Any weight, any unit
Type an exact weight in kg, g, lb or oz — including small roasts under 1 kg, not just whole kilos.
Plan the roast. Serve on time.
Meat Roasting Times Calculator
Free, interactive roast calculator for beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and duck. Enter the weight and doneness to get your oven temperature, cooking time, safe internal temperature and a serve-on-time schedule.
Sear first for colour, then roast. Rest loosely covered so juices redistribute.
ROAST PLANBeef · 1.8 kg
Estimated cooking time
1 hr 41 min
+ 15 min resting
Oven temperature
180°C / 356°F
Conventional
Safe internal temp
63°C / 145°F
Medium — check with a thermometer
Begin checking
15 min before ready
A thermometer is the final word.
Times are estimates for planning. Always roast until the meat reaches the safe internal temperature above, measured in the thickest part away from bone.
Serve-at scheduler
Pick when you want to eat and the calculator works backwards to when to preheat and put the roast in.
Begin-checking time
Every plan tells you when to start probing with a thermometer, so you never overshoot.
Safe temperatures
Conventional and fan oven guidance in Celsius and Fahrenheit, with a safe internal temp on every result.
Safe internal temperatures
| Doneness | °C | °F |
|---|---|---|
| Rare | 52°C | 125°F |
| Medium rare | 57°C | 135°F |
| Medium | 63°C | 145°F |
| Well done | 71°C | 160°F |
| Chicken / turkey | 74°C | 165°F |
Beef and lamb are cooked to preference; pork and poultry should always reach their safe minimum.
The thermometer is authoritative
A clearer plan, not false precision.
Cooking times are estimates — oven performance, shape, thickness, bone and starting temperature all change the result. Every plan shows a safe internal temperature and tells you when to start checking with a food thermometer.
- Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and duck
- An estimated cooking window and a “begin checking” time
- Safe internal temperature with probe-placement guidance
- Conventional and fan oven temperatures in °C and °F
Guide
How to use a meat roasting times calculator
A meat roasting times calculator takes the guesswork out of the oven. Instead of remembering a different rule for every joint, you pick the meat, enter the weight and doneness, and it returns the oven temperature, an estimated cooking time, the safe internal temperature to aim for and a rest period.
The estimate comes from a simple, reliable model: a base time plus a per-kilogram rate for each meat, nudged down for fan ovens. A 1.8 kg beef joint cooked medium, for example, lands around two hours at 180°C — but the calculator recalculates instantly as you change the weight, so it works just as well for a small 800 g roast or a large festive turkey.
The most useful feature is the serve-at scheduler. Tell it when you want to eat and it works backwards through resting, cooking and preheating to give you a clear timeline — when to turn the oven on, when to put the roast in, when to start checking and when to pull it out to rest. That is how you get everything to the table together.
Treat the times as a plan, not a promise. A probe thermometer reading the safe internal temperature is always the final word, which is why every result here shows a target temperature to confirm doneness.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate meat roasting time?
Roasting time is driven by the type of meat, its weight and how well done you want it. Enter those in the calculator and it estimates total oven time from a per-kilogram rate plus a fixed base, then adjusts for a fan oven. A thermometer reading the safe internal temperature is always the final check.
What oven temperature should I roast at?
Most joints roast well at 180°C (350°F) conventional. A fan/convection oven runs hotter, so drop it about 20°C to 160°C (325°F). For pork crackling, start around 20 minutes at 220°C, then reduce to 180°C for the remaining time.
What are the safe internal temperatures for roast meat?
Poultry such as chicken and turkey should reach 74°C (165°F). Whole cuts of beef, lamb and pork are safe from 63°C (145°F) with a rest, though beef and lamb are commonly cooked to a chosen doneness from about 52°C rare to 71°C well done. Always measure in the thickest part, away from bone.
Does a fan oven change the cooking time?
Yes. Fan ovens circulate hot air and cook faster, so this calculator reduces the estimated time by roughly ten percent and lowers the recommended temperature by about 20°C when you select fan.
How long should meat rest after roasting?
Rest smaller joints for 10–15 minutes and a turkey for 30 minutes or more, loosely covered with foil. Resting lets the juices redistribute so the meat is moister and easier to carve. The serve-at scheduler already builds resting time into your timeline.
Why is a meat thermometer better than a timer?
Cooking times are only estimates — oven calibration, joint shape, thickness, bone and fridge-cold starting temperature all change the result. A probe thermometer measures doneness directly, which is why every plan here shows a target internal temperature to confirm.
Food-safety sources
This calculator is a planning aid, not a substitute for a food thermometer. Verify safe cooking temperatures with an official food-safety authority:
Guidance last verified: January 15, 2026. A companion iOS and Android app with timers and saved roasts is coming soon.
App Store — soon Google Play — soon
Works offline. No account.
The calculator runs entirely in your browser. No sign-up, no backend, and no third-party analytics on your inputs.