute so they stay on the plate instead of the board, and the resting time is already included when this tool works backwards from your serving time.

How long to cook a beef roast per pound?

A bone-in rib roast at 350 °F takes about 24 minutes per pound for medium rare, so a 6 lb roast needs roughly 2 hours 25 minutes. A boneless rib roast runs longer at about 28 minutes per pound, and lean round cuts at 325 °F longer still.

Is minutes per pound accurate?

It is a good planning tool and a poor doneness test. Shape matters more than weight — a long thin joint cooks faster than a compact one of the same weight — and ovens routinely run 25 °F off their dial. Use the time to plan your day and a probe thermometer to decide when it is ready.

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