Steak doneness runs from blue, at about 115 to 120°F, up to well done at 160°F and above. Those doneness numbers are kitchen conventions, not safety rules. The one official safety number comes from the USDA: whole cuts of beef, steak included, should reach 145°F and then rest for at least 3 minutes. On most charts, that lands right around medium.
So what does that mean for a rare or medium rare steak? This guide covers every level and how each one looks and feels. It also explains why a whole steak is treated differently from a burger, and how to order the doneness you want when you eat out.
The doneness chart, blue to well done
These are common ranges for the final, rested temperature in the center of the steak. Charts and kitchens differ by a few degrees, so treat them as a guide, not a rule.
| Doneness | Common final temperature | Center color |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 115 to 120°F | Deep red, cool |
| Rare | 120 to 130°F | Red, cool to barely warm |
| Medium rare | 130 to 140°F | Warm pink to red |
| Medium | 140 to 150°F | Light pink, warm |
| Medium well | 150 to 160°F | Thin line of pink |
| Well done | 160°F and up | No pink, brown throughout |
Only one number on this chart is federal safety guidance: the USDA's 145°F with a 3-minute rest. It falls inside the medium range. Blue, rare and medium rare all sit below it.
How each doneness looks and feels
Blue. The outside gets a fast, very hot sear. The inside stays deep red and cool, close to raw. It feels soft, almost like raw meat when you press it.
Rare. The crust is seared and the center is red and still cool. The steak is very soft and tender all the way through.
Medium rare. The center turns warm pink, sometimes a little darker red right in the middle. It gives easily to a knife but has more structure than rare. Many steak lovers see it as the best balance of tenderness and juice.
Medium. The pink is lighter and fades toward brown near the edges. The steak is firmer and pushes back more when you press it.
Medium well. Only a thin stripe of pink is left in the center. The meat feels noticeably firm throughout.
Well done. No pink is left. The steak is brown all the way through, and it is the firmest and driest of the six.
These changes come from heat acting on muscle protein. More heat makes the proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture. That is why each step up the chart is firmer and less juicy than the one before.
Medium vs medium rare
These two levels sit side by side, so they get mixed up more than any others. Here is how they differ.
- Color. Medium rare has clear pink through most of the center. Medium shows less pink and more brown.
- Texture. Medium rare is soft with only slight resistance to the knife. Medium is firmer but still tender next to well done.
- Juice. Medium rare releases juice freely when cut. Medium releases less, because more moisture has cooked out.
- Temperature. Medium rare is commonly 130 to 140°F. Medium is about 140 to 150°F. The USDA's 145°F mark falls in the medium range.
Because only about 10 degrees separate them, a small slip can turn one into the other. A steak pulled near 140°F can drift into medium as it rests. If you want medium rare, pull it a few degrees early.
The touch test, where you compare the steak's firmness to parts of your hand, is a common backup. It works fine for telling rare from well done. It is much less precise for these two neighbors. An instant-read thermometer is the better tool here.
Where the USDA safety line falls
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service sets the safe minimum for beef steaks, roasts and chops at 145°F, measured with a food thermometer. You then let the meat rest for at least 3 minutes before you cut or eat it. Ground beef has a higher minimum of 160°F. Our guide to meat cooking temperatures lists these numbers next to the ones for poultry and pork.
The USDA draws a clear line between doneness and safety. Doneness is about taste, texture and looks. Safety is about the temperature that destroys germs. The agency also says color is not a reliable sign of either one.
Serving a whole steak rare or medium rare is a common choice that many people make every day. It is still below the federal guidance. If you want to follow the USDA number exactly, order or cook your steak medium.
Why a whole steak differs from ground beef
On a whole, intact cut of beef, germs such as E. coli live mainly on the outside surface. The inside of the muscle is much less likely to carry them. A hot sear on every outer surface treats most of that risk, even while the center stays pink or red.
Grinding changes this. It mixes any bacteria from the surface all through the meat. A quick sear can no longer reach them, which is why the USDA sets ground beef at 160°F no matter how you like it cooked. A rare burger and a rare steak are not the same risk.
When a steak is not whole and intact
Some steaks look whole but are not. Mechanical tenderizing pierces a steak with needles or sharp blades to break up tough fibers. Needle injection pushes in a marinade or brine. Both can carry surface bacteria into the center, where a sear does not reach.
The USDA now requires mechanically tenderized beef to say so on the label. The label is the only way to tell, since you cannot see the difference. The USDA advises cooking these steaks to 145°F with a 3-minute rest rather than serving them blue or rare.
Grass fed, dry aged and other premium beef do not change this logic. Feed, breed and aging affect flavor and texture, not where germs live. A dry-aged steak that a butcher has trimmed properly is still a whole cut.
