Meat Cooking Times

When it comes to being creative in the kitchen, many people can whip up something fantastic in a flash. For others, however, it may be a bit more difficult. This is especially true when meat is the centerpiece of the meal. Knowing how long to cook different types of meat is often tricky without a recipe. That is why knowing basic meat cooking times for beef, chicken, and fish is helpful.

Meat cooking times for beef vary depending on the way in which it's prepared. Beef is usually prepared as rare, medium, or well done. Beef that is rare has reached an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees, medium reaches 160 degrees, and well done measures 170 degrees internally. When cooking beef in a 350 degree oven, a typical rib roast takes 18-26 minutes to be rare, 28-34 minutes to be medium, and 28-36 minutes to be well done. Grilled steaks will take 6-7 minutes to be prepared rare, 8-9 minutes to be medium, and 9-11 minutes to be well done.

Chicken is a family favorite and is usually baked in a 350 degree oven. When preparing a whole 3-4 pound broiler chicken, it will take approximately 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. A 5-7 pound roasting chicken will take 1-1 1/4 hours. Chicken breasts are also a great choice for dinner. A 6-8 ounce bone-in breast should be baked for 50-60 minutes, while a 4 ounce boneless breast will be ready in 20-30 minutes.

Fish is another popular main dish. Meat cooking times for fish vary depending whether the fish is baked, grilled, or deep fried. The following times are based on a 3-5 pound fillet of fish, so slight adjustments may be necessary. In a 350 degree oven, most fish will bake in 35-40 minutes. When grilling fish, each side should cook for 5-10 minutes, with a total cooking time of 10-20 minutes. Deep fried fish cooks quickly due to the hot oil. Preparing fish this way takes only 3-5 minutes.

These meat cooking times are approximate figures, and the times may vary depending on the cut of the meat. Any of these meats would be delicious when served with homemade rye bread. If you're looking for a quick and simple dinner instead, try a 4 ingredient crockpot recipe that will basically cook itself.