Try this easy roast beef recipe which is one of my most popular recipes plus get my tips for how to cook and slice roast beef for juicy, tender roast beef perfection.
Let me first start this recipe post by sharing its original resounding success.
And, when I say "success," I mean "Dustin loved it."
And, when I say, "Dustin loved it," I mean he didn't stop talking about it for weeks when I first made it. He shared with his friends how delciious it was, he reminisced with me about how tender and juicy it was...He was so thrilled to have a tasty homemade roast beef recipe that tasted so good.
And it's been like 4 years now, folks, and he still raves about it. Seriously.
I don't mind - I love it when he thinks my recipes are a hit.
If you liked How To Cook Roast Beef, then check out my Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe! Both are classic, satisfying meals that are easy to make and packed with flavor.
I'd always thought it would be difficult to make roast beef so I had never tried, but now that I know how to cook roast beef, I do it all the time.
It's shockingly simple and ready in less time than I expect every time I make it. Let me show you how easy it is to make perfect roast beef every time.
How to Make Roast Beef at Home
Once you learn how to cook roast beef, you'll be able to replace all that deli meat you've been buying at the store, and your life will be so much more flavorful and delicious. I promise. You're not gonna believe how much beef roasts will change your life.
There are a few main steps to cooking roast beef that will help you make your roast beef amazing and tender, which consist mainly in how to choose your beef, how to season it, what temperature to cook it at, at then how to slice it.
We'll cover how to master all of this in this post. I got you - we're gonna make some tasty roast beef together.
Video
Best Cuts Of Beef For Roast Beef
Not all beef is created equal for roasting. Some beef, like steaks, are best pan-roasted or grilled, and other beefs, like ground beef are better cooked on the stove top. For the best types of roasts for roasting, look for one of the following:
- Top Round Roast (AKA Inside Round) - this cut of beef is similar to the top sirloin in fat and flavor and is the most common cut used for roast beef.
- Top Sirloin Roast (AKA Top Butt) - this cut is lean and full of flavor with a little but of marbling.
- Bottom Round Roast (AKA Rolled Rump Roast) - this cut is a good budget cut and has more marbling than the Top Round.
- Eye Of Round Roast - this is a circular cut that is very lean so needs to be very thinly sliced when roasted.
Now, it's always possible to find other cuts of beef for beef roasts that will work for roast beef recipes so don't be discouraged if you don't see any of these exact names. You can also ask your butcher what they would recommend as they'll have the best understanding of what they have available in their meat market for you, too.
How to Make the Tenderest Roast Beef
Okay, so now that we've chosen a cut of beef that is expected to be tender, juicy, and flavorful and we're ready to make it, what's next?
Well, we need to season it and prep it for the oven. Since this won't take very long, we need to make sure the oven is ready for the beef so make sure your oven is pre-heated. Placing a roast into an unheated oven will make things tricky because it will throw off your temperatures and timing so I highly recommend you have the oven fully pre-heated and ready to go.
The good news is that seasoning roast beef does not take make energy at all. In fact, it's an easy prep of inserting a few garlic slices around the roast, lathering it with some olive oil, and then seasoning with sea salt, black pepper, and a few dried herbs for some additional flavor. My favorite herbs to use with roast beef are rosemary and thyme, but you can add mostly anything to it that you'd normally cook with and it'll taste great.
Another great thing about making the meat as tender as possible is it will make the best leftover roast beef, too. When you reheat it, you won't need to worry about it being overly tough.
What Temperature To Cook Roast Beef?
I have found the best temperature to cook roast beef starts at 375 degrees F and then ends a little lower to finish it off at 250 degrees F.
Changing the temperature midway through has the effect of not overcooking the beef and allowing it to gently come up to the right temperature to remove from the oven. I usually remove the roast when it reaches 135 degrees F in the deepest part of the roast because, as it rests for 10 minutes on the counter before slicing, the temperature will continue to rise up to 145 degrees, leaving it perfectly pink and juicy - just the way roast beef is meant to be served.
If you'd prefer your roast beef to be a little less pink, you can remove from the oven a little closer to when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees and allowing it to rest and rise past 145 degrees F. Either way works, it's simply a matter of preference.
For the most tender roast beef, you're going to want the final temperature to be right around 145 degrees F. Any higher and the roast will start to become more tough and chewy.
I highly recommend using a digital thermometer to insure your internal meat temperature is where you want it. It removes the guessing out of cooking and helps make the meat the perfect temperature. For leftover roast beef, the heat does not need to be as high if you've already cooked it to the correct temperature.
How To Slice Roast Beef
Ahh, slicing your roast beef. This is a major step as well to insure the most tender roast beef possible.
When you slice your roast beef, you want to make sure you're slicing across the grain (as opposed to with the grain).
If you're not sure how to find the grain, take a look at your roast and look for the long grooves and lines. Those will all tend to go in parallel across the roast in one direction. These are the muscle fibers and we want to cut across them (AKA against them), not with them. If you cut with the grain, you'd be eating an entire long muscle fiber, which would be tough and chewy. Instead, if you cut against the grain, you're eating just a portion of several of the muscle fibers, which makes for a much more tender bite.
If you need more help on finding the grain, you can watch my video at the end of this post to see exactly how to do it.
My Favorite Tools For Making Roast Beef
If you're planning on making a lot of roast beef in your life, first off: good for you - you deserve it. Second, I wanted to share some of my favorite kitchen tools that I use all the time for roast beef, among many other recipes. So, in case you're wondering, here ya go:
It really doesn't require a lot and these tools and equipment are super versatile in my kitchen.
