By Lara Yehia · Last reviewed November 2026
Medium rare steak is 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C) after it rests. Take it off the heat at 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C), because it keeps climbing a few degrees while it sits.
Steak temperature chart: internal temperature for every doneness level
| Doneness | Pull at | Final, after rest | USDA 145°F (63°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rare | 115-125°F (46-52°C) |
120-130°F (49-54°C) |
Below |
| Medium rare | 125-130°F (52-54°C) |
130-135°F (54-57°C) |
Below |
| Medium | 130-140°F (54-60°C) |
135-145°F (57-63°C) |
Below, reaches it at the top |
| Medium well | 140-150°F (60-66°C) |
145-155°F (63-68°C) |
At or above |
| Well done | 150°F+ (66°C+) |
155°F+ (68°C+) |
Above |
Pull is the reading when the steak leaves the heat. Final is the reading after it rests. Pull and final ranges: Sullivan's Steakhouse and ThermoWorks. USDA minimum: FSIS. Celsius converted from Fahrenheit and rounded.
The USDA's minimum for beef steaks is 145°F (63°C), followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes. Rare, medium rare and most of medium finish below that line. The ranges in the chart are what chefs and steakhouses cook to, not USDA numbers, and the USDA section further down explains the difference. If you sear on cast iron, our guide to the best cast iron griddle compares seven uncoated pans by the stove each one suits.
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The one tool this chart needs
Every number above is a reading from the center of the steak, and a plain digital instant-read is how you get it. We'd start with the Alpha Grillers: a thin probe, a backlit screen, and a listing that says it reads in 1 to 2 seconds, so you aren't holding the pan open for long.
See the Alpha Grillers thermometer on AmazonWhat each doneness level looks like inside
Color is a useful second check, but it changes with the cut, the light in your kitchen and how long the steak rested. Use it to confirm the thermometer, not to replace it.
- Rare: bright red center, very soft, and the middle can still feel cool.
- Medium rare: warm red to pink center. It's the level most steakhouses suggest.
- Medium: pink center and a firmer bite.
- Medium well: only a thin band of pink left in the middle.
- Well done: brown all the way through, no pink.
From left: rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, well done.
When to pull the steak off the heat
Heat keeps moving from the hot outside of the steak into the center after it leaves the pan, so the reading climbs while it rests. That's carryover cooking, and it's why the pull column in the chart sits below the final one.
How far it climbs depends on thickness and heat. ThermoWorks puts it at about 3 to 5°F (2 to 3°C) for thin steaks and as much as 10 to 15°F (6 to 8°C) for large cuts cooked over high heat. A thin skirt steak barely moves. A thick ribeye off a very hot pan can slide into the next level if you wait for the final number before pulling it.
Then let it rest before you slice. FSIS asks for at least 3 minutes for beef steaks, and Sullivan's Steakhouse rests its steaks 5 to 10 minutes so the juices settle. Check once more right before cutting. That last reading is your real doneness.
Rest it before cutting. The temperature keeps moving for a few minutes.
Where to put the thermometer in a steak
The center of the thickest part heats up last, so that's the reading that counts. FSIS says to put the probe in the thickest part, away from bone, fat and gristle, since those read differently from the meat around them.
Go in from the side. On a steak an inch (2.5 cm) or so thick, a probe pushed straight down can pass the middle and touch the pan, and then it reads hot. FSIS gives the same advice for thin foods: slide the probe in sideways until the tip sits in the center.
ThermoWorks adds a simple trick. Push the probe a little past the middle, draw it back slowly and watch for the lowest number, because the lowest reading is the true center. Start checking near the end of the cooking time, as FSIS suggests, so you catch the pull temperature instead of sailing past it.
Side entry, level with the board, tip in the center.
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Alpha Grillers instant-read thermometer
Why it fits: the listing gives it a 1 to 2 second response, a backlit display and a recalibration feature, and rates it waterproof (IP67) for rinsing under the tap. A fast reading matters with steak, because the pan is still hot while you check.
The drawback: the listing tops it out at 300°F (149°C), the body is plastic and it's hand wash only. It's built for quick checks, not for staying in a steak while it finishes in the oven.
Check it on AmazonIf you finish thick steaks in the oven or cook them low first and sear at the end, a leave-in probe saves you from opening the door again and again. Here are the two types side by side.
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| Thermometer | Best for | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Grillers instant-read | Steaks in a pan or on the grill, checked near the end | Can't stay in the meat in the oven; hand wash only | See it |
| TempPro TempTrack leave-in probe | Thick steaks finished in the oven, low-then-sear cooks, roasts | Wired probe, so route the cable where the door won't pinch it; wipe-clean only | See it |
What the USDA says about steak temperature
FSIS, the USDA's food safety agency, says raw beef steaks, chops and roasts should read 145°F (63°C) on a food thermometer before they come off the heat, then rest for at least 3 minutes. FSIS also says you can cook to a higher temperature if you prefer.
