Cook Time Calculator
Pick your cut, punch in the weight, tell it when you want to eat — get an honest time estimate and a work-backwards timeline that lands dinner on time.
Your timeline
- 9½h before serving Light the BBQ Get it lit and settled at temperature before the meat goes anywhere near it.
- 8½h before serving Meat on Planned to the long end of the estimate — finishing early is fine, finishing late ruins dinner.
- 5h before serving Start checking the temp Probe the thickest part. Trust the thermometer, not the clock.
- 1h before serving Off and rest Rest for around 68 minutes — wrapped in towels in a cool box it will hold happily for 2+ hours.
- Serve time Carve and serve
The bits that keep everyone off the loo
- FSA safe temperatures: chicken and turkey 75°C instant (or 70°C held for 2 minutes); burgers, sausages and anything minced cooked right through with no pink; whole-muscle beef and lamb joints can be served pink once the outside is fully seared.
- The 2-hour rule: cooked meat shouldn't sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Serve it, fridge it, or keep it above 63°C.
- Estimates get you close — a probe thermometer gets you there. It's the single best £15 you'll spend on BBQ. See the one I use (affiliate link — costs you nothing extra, helps keep the site running).
How this calculator works
Every figure here is a per-kg time range for UK supermarket cuts at three cooker temperatures: low & slow (110–130°C), a standard roast (160–180°C), and hot & fast (200°C+). Tell it what you're cooking and how heavy it is, and it gives you an honest window — "roughly 5–6½ hours", never a fake "5 hours 23 minutes" — plus a work-backwards timeline: when to light the BBQ, when the meat goes on, when to start probing, and when to pull it off to rest.
The timeline deliberately plans to the long end of the estimate. Meat that finishes early is no problem at all — wrap it in foil and towels, stick it in a cool box, and a brisket or pork shoulder will hold hot for two hours or more (it actually improves). Meat that finishes late while eight hungry people stare at the garden is a problem. Plan long, hold early, look like you meant it.
One thing this calculator will never replace: a probe thermometer. Cook times shift with the wind, the cold, how often you lift the lid, and the shape of the joint. The clock tells you when to start checking; 75°C in a chicken thigh or a probe sliding into brisket like warm butter tells you it's done.
Common questions
How long does it take to smoke a brisket per kg?
At 110–130°C, budget roughly 2–3 hours per kg plus an hour or so on top — a typical 2kg UK rolled brisket lands around 5–7 hours, plus a 45–90 minute rest. But brisket is done at 92–96°C internal and probe tender, not after a set number of hours. The clock gets you close; the probe gets you there.
What temperature should chicken be cooked to in the UK?
UK Food Standards Agency guidance: 75°C on an instant-read probe in the thickest part (or 70°C held for a full 2 minutes). Check the thickest part of the thigh on a whole bird, and never serve pink chicken.
Can I serve beef and lamb pink off the BBQ?
Yes — whole-muscle joints and steaks (topside, leg of lamb, sirloin) are safe served pink as long as the outside is fully seared, because bacteria live on the surface. That never applies to anything minced: burgers and sausages must be cooked right through with no pink.
What is the brisket stall and should I worry about it?
Somewhere around 65–75°C internal, big cuts like brisket and pork shoulder stop climbing for 1–3 hours while moisture evaporates off the surface. It is completely normal. Wait it out for maximum bark, or wrap tightly in foil or butcher paper to push through it 1–2 hours faster.
How accurate is a BBQ cook time calculator?
It gets you close — usually within the range shown — but every joint, BBQ and British weather front is different. That is why the estimate is a range, the timeline plans to the long end, and a £15 probe thermometer makes the final call. Meat that finishes early holds happily for 2+ hours wrapped in towels in a cool box.