Pork Cooking Times - Cooking Tips

Using the recommended time and temperature guidelines will ensure that the meat is cooked to the minimum safe internal temperature, which is critical in preventing food-borne illness that can be caused by undercooked pork. Using an accurate meat thermometer is the best way to ensure the proper doneness of pork.

Whether you are looking for a pork loin cooking time or a pork chop cooking time, use the following chart as a cooking time and temperature guide for pork cuts (including ham) that are cooked in the oven, grilled, or are inserted into an oven bag prior to cooking. See the article, "Pork Doneness" for additional information on determining the proper doneness of pork.

PORK Cooking Times and Temperatures
Pork Oven Baked or Roasted at 350°F
Type of Pork	Pork Cut			Weight	Meat Thermometer Temperature	Approximate Cooking Time (minutes per pound)
Fresh pork	Crown roast			6-10 lbs.	145°F	12 minutes
	Center loin roast (with bone)			3-5 lbs.	145°F	20 minutes
	Boneless top loin roast			2-4 lbs.	145°F	20 minutes
	Blade loin or sirloin			3-4 lbs.	145°F	27-32 minutes
	Rolled loin			3-5 lbs.	145°F	35-40 minutes
	Whole leg (fresh ham, bone-in)			12-16 lbs.	145°F	15 minutes
	Whole leg (fresh ham, rolled)			10-14 lbs.	145°FF	20 minutes
	Half leg (bone-in)			5-8 lbs.	145°F	22-25 minutes
	Leg half (shank or butt portion)			3-4 lbs.	145°F	22-25 minutes
	Boston butt			3-6 lbs.	145°F	20 minutes
	Boston shoulder			4-6 lbs.	145°F	20 minutes
	Tenderloin (roast at 425°- 450°F)			1/2 - 1 1/2 lbs.	145°F	20-27 minutes total
	Picnic shoulder			5-8 lbs.	145°F	25-30 minutes
	Rolled picnic shoulder			3-5 lbs.	145°F	25 minutes
	Cushion style shoulder			3-5 lbs.	145°F	30-35 minutes
	Spare ribs			3 lbs.	Tender	1 1/2 - 2 hrs total
Cured and Smoked	Arm picnic shoulder (bone-in)			5-8 lbs.	145°F	20-25 minutes
	Shoulder boneless roll			2-3 lbs.	145°F	35-45 minutes
Ham, smoked (cook before eating)	Half ham (bone-in)			5-7 lbs.	145°F	25-30 minutes
	Whole ham			10-14 lbs.	145°F	18-20 minutes
	Whole ham			14-16 lbs.	145°F	15-18 minutes
Ham, smoked (fully cooked pork, heat at 325°F)	Half ham (bone-in)			5-7 lbs.	140°F	12-14 minutes
	Half ham (boneless)			3-4 lbs.	140°F	15-20 minutes
	Whole ham (bone-in)			12-14 lbs.	140°F	15 minutes
	Whole ham (boneless)			6-8 lbs.	140°F	15-17 minutes
	Whole ham (boneless)			14-16 lbs.	140°F	8-12 minutes
Note: Start with meat at refrigerated temperature. Remove the meat from the oven when it reaches 5° to 10°F below the desired doneness; the temperature will continue to rise as the meat stands.
Grilled Pork
Type of Pork	Pork Cut			Thickness	Medium (145°F)	Well Done (160°F)
Fresh pork	Blade steak - Cook to 145° F.			1/2 inch	6-8 minutes	8-10 minutes
	Chops - Cook to 145° F.			3/4 inch	8-10 minutes	10-15 minutes
	Loin (rib and shoulder) - Cook to 145° F.			1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inch	20-30 minutes	40-45 minutes
	Patties - Cook to 160° F.			1/2 inch	8-10 minutes	8-10 minutes
Ham (fully cooked)	Cook to 140° F.				8-10 minutes per pound
Ham (cook before eating)	Cook to 145° F.			3-4 lbs.		10-12 min. per pound
				5-7 lbs.		12-18 min. per pound
				10-14 lbs.		30-35 min. per pound
Note: When grilling with Indirect Heat generally the coals (or burners on a gas grill) are heated to a high heat. When grilling with Direct Heat the coals (or burners on a gas grill) are heated to a medium heat. Use these heat settings unless you have a recipe that states something different. See how to test the grill temperature.

