How Do You Know Beef is Cooked?
The most accurate way to tell if beef is cooked is by measuring the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Colour alone isn’t reliable — pink juices or a browned outside can be misleading. A thermometer ensures your roast, ribs, or burgers are cooked perfectly to your preferred doneness (or safely, in the case of mince).
What is the Safe Beef Cooking Temperature?
Safe beef temperatures depend on the cut.
Whole joints like roast beef can be cooked rare (52 °C), medium (60 °C), or well done (71 °C).
Minced beef, such as burgers, must always be cooked through to 71 °C for safety.
Recommended Temperatures for Different Cuts of Beef
Roast Beef Temperature
Popular cuts: topside, sirloin, rib, rump.
Roast beef can be served rare, medium rare, medium, or well done. For the juiciest result, medium rare to medium is most popular.
Beef Ribs, Brisket or Chuck Temperature
Fatty cuts like beef ribs or brisket benefit from slow cooking until tender. Cook until they reach 85-90 °C so the connective tissue breaks down and becomes melt-in-the-mouth.
Burger / Minced Beef Temperature
Minced beef must always be cooked through for safety, as bacteria can be mixed throughout the meat. The temperature for beef burgers is 71 °C.
| Beef Cut | Beef Doneness | Pull Temperature (remove from the heat) | Final Temperature (peak temperature as it rests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef roasts (tenderloin, sirloin, topside, beef rib) | Rare | 42-50 ℃ (118-122 ℉) | 52 ℃ (126 ℉) |
| Medium Rare | 46-54 ℃ (126-129 ℉) | 56 ℃ (132 ℉) | |
| Medium | 50-58 ℃ (132-136 ℉) | 60 ℃ (140 ℉) | |
| Medium Well | 55-63 °C (142-145 °F) | 65 °C (149 °F) | |
| Well Done | 61-69 °C (153-156 ℉) | 71 °C (160 ℉) | |
| Fatty cuts (ribs, brisket, chuck, shin) | Tender | - | 85-90 °C (185-194 °F) |
| Mince/ burgers | Safe | - | 71 °C (160 °F) |
How to Cook Melt-in-the-Mouth Roast Beef
Bring to room temperature: Remove from the fridge around 45-60 minutes before cooking.
Sear first: Start with the oven at 220 °C fan and brown all sides for flavour and crust. Alternatively, sear in a pan. You can do this at the end of your cook if you prefer.
Slow roast: 180 °C fan for even cooking.
Cook to temperature: 52 °C for rare, 60 °C for medium or
71 °C for well done. 85-90 °C for fatty, slow cooked cuts. Remove a few degrees early to account for carryover cooking.
Rest properly: 30–60 minutes to lock in juices and finish cooking.
Can You Reheat Beef?
How to Reheat Roast Beef
1. Cool quickly and refrigerate within two hours.
2. Reheat once only.
3. Cover with foil and reheat slowly at low heat.
4. Make sure it reaches 74 °C internally for safety.
Adding gravy, broth, or jus will help prevent it from drying out.
How to Measure Beef Temperature
Step-by-step guide to checking the temperature of beef:
Best Cooking Thermometers for Beef
Best For: Roasts & Slow Cooks.
Track the temperature of your beef as it cooks using the RFX MEAT. Perfect for roasting or slow-cooking large joints like roasts or ribs. With no wires, it’s also great for pan-frying and searing with freedom.
Best For: Oven Roasts.
The DOT alarm thermometer is the simplest way to monitor your beef as it cooks and get an alert when it's done. Great for roasting large joints in the oven or on the BBQ. Simply insert the probe, set your temperature, and the alarm will sound when it’s ready.
Best For: Spot-Checking
The Thermapen gives instant readings, perfect for small cuts like burgers, and for checking larger joints like roasts or ribs to ensure they’re perfectly done all the way through.
