Cooking Times Chart: Boil, Bake, Air Fry, Grill and Smoke at a Glance
A whole chicken breast needs about 25–30 minutes baked at 400°F (204°C), 18–20 minutes in an air fryer at 375°F (191°C), 6–8 minutes per side on a grill, or 12–15 minutes poached at a bare simmer — in every case finished only when it reads 165°F (74°C) on a thermometer. The method changes the time; it never changes the safe temperature.
Quick reference: cooking times by method for common foods
| Food | Boil | Oven bake | Air fryer | Grill | Safe internal temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast (boneless) | 12–15 min, simmer | 25–30 min at 400°F | 18–20 min at 375°F | 6–8 min per side | 165°F (74°C) |
| Egg (large, shell on) | 6–12 min depending on yolk | — | — | — | Set to preference, no safety minimum |
| Potato, whole (medium) | 20–25 min, simmer | 45–60 min at 400°F | 35–40 min at 400°F | — | Fork-tender, no safety minimum |
| Salmon fillet (6 oz) | — | 12–15 min at 400°F | 10–12 min at 380°F | 8–10 min total | 145°F (63°C) |
| Ground beef patty | — | — | 10–12 min at 375°F | 8–10 min total | 160°F (71°C) |
| Pork chop, bone-in (1 in.) | — | 20–25 min at 400°F | 12–14 min at 375°F | 8–10 min total | 145°F (63°C) + 3 min rest |
| Corn on the cob | 5–7 min once boiling | — | — | 10–12 min, turning | Tender to the bite |
| Carrots, sliced | 8–10 min | 25–30 min at 400°F | 12–15 min at 380°F | — | Fork-tender |
Why does the same food take a different time in each method?
Heat reaches food differently in each method, and that changes how fast the center follows the surface. Boiling surrounds food in water at a fixed 212°F (100°C) at sea level, which transfers heat quickly and evenly. Baking uses still or gently moving dry air, usually 350–425°F (177–218°C), which is hotter than water but transfers heat more slowly. An air fryer is a small, fast convection oven — the same dry heat as baking, but a tighter chamber and faster airflow cut the time by roughly 20–25%. A grill adds direct radiant heat from below, cooking the surface quickly while the inside catches up, which is why thin cuts and high-surface-area foods suit it well. None of these differences change the temperature the food must reach to be safe; they only change how quickly it gets there.
What actually decides doneness — the clock or the thermometer?
The thermometer does. Minutes in any chart, including this one, are starting points based on typical thickness, starting temperature, and equipment. A refrigerator running cold, a thicker-than-average cut, or a crowded pan or basket can add several minutes without changing what "done" means. The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart sets these endpoints: 165°F (74°C) for all poultry, 160°F (71°C) for ground beef, pork, lamb and veal, and 145°F (63°C) plus a 3-minute rest for whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb and veal. Fish is safe at 145°F (63°C) as well. Vegetables and starches do not carry the same bacterial risk, so "done" for them is a texture judgment — fork-tender, not a specific number.
Boiling times chart
| Food | Time once water is boiling |
|---|---|
| Large egg, hard-set yolk | 10–12 minutes |
| Large egg, soft-set yolk | 6–7 minutes |
| Corn on the cob | 5–7 minutes |
| Potatoes, quartered | 15–20 minutes |
| Pasta (dried, standard shapes) | 8–12 minutes, check the package |
| Rice, white long-grain | 15–18 minutes, covered and off boil |
For the full method and troubleshooting, see boiling eggs to a specific yolk texture. Corn, potatoes, pasta and rice each have their own gentler failure modes — mainly overcooking past tender into mushy — so start checking a minute or two before the low end of the range once you know your stove's boil strength.
Oven baking times chart
| Food | Oven setting | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, boneless | 400°F (204°C) | 22–28 minutes |
| Chicken thighs, bone-in | 400°F (204°C) | 35–45 minutes |
| Salmon fillet | 400°F (204°C) | 12–15 minutes |
| Pork chops, bone-in | 400°F (204°C) | 20–25 minutes |
| Whole sweet potato | 400°F (204°C) | 45–60 minutes |
Every one of these has its own dedicated page with a full table across several oven settings — see baking chicken breast at different temperatures for the detail this summary leaves out.
Air fryer and grill times chart
| Food | Air fryer | Grill |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken pieces, bone-in | 18–22 min at 375°F | 10–12 min per side |
| Sausages (raw) | 10–12 min at 380°F | 12–15 min, turning |
| Burger patties | 10–12 min at 375°F | 8–10 min total |
| Asparagus spears | 7–9 min at 380°F | 5–7 min total |
| Fish fillets | 8–10 min at 380°F | 6–10 min total |
See the dedicated pages for air-frying chicken pieces or grilling burgers to a safe temperature for method-specific detail, including how thickness and starting temperature change the range.
Smoking times chart, and other special cases
| Food | Smoker temperature | Time | Safe internal temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef brisket | 225–250°F (107–121°C) | 10–14 hours, often 1–1.5 hr per pound | 195–205°F (91–96°C) for sliceable texture |
| Pork shoulder / pulled pork | 225–250°F (107–121°C) | 1.5–2 hours per pound | 195–205°F (91–96°C) for pulling |
| Whole chicken | 250–275°F (121–135°C) | 3–4 hours | 165°F (74°C) |
| Pork ribs | 225–250°F (107–121°C) | 5–6 hours | Tender when it bends and cracks, 195°F+ (91°C+) |
Smoking is the outlier among these methods: for large cuts like brisket and pork shoulder, the target temperature is well above the minimum safety threshold, because collagen needs to break down before the meat becomes tender. Safety and eating-quality doneness are two separate numbers here — a brisket is technically safe far below 195°F (91°C), but it will be tough and hard to slice. See smoking a brisket low and slow for the full breakdown of that distinction.
Altitude changes boiling: water boils at a lower temperature above roughly 3,000 feet (900 m), so boiled foods can need extra time even though the water still looks like it's at a rolling boil. Frozen food, across every method here, needs more time than a chart built for thawed food — usually 50% or more for meat and poultry cooked directly from frozen, and the extra time should come with earlier and more frequent thermometer checks, not just a longer uninterrupted cook. An uncalibrated oven is another common gap: many home ovens run 15–25°F (8–14°C) off their set temperature, which is enough to shift a chart's stated time meaningfully in either direction. An inexpensive oven thermometer left inside for a few uses is the most reliable way to find out whether your oven runs hot or cool.
How to use any cooking times chart safely, and where to look next
- Treat every number here as a starting point, not a guarantee — thickness, starting temperature, and equipment all shift the real time.
- Check the thickest part of the food, away from bone, with an instant-read thermometer.
- Never judge poultry or ground meat doneness by color or juice clarity; the USDA names these as unreliable indicators.
- Rest whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, or veal for 3 minutes after reaching 145°F (63°C) — the temperature continues to rise slightly during the rest.
- When in doubt, cook a few more minutes and re-check rather than serving an unverified piece.
This chart is a comparison across methods, not a replacement for the dedicated page on each food. Bookmark this page as the fast lookup and the individual method pages linked above as the source for exact timing tables, worked examples, and the safety notes behind each figure. When a food or cut is not listed here at all, the same principle still applies: match it to the closest comparable food by thickness and starting temperature, then confirm the actual endpoint with a thermometer rather than extrapolating a time alone.