Pork Cooked at 325°F in an Oven Bag Note: The cooking times below are for cooking pork to 160°F., the old USDA standard. The new standard for fresh pork is 145°F. Be aware that the estimated cooking times below should be reduced to meet the new USDA standards for fresh or not fully cooked pork.
Type of Fresh Pork Cut	Total Weight	Approximate Cooking Time (total time)			Add Water to Oven Bag	Meat Thermometer Temperature
		Regular-Size Oven Bag 10"x 16"	Large-Size Oven Bag 14"x 20"	Turkey-Size Oven Bag 19"x 23 1/2"
Fresh ham (pork leg)	5-8 lbs.		2-3 hours		None	145°F
	12-14 lbs.			3 1/2 - 4 hours	1/2 cup	145°F
Top loin roast (boneless, tied)	2 1/2 - 3 lbs.	1 1/4-1 1/2 hrs.			1/4 cup	145°F
	4-6 lbs.		1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs.		1/4 cup	145°F
	10 lbs.			2 - 2 1/4 hours	1/2 cup	145°F
Sirloin roast (bone-in)	2 1/2-3 1/2 lbs.	1 1/4-1 3/4 hrs.			1/4 cup	145°F
	4-6 lbs.		2 - 2 1/4 hrs.		1/4 cup	145°F
Tenderloin (whole)	1 1/2-2 lbs.		35-40 minutes		None	145°F
Pork chops (1/2" thick)	3/4 - 1 lbs.	30-35 minutes			None	145°F
	1 - 1 1/2 lbs.		30-35 minutes		None	145°F
Spareribs	1 - 1 1/2 lbs.	1 1/4-1 1/2 hrs.			1/4 cup	Fork Tender
	1 1/2 - 4 lbs.		1 1/4-1 1/2 hrs.		1/4 cup	Fork Tender
Boston butt roast (shoulder)	2 1/2 - 3 lbs.	1 3/4-2 1/4 hrs.			1/4 cup	145°F
	4-6 lbs.		2 1/2 - 3 hours		1/4 cup	145°F
Fresh picnic	4-5 lbs.		2 1/2 - 3 hours		1/4 cup	145°F
Type of Smoked Pork Cut	Total Weight	Approximate Cooking Time (total time)			Add Water to Oven Bag	Meat Thermometer Temperature
		Regular-Size Oven Bag 10"x 16"	Large-Size Oven Bag 14"x 20"	Turkey-Size Oven Bag 19"x 23 1/2"
Smoked Picnic	5-8 lbs.		2 1/4 - 3 hours		1/4 cup	145°F
Whole fully cooked ham (bone-in)	12-16 lbs.			2 1/2-3 1/4 hrs.	None	140°F
Fully cooked ham half (bone-in)	6-8 lbs.		1 1/2 - 2 hours		None	140°F
	8-10 lbs.			2 - 2 1/2 hours	None	140°F
Fully cooked ham half (boneless)	2-4 lbs.	1 - 1 3/4 hours			1/2 cup	140°F
	4-6 lbs.		1 1/4-1 3/4 hrs.		1/2 cup	140°F
	10-12 lbs.			2 1/4-2 3/4 hrs.	1/2 cup	140°F
Smoked shank or rump half ham (spiral sliced, place cut side down)	8-10 lbs.			1 1/2-1 3/4 hrs.	None	140°F
Whole country ham (bone-in)	10-14 lbs.			3 1/2-4 1/2 hrs.	Soak covered in water 24 hours before cooking; drain. Add 4 cups fresh water to bag to cook.	Fork Tender
Country ham half (bone-in)	5-7 lbs.			2 1/2 - 3 hours	Soak covered in water 24 hours before cooking; drain. Add 2 cups fresh water to bag to cook.	Fork Tender
Oven Bag Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add 1 tablespoon flour to the oven bag and distribute evenly on the inside of the bag prior to inserting the cut of pork. Remove the meat from the oven when the meat thermometer reaches the temperature listed or when the meat is fork tender (see the note at the top of the Oven Bag Cooking Chart in regard to cooking times). If using a turkey-size oven bag for a pork cut smaller than 12 lbs., gather the oven bag loosely around the meat allowing room for heat circulation; then close the bag with a nylon tie, and cut away any excess oven bag.