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Roast Time Calculator

CookingCooking Times and Temperatures
Oven time —
Total minutes in the oven
—
Oven temperature
—
Pull at internal temperature
—
Resting time
—
Oven time plus rest
—

Multiply the roast's weight in pounds by the minutes per pound for the cut. An unstuffed turkey at 325 °F takes about 15 minutes a pound, so a 13 lb bird needs roughly 3 h 15 min. Beef roasted to medium takes about 20 minutes a pound. Always confirm with a meat thermometer and rest the roast before carving.

About this tool

Planning dinner around a roast means working backwards from the time you want to eat. This calculator turns the weight of a turkey, whole chicken, beef rib or sirloin roast, leg of lamb or pork loin into an oven time, using per-pound rates from standard roasting charts. Enter the weight in pounds or kilograms; for beef and lamb, pick a doneness. You get the oven setting, the internal temperature to pull the meat at, how long to rest it, and the total time including the rest, so you know when the roast has to go in. The figures assume a conventional oven, meat starting from the fridge rather than frozen, and an unstuffed bird. Ovens and roast shapes vary, so the time is a planning estimate and the thermometer reading decides when it is done.

How to use it

  1. Choose the cut

    Pick turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or pork from the list; each has its own oven temperature and rate.

  2. Enter the weight

    Type the weight and switch the unit inside the field between lb and kg.

  3. Set doneness for red meat

    For beef or lamb, choose rare, medium or well done; poultry and pork use a single safe target.

  4. Plan backwards

    Read the oven time and the time with resting, and subtract it from when you want to serve.

Examples

13 lb turkey

What you are roasting
Turkey, unstuffed
Weight
13
Weight unit
lb

Result Oven time: 3 h 15 min
Total minutes in the oven: 195
Oven temperature: 325 °F (163 °C)
Pull at internal temperature: 165 °F (74 °C)
Resting time: 20 min
Oven time plus rest: 3 h 35 min

  1. Weight in pounds = 13 lb
  2. Rate for whole turkey (unstuffed) = 15 min per lb at 325 °F
  3. Time = 13 × 15 = 195 min = 3 h 15 min
  4. Add 20 min resting before carving = 3 h 35 min

At 325 °F and 15 minutes a pound, a 13 lb bird needs about 3 h 15 min, then 20 minutes of rest before carving.

2 kg beef roast, medium

What you are roasting
Beef rib or sirloin
Weight
2
Weight unit
kg
Doneness
Medium

Result Oven time: 1 h 28 min
Total minutes in the oven: 88
Oven temperature: 325 °F (163 °C)
Pull at internal temperature: 145 °F (63 °C)
Resting time: 15 min
Oven time plus rest: 1 h 43 min

  1. Weight in pounds = 4.41 lb
  2. Rate for beef rib or sirloin roast = 20 min per lb at 325 °F
  3. Time = 4.41 × 20 = 88 min = 1 h 28 min
  4. Add 15 min resting before carving = 1 h 43 min

2 kg is 4.41 lb; at 20 minutes a pound that is 88 minutes at 325 °F, pulled at 145 °F.

4 lb chicken

What you are roasting
Whole chicken
Weight
4
Weight unit
lb

Result Oven time: 1 h 20 min
Total minutes in the oven: 80
Oven temperature: 350 °F (177 °C)
Pull at internal temperature: 165 °F (74 °C)
Resting time: 10 min
Oven time plus rest: 1 h 30 min

  1. Weight in pounds = 4 lb
  2. Rate for whole chicken = 20 min per lb at 350 °F
  3. Time = 4 × 20 = 80 min = 1 h 20 min
  4. Add 10 min resting before carving = 1 h 30 min

A 4 lb chicken at 350 °F and 20 minutes a pound roasts for 80 minutes, plus 10 minutes of rest.

How it is calculated

time (min) = weight (lb) × rate (min per lb)

weight
Raw weight of the roast; kilograms are multiplied by 2.20462 to get pounds
rate
Minutes per pound for the cut and doneness: turkey 15, chicken 20, pork loin 20, beef 15/20/25, lamb 20/25/30

Roasting charts from food-safety agencies list time ranges by weight band. Dividing those bands by weight gives a near-constant rate per pound for each cut at a fixed oven temperature, which this tool applies directly. Resting time is added separately because carry-over heat keeps cooking the meat after it leaves the oven. Real roasts deviate from a straight line: a long, thin loin cooks faster than a compact rib roast of the same weight.

When not to use it

  • Stuffed poultry needs longer and the stuffing must also reach 165 °F.
  • Frozen or partly thawed meat takes about 50 percent longer and cooks unevenly.
  • Low-and-slow smoking or sous vide follow different time rules.

Common mistakes

  • Using the cooked or boned-out weight instead of the raw weight on the label.
  • Skipping the thermometer and trusting the clock alone.
  • Carving immediately, which lets the juices run out onto the board.

Frequently asked questions

How many minutes per pound does a turkey take?

An unstuffed turkey at 325 °F takes about 13 to 15 minutes per pound. The USDA chart gives 3 to 3¾ hours for a 12 to 14 lb bird. This tool uses 15 minutes a pound, the upper side, so you are less likely to run short.

What internal temperature should beef reach?

The USDA safe minimum for whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb is 145 °F with a 3-minute rest. Many cooks pull beef at about 125 °F for rare and let carry-over heat finish it; the pull temperature shown here reflects the doneness you pick.

Does a convection oven change the time?

Yes. Fan-assisted ovens move heat faster, so most roasts finish about 25 percent sooner, or you can lower the setting by about 25 °F and keep a similar time. Start checking the thermometer early.

Why rest a roast after cooking?

The outer layers keep pushing heat inward, so the centre rises a few degrees after leaving the oven, and the fibres relax so juices stay in the meat. Ten to twenty minutes under loose foil is typical depending on size.

Is a bone-in roast slower than boneless?

Bone conducts heat less well than meat, so meat next to the bone lags a little, but a bone-in roast also has less meat per pound. In practice the per-pound rates are close; check the temperature away from the bone.

Can I roast at a higher oven temperature to save time?

You can, but the outside overcooks before the centre catches up, and fat renders unevenly. The rates here are tied to the oven setting shown, so changing it makes the estimate unreliable.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 20). Roast Time Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/cooking/cooking-times-and-temperatures/roast-time-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Roast Time Calculator.” Tools Directory, 20 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/cooking/cooking-times-and-temperatures/roast-time-calculator/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Roast Time Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 20, 2026. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/cooking/cooking-times-and-temperatures/roast-time-calculator/.

Link<a href="https://tools.milunir.com/cooking/cooking-times-and-temperatures/roast-time-calculator/">Roast Time Calculator – Tools Directory</a>