Keeping a seared steak safe after cooking
A good sear only treats the germs present at that moment. The steak can pick up new ones afterward. Common causes include:
- Tongs that touched raw meat and then the cooked steak
- A cutting board that held raw meat and was not washed
- A fork or knife that stabs the raw surface and pushes germs inside
Use clean tools and surfaces at every step, not only during the sear.
Beef can also carry a parasite, the beef tapeworm. The CDC says people get it from eating raw or undercooked beef. Its advice for prevention is the same as the USDA's: cook whole cuts to 145°F and let them rest for 3 minutes.
Some people should skip blue, rare and medium rare entirely. That includes pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weak immune system. For them, cooking a steak to at least 145°F is the safer choice. The same caution applies to raw or lightly cooked seafood.
Carryover cooking and the rest
The temperatures on the chart describe the steak after it rests, not the moment it leaves the heat. A steak keeps cooking for a few minutes after you take it off. This rise is called carryover cooking. For a typical steak it often adds about 5°F.
A thick steak holds more heat, so it can climb more. A cut around 2 inches thick may rise closer to 8 to 10°F. Pull thick steaks a bit further below your target than thin ones.
Most steaks rest well for about 5 to 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil. The rest lets carryover finish and lets juices settle, so they do not pour out when you cut. Thicker steaks can use the longer end. Resting much longer than that lets the steak cool more than you want.
A blue steak is different. It needs only about a minute of rest, since little heat builds up inside. For a blue steak, the sear on the surface matters more than any reading in the center.
Checking doneness with a thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to hit a doneness. Push it into the thickest part of the steak, away from bone and fat. Start checking a little before you expect to pull it. The temperature climbs quickly near the end.
Cutting into a steak to peek at the color lets juice escape. Touch and color can help once you have experience, but treat them as a backup, not a replacement.
If a steak misses its mark, figure out why. An overcooked steak usually means it was pulled too late, carryover was ignored, or the thermometer was off. An undercooked steak often means the probe sat near bone or fat instead of in the thickest part.
How cut, thickness and method change the result
Cut. A well-marbled ribeye stays juicy across a wide range, even at medium well, because its fat offsets moisture loss. A lean filet mignon has less of that cushion. That is why many cooks suggest it at medium rare or below. Tough braising cuts like chuck roast are rarely served blue, mainly because the texture is unpleasant, not for safety reasons.
Method. Grilling and pan searing are fast and hot. They leave a band of well done meat near the surface that fades to your target in the center. The temperature rises fast at the end, so the pull window is narrow. A reverse sear starts the steak in a low oven and finishes with a hot sear. It gives a more even color edge to edge and more time to check the temperature.
Salt. Salting at least 40 minutes ahead, or the night before for a thick steak, is called dry brining. The salt draws out moisture, then soaks back in, which seasons the meat more deeply. Salting just before cooking leaves the surface wet, which can make a good sear harder.
How to order steak doneness at Red Lobster
Red Lobster is best known for seafood, but its menu has steak too. The Land & Sea Classics section lists a 7 oz. Sirloin and a 6 oz. Filet Mignon, plus Garlic Lover's versions of both. The Signature Feasts include two Surf & Turf plates, each pairing a Maine lobster tail with either the sirloin or the filet. See the full menu for current items.
A few habits help you get the steak you want there or at any restaurant:
- Use the standard word. Say "medium rare" or "medium," not "a little pink" or "not too bloody." Clear terms leave less room for a mix-up.
- Know that kitchens vary. No single rule ties a doneness word to one exact number. Medium rare at one restaurant may be a bit pinker than at another. If you have had uneven results, ask your server how the kitchen usually cooks your level.
- Ask about blue. Blue is less widely known than rare. If you want it, say so clearly and ask whether the kitchen often cooks steak that way. A confident answer is a good sign.
- Ask about the cut. You can ask whether a steak has been tenderized or injected. A well-run kitchen should be able to answer.
- Match the cut to the doneness. The filet is lean, so it tends to dry out past medium. If you like your steak more done, the sirloin or another fattier cut may suit you better.
- Speak up if it is wrong. Medium rare and medium are close, so mistakes happen. Asking for a steak to be fixed is a normal request.
- Check the guidance for your needs. If you are in a higher-risk group, order medium or more. For food allergies, check the allergen guide before you order.
When you order Surf & Turf, the lobster and the steak follow different rules. The USDA says to cook lobster until the flesh is pearly and opaque. Our post on how to tell when lobster tails are done explains the signs. If you bring half a steak home, see how long cooked steak lasts in the fridge and how to reheat steak without overcooking it.
Doneness is a personal choice. Some people never warm to a blue or rare steak, and that is fine. What matters is knowing your number, pulling early for carryover, using a thermometer at home, and asking clearly when you eat out.