Many doneness charts, this one included, put rare, medium rare and most of medium below that line. Those ranges come from chefs and steakhouses and describe texture and color. They aren't a USDA standard. If you want to meet the USDA number as it's written, the steak should read 145°F (63°C) before it leaves the heat. On the chart above, that puts you at medium well.
Two cases have their own rule. Ground beef, burgers included, goes to 160°F (71°C). For mechanically tenderized steaks, where blades or needles have been pushed through the meat, FSIS asks for 145°F (63°C) and the 3-minute rest. FSIS notes that these steaks look like any other, so the label is the only way to tell.
Poultry has a higher number, which our chicken internal temp guide covers cut by cut.
Which doneness suits which cut
The temperatures don't change from cut to cut. ThermoWorks points out that every steak goes through the same stages at the same numbers, so a ribeye is medium rare at 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C), the same as a filet. What changes is the level that eats best. The usual rule: lean cuts on the rarer side, fattier cuts a little further so the fat softens.
| Cut | Often cooked to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Filet mignon | Rare or medium rare | Very lean and delicate |
| Sirloin | Medium rare to medium | Balances juice and tenderness |
| Ribeye | Medium rare to medium | More fat, which softens with a bit more heat |
| T-bone | Medium rare | Strip side gets a crust while the tenderloin side stays juicy |
Cut suggestions: Thermapen's steak guide. Use the chart's pull column for every one of them.
Same temperatures for every cut. Only the level you choose changes.
Mistakes that throw the number off
- Pulling at the target. The steak keeps climbing, so a medium rare target turns into medium. Pull from the pull column.
- Reading near the surface or the pan. The outside runs hotter than the center. Go in from the side and look for the lowest number.
- Cooking by the clock. Minutes per side change with thickness, starting temperature and heat. The thermometer settles it.
- Cutting in right away. Rest it first, then slice across the grain with a sharp blade. Our steak knife guide covers blade steel and which knives survive the dishwasher.
Questions people ask
Is medium rare steak safe to eat?
It finishes below the USDA minimum. FSIS sets 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for beef steaks, and medium rare ends at 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C). Plenty of people order it that way, and the choice is yours. If you want the USDA standard, cook to 145°F (63°C) before resting. FSIS gives mechanically tenderized steaks the same 145°F (63°C).
What temperature is a medium well steak?
145 to 155°F (63 to 68°C) after resting. Pull it at 140 to 150°F (60 to 66°C). It's the first level on the chart that sits at or above the USDA minimum.
When do you pull a steak off the grill for medium rare?
At 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C), the same as in a pan or the oven. A very hot grill and a thick steak make carryover bigger, so aim for the low end of that range.
What temperature is medium rare for sous vide?
Set the water bath to the doneness you want to end up with. The Food Lab's sous vide guide uses 129°F (54°C) for medium rare, and Anova's sirloin recipe uses 131°F (55°C). The bath temperature decides the final doneness, so there's no pulling early. A short sear at the end gives the crust.
How long do you cook a steak for medium rare?
There's no reliable number of minutes. Thickness, how cold the steak was and how hot the pan is all change it. Cook until the center reads 125 to 130°F (52 to 54°C), then rest it.
How can you tell steak doneness without a thermometer?
The finger test compares how the steak feels with the fleshy base of your thumb. It's rough. Hands differ, cuts differ, and a thick steak firms up on the outside before the center catches up. A thermometer takes the guessing out.
How we checked
On 10 November 2026 we read the FSIS pages on cooking temperatures, kitchen thermometers and mechanically tenderized beef, the steak temperature guides from ThermoWorks and Sullivan's Steakhouse, Thermapen's cut guide, and the sous vide numbers from The Food Lab and Anova. The FSIS temperature chart was read on 7 November 2026. Product details come from the Amazon listings and Amazon product data on 10 November 2026. None of the FSIS pages showed an update date.
Written by Lara Yehia for Cupindy. This page is general food-safety information, not medical advice.
Sources
- FSIS: Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart (read 7 Nov 2026)
- FSIS: How Temperatures Affect Food (read 10 Nov 2026)
- FSIS: Mechanically Tenderized Beef (read 10 Nov 2026)
- FSIS: Kitchen Thermometers (read 10 Nov 2026)
- ThermoWorks: Steak Temperature, Getting It Right (updated 19 Jan 2026)
- ThermoWorks: What Temperature Is Medium Rare? (read 10 Nov 2026)
- Sullivan's Steakhouse: Steak Cooking Time Chart and Tips (7 May 2026)
- Thermapen: Steak Cooking Chart (read 10 Nov 2026)
- The Food Lab (Serious Eats): Sous Vide Steak Guide (2 Jun 2015)
- Anova: Medium Rare Sirloin Steak (read 10 Nov 2026)
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