Carryover Cooking
Carryover cooking is the continued rise in a food's internal temperature after you take it off the heat. The hot outer layers keep pushing heat toward the cooler centre until the temperatures even out. For a thick roast, this can add 5–8 °C (10–15 °F), enough to turn medium-rare into medium.
Why it happens
Heat moves from hot to cold. When a roast comes out of a 200 °C / 390 °F oven, its outside might be near 90 °C / 195 °F while its centre is at 52 °C / 125 °F. That outer heat doesn't vanish; it keeps flowing inward until the whole piece reaches a similar temperature, and only then does everything start cooling.
What makes carryover bigger
- Size and thickness: a 3 kg prime rib carries over much more than a 2 cm steak.
- Cooking temperature: high-heat roasting builds a steeper gradient between surface and centre, so more heat is stored.
- Density and shape: compact, round roasts hold heat longer than flat, thin cuts.
- Resting conditions: tenting with foil in a warm spot extends it.
Typical temperature rise
| Food | Approximate rise |
|---|---|
| Thin steak or fish fillet | 1–3 °C / 2–5 °F |
| Thick steak or pork chop | 2–4 °C / 3–7 °F |
| Whole chicken | 3–6 °C / 5–10 °F |
| Large beef or pork roast | 5–8 °C / 10–15 °F |
| Low-oven or reverse-seared roast | 1–3 °C / 2–5 °F |
How to use it
Pull the food when it is a few degrees below your target and let it rest. For a medium-rare beef roast with a target of 54–57 °C / 130–135 °F, remove it around 49–52 °C / 120–125 °F.
Gentle, low-temperature methods like the reverse sear shrink the gradient, so carryover is small and predictable.
Food safety note
For poultry, ground meat and anything with a safety minimum, check the final temperature after resting, not just the pull temperature. Poultry should reach 74 °C / 165 °F and ground beef 71 °C / 160 °F per Health Canada and USDA guidance. See the full meat internal temperatures chart.
Common mistakes
- Cooking to the final temperature in the oven, then resting, and ending up overdone.
- Slicing immediately, so the meat hasn't evened out and juices run onto the board.
- Using an instant-read thermometer only once; check the thickest part, away from bone.
Questions
How many degrees does carryover cooking add?
Steaks and chops typically rise 2–4 °C (3–7 °F), while large roasts and whole birds can rise 5–8 °C (10–15 °F). The bigger the food and the hotter the oven, the bigger the rise.
Should I account for carryover cooking with chicken?
Yes, but carefully. Health Canada and USDA recommend poultry reach 74 °C / 165 °F. You can pull a whole bird a few degrees early only if you confirm it reaches 74 °C after resting.
Does carryover cooking happen with sous vide?
Hardly at all. Sous-vide food is already the same temperature throughout, so there is no hot outer layer to push heat inward.
Does carryover cooking affect baked goods?
Yes. Cookies, brownies and cheesecakes keep setting as they cool, which is why they are often removed while the centre still looks slightly underdone.