Steak Doneness Chart in °C, from Rare to Well Done

Take a steak off the heat at 49°C for rare, 54 to 55°C for medium rare, 58°C for medium, 63°C for medium well and 68°C for well done, then let it rest. It keeps cooking while it rests, so the steak you eat ends up a few degrees higher. Adriano Andrade, the 2025 SCA Australia points champion in steak, takes his beef steaks off at 54 to 55°C.

Steak doneness chart in Celsius

Doneness	Take it off at	After resting, about	The centre
Rare	49°C	52°C	Deep red, only just warm
Medium rare	54 to 55°C	57°C	Red to pink, warm all the way through
Medium	58°C	61°C	Pink in the middle, firmer
Medium well	63°C	66°C	A thin line of pink
Well done	68°C	71°C	No pink left

Measure in the centre of the thickest part of the steak, away from bone and fat. On a thin steak, push the probe in from the side so the tip sits in the middle.

Why do Australian steak charts disagree?

Because two scales are in use. Australian Beef, the cooking site of Meat & Livestock Australia, recommends 60°C for rare, 60 to 65°C for medium rare, 65 to 70°C for medium, 70°C for medium well and 75°C for well done. The NSW Food Authority lists 63°C for medium rare, 71°C for medium and 77°C for well done. Chefs and steak cooks work several degrees lower, on the scale in the chart above.

The official numbers are the cautious ones. A steak at 60°C is already pink rather than red in the middle, which most steakhouses would serve as medium. If you want a red to pink medium rare, cook to the chef scale and take the steak off earlier.

What temperature does Adriano cook his steaks to?

54 to 55°C, then a rest. In his own videos he takes picanha steaks off at 55°C, asado-cut beef ribs at 129°F (54°C) and a skirt steak at around 130°F (54°C). That is medium rare on the chef scale.

Adriano is the 2025 SCA Australia points champion in steak, and in March 2026 he placed 2nd in Steak at the SCA World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, out of more than 300 competitors. He cooked every one of those competition steaks with his own Xtra Mojo steak seasoning.

How long should you rest a steak?

Adriano rests his steaks for about 10 minutes before slicing. Australian Beef suggests 3 to 5 minutes for a steak and 10 to 20 minutes for a roast. The inside keeps cooking while the meat rests, by 3 to 6°C according to Australian Beef, which is why the chart takes the steak off before it reaches the number you want.

How do you grill a steak to the right temperature?

1. Season both sides with Xtra Mojo, about 16 g per kilo of meat, and leave it for 10 minutes.
2. Get the barbecue hot. Adriano cooks steak over lump charcoal, on direct heat.
3. Turn it often. Adriano turns picanha steaks every 30 seconds and a skirt steak every minute or so.
4. Once the outside has good colour, check the centre with a probe thermometer and take the steak off at the temperature in the chart.
5. Rest it on a board or a wire rack, then slice across the grain.

Two full cooks with the method: skirt steak with blue cheese cream, seasoned with Xtra Mojo, and picanha on the kettle.

Is it safe to eat steak rare?

The NSW Food Authority says a steak need only be seared on the outside and can be rare inside. Minced meat is different: its inside has been exposed to the air, so it has to be cooked through. The same authority lists 71°C for mince and sausages and 74°C for chicken. If you prefer to follow the official line for whole cuts, it gives 63°C for medium rare, with at least 3 minutes of rest.

Steak doneness questions

What temperature is a medium rare steak in Celsius?

Take it off at 54 to 55°C and rest it. It finishes at around 57°C. The official Australian charts put medium rare higher: 60 to 65°C from Australian Beef and 63°C from the NSW Food Authority.

What temperature is a well done steak?

Take it off at 68°C. After resting it sits at 71°C or more, with no pink left. Australian Beef lists 75°C. If you like picanha well done, Adriano's tip is to cut the steaks thinner.

Does the thickness of the steak change the temperature?

No. The target stays the same, and only the time to reach it changes, which is why a thermometer is more reliable than a timer. Adriano cuts his picanha steaks about 5 cm thick.

Can you tell doneness without a thermometer?

Roughly, by touch. In the Australian Beef touch test, soft means rare, springy means medium and firm means well done. A probe thermometer is more accurate, and it is how Adriano checks his steaks.

What should you season a steak with?

Salt is the base of every steak seasoning. Adriano's steak seasoning is Xtra Mojo, a fine blend of salt, garlic, pepper and spices. On picanha he uses the coarse rock salt of his Picanha seasoning. More options are on the beef rubs page.

Enjoyed this cook? Follow Adriano on YouTube for more recipes