Burger Cooking Time Calculator
Choose the thickness and how you are cooking them for the time, when to turn and how to check.
The time is per piece. This only affects how you space them out.
Answer
8–10 minutes
The details
How to tell it is done
Cut a burger in half. There must be no pink meat anywhere in the middle and the juices must run clear. A thermometer should read 70°C for two minutes (or an instant 75°C).
Times are a guide. Thickness, how cold the food was and how full the oven is all change the answer, so check before you serve.
Next step
Worth knowing
- Thin: About 100g, 1.5cm thick.
- Medium-high heat, a little oil, and do not crowd the pan.
- Burgers are minced meat, so bacteria are mixed all the way through. Unlike a steak, they must be cooked right through. We do not give rare or medium timings for home cooking.
- Press a dent into the middle of each burger before cooking and they will stay flat instead of doming.
- One flip is enough. Pressing them down squeezes out the juice that keeps them tender.
Food safety
- Mincing or skewering moves surface bacteria right through the meat, so burgers, sausages, kebabs, rolled joints and offal must be cooked all the way through, steaming hot, no pink meat, juices running clear. This applies however good the meat is.
- Cooking times are a guide only. Ovens, joints and starting temperatures vary, so always check the food is cooked before serving rather than relying on the clock.
Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: minced meat and offal (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: minced meat and offal (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Reference and detail
Home-made burgers are cooked right through
Mincing spreads any bacteria from the surface all the way through the meat, so a burger cannot be treated like a steak. The Food Standards Agency advice is that burgers made at home are cooked until there is no pink meat and the juices run clear. With a thermometer, the centre should reach 70°C for two minutes, or an equivalent combination such as 75°C for 30 seconds.
Rare burgers in restaurants are a different thing
Restaurants that serve pink burgers work to a documented safety process with their supplier and their local authority. That is not something you can reproduce at home with supermarket mince.
Do not press them down
Pressing squeezes out the fat and juice that keep the burger tender. Shape them, make a shallow dip in the middle so they stay flat, and leave them alone.
Questions and answers
Questions about cooking burgers
Can home-made burgers be served pink like a steak?
No. Mincing spreads any bacteria from the surface all the way through the meat, so a burger cannot be treated like a whole cut of beef. Burgers made at home should be cooked until there is no pink meat and the juices run clear, reaching at least 75°C in the centre.
Food safety
Mincing or skewering moves surface bacteria right through the meat, so burgers, sausages, kebabs, rolled joints and offal must be cooked all the way through, steaming hot, no pink meat, juices running clear. This applies however good the meat is.
Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: minced meat and offal (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Why do some restaurants serve pink burgers if home-made ones cannot be?
Restaurants that serve pink burgers work to a documented safety process with their supplier and their local authority, tracking the mince from a single trusted source. That is not something a home kitchen with supermarket mince can reproduce.
Food safety
Mincing or skewering moves surface bacteria right through the meat, so burgers, sausages, kebabs, rolled joints and offal must be cooked all the way through, steaming hot, no pink meat, juices running clear. This applies however good the meat is.
Source: Food Standards Agency, Cooking your food: minced meat and offal (GOV.UK) · Reviewed 2026-09-11 · Guidance version 2.0.0
Should I press burgers down while they cook?
No. Pressing squeezes out the fat and juice that keep the burger tender. Shape them with a shallow dip in the centre so they stay flat as they cook, and otherwise leave them alone.
Does burger thickness change how I check it is done?
Yes, a thick burger needs longer for the heat to reach the centre than a thin one, so always check the middle of the thickest burger in a batch, not the thinnest.
Can I cook burgers in an air fryer?
Yes, an air fryer works well for burgers, though the cooking time differs from a pan or grill.
Safety guidance reviewed against Food Standards Agency sources on 11 September 2026. How we calculate cooking times and safety guidance.