How long should beef be cooked to medium rare?

Achieving medium rare in beef requires balancing culinary preference with food safety and understanding the science that produces the desired texture and color. Medium rare is defined by an internal temperature range that yields a warm red center with tender juices while avoiding the deeper denaturation and dryness of higher doneness levels. J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats recommends targeting an internal temperature of 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare, and using an instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to confirm that target has been reached.

Internal temperature and food safety

Temperature guidelines differ depending on whether the goal is culinary doneness or pathogen control. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to 145 degrees Fahrenheit followed by a three-minute rest to ensure safety. That USDA standard reflects the risk of bacterial contamination on the surface or within irregular cuts, and it represents a precautionary approach particularly relevant in institutional or vulnerable-population settings. Understanding these dual standards helps cooks make informed choices: for intact steaks, searing the exterior typically reduces surface pathogens, which is why many chefs accept 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare, while food safety authorities advise a higher final temperature when minimizing all risk is essential.

Timing, thickness, and methods

How long to cook to reach medium rare depends primarily on thickness, starting temperature, and cooking method. Thicker cuts require longer exposure to heat and are more forgiving of slower, lower-temperature cooking such as oven finishing, while thin cuts respond quickly to high-heat searing. Carryover cooking is an important consequence of residual heat; removing beef from the heat source when the thermometer reads a few degrees below the target will often allow the internal temperature to rise to the medium rare range during resting. Resting also redistributes juices, improving tenderness and reducing loss when the meat is carved.

Cultural and environmental considerations influence how medium rare is perceived and practiced. In Argentina and parts of Europe, a preference for rarer beef reflects culinary traditions around grilling and butchery that supply high-quality whole-muscle cuts. Conversely, regions with different supply chains or higher prevalence of certain pathogens may favor higher cooking temperatures for public health reasons. Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, explains that the visual and textural cues of doneness arise from changes in myoglobin and muscle proteins as temperature increases, which provides a scientific basis for both sensory judgment and thermometer use.

Consequences of undercooking include potential foodborne illness, while overcooking diminishes flavor and nutritional value. For most home cooks, the safest, most consistent approach is to use a calibrated instant-read thermometer, aim for an internal temperature aligned with the chosen balance of safety and preference, and allow a short resting period before serving.