How Long Should Steaks Rest After Cooking?


A Quarter of the Cooking Time

According to Australian celebrity chef Benjamin Christie, one of the secrets to cooking a perfect steak is to allow the meat to rest for one-quarter of the total cooking time. For example, if a steak is grilled for four minutes per side (eight minutes), rest the steak for two minutes.

Five to Ten Minutes

Other chefs suggest letting a steak rest for five to ten minutes, to make sure the juices have time to redistribute throughout the meat and are not lost on the plate when the steak is cut. A drawback of resting the meat longer, however, is that the steak can get cold before serving.

Bottom Line

The cooking and resting time of a steak largely depends on its thickness. According to grilling enthusiast Chris Allingham, thinner steaks may need to rest for five minutes, while a thicker steak should be rested longer. Treat each steak individually and keep the rule of resting the meat for one-quarter of the total cooking time in mind.

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