Okay, so now you know how to choose the best beef for roast beef, how to season roast beef, at what temperature to cook roast beef, and how to slice roast beef for the most tender, juicy, and delciious roast beef you've ever imagined. You're all set to get started making amazing roast beef that will leave you never wanting to buy anything resembling roast beef from a deli again.
Check out this roast beef recipe I have here for you - it's a simple recipe with no frills - just amazing results every time. It makes super moist, perfectly seasoned, tender roast beef. And it's so darn easy, too!
It also goes amazingly well in this Homemade French Dip recipe which uses these homemade Hoagie Rolls.
Oh, my...you're in for such goodness!
Watch me make this recipe and learn how to make roast beef! Making roast beef at home is super simple and incredibly delicious. Plus, in the video, I show you how to slice across the grain to get the most tender, juicy slices. You'll never want to buy roast beef at the store again!
How To Cook Roast Beef
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs top round roast*
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup low sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Make 8-10 small incisions (about ¼ to ½ inch deep) around the meat and then insert a slice of the very thinly sliced garlic into each.
- Place the roast, fat side up, on a rack over a roasting pan. Pour water and beef broth into the pan (around, not over the roast) to very lightly cover the bottom of the roasting pan.
- Rub the roast with olive oil until coated. Sprinkle sea salt, pepper, and dried herbs all over the roast and spread to evenly coat with your hands.
- Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes (or until temperature in the deepest part of the roast registers 125 degrees F). Do not open the oven during these 45 minutes to baste or check on the roast.
- After 45 minutes, reduce heat to 250 degrees F and cook an additional 10-20 minutes, or until thermometer reads 135 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. While it is resting, it will continue to raise in temperature to 145 degrees.
- Remove the slices of garlic, if desired, and then slice across the grain using a sharp knife in very thin slice to serve.
Tami Brennan
Hi,
I was wondering what you'd recommend to get the roast beef slices thin. I don't own a mandolin. Thanks for your input. I've enjoyed your blog for many years!
Lacey Baier
Hi Tami! Thanks so much for saying hello. I'd recommend just using a very sharp chef's knife. That's all I use 🙂
Gina
I raced out and bought a $40 (Aus) digital thermometer (the only one with a probe I could leave in the beef) as I really wanted to try this recipe tonight. I rarely cook roast beef because I work full time and just want something that wouldn't take long to cook during the week. On my day off work today, I bought a rump roast a little over the stated weight & threw in some chopped potatoes and carrots as well. It only took 1hr & 15mins to cook the beef to the correct temperature and while it rested until it reached 145F (1/2 hr) the vegies continued cooking. After tonight's succulent roast i will! use this recipe more often and try different cuts of beef as well - thank you!!
Lacey Baier
YES! Thanks so much for sharing how it went. Feel free to share how the recipe turns out for other cuts, too! 🙂
Jenna
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this incredible recipe. I made this tonight for a different spin on Easter dinner (I am not exactly a fan of ham.) It was a huge hit with our little family! I look forward to trying many more of your recipes!
Lacey Baier
Yes! You are so very welcome. I'm glad it turned out well for you - we absolutely love this recipe 🙂
Christine
Hi! I was wondering if this would work for a roast that is labeled " boneless bottom blade pot roast" I do not cook roasts very often so no idea what the difference between the different cuts are. Also, the roast that I have is closer to 5 lbs. Thanks!
Lacey Baier
Hmmm...to be honest, I'm not quite sure. Pot roasts tend to be cooked in a different manner and are cooked all the way through until tender, whereas this type of rump roast is more intended not to be cooked all the way through, if that makes sense...
Elise
My daughter recently stopped being a vegetarian after about 4 years. I asked her what meat she had eaten and she said "I had roast beef and it was really disappointing." She came over for dinner last night so I knew I needed to fix that! I made your roast and it was amazingly delicious! I went out and bought a digital thermometer and I'm pretty sure that was the key since all my other roasts were hit or miss on temperature with the old school kind. The whole family was impressed and said I could make this one anytime! I did notice that the temperature only rose about 2 degrees while resting. Any thoughts? Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Lacey Baier
That's so cool! Way to go on making those changes to cook a great roast beef. I'm not sure what to tell you about the temp not rising that much after taking out of the oven, other than it's just a general rule that it will continue to rise after removing from the oven...interesting that it was only 2 degrees though!
Jamie
Wow, this roast beef looks like it cuts with ease! I'm looking forward to try it. I'm a huge roast beef lover, but I can't seem to make it well myself. I was thinking of trying this recipe out and maybe a sous vide one I found (http://bit.ly/roastbeefrecipe) too. I really want to master roast beef one way or the other. lol
Lacey Baier
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Marie-Eve
This recipe is delicious! Did have to cook it a little longer but it turn out to be very good. Thanks for the share. Made it tonight and my boyfriend complimented me by saying it was better than the steak he ate last week at The Keg!
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it 🙂
Johanna
Hi!
I had never cooked a roast before, but have tried your recipe twice now. It never seems to go very well... When I reduce the temperature from 375 to 250 the roast never increases in temperature and only gets cooler, resulting in an uncooked middle.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? The internal temperature is spot on before reducing the heat to 250...
Help!!
Lacey Baier
Hi Johanna. Well, that's no good! Are you following the recipe exactly -- same size roast, etc.? So, when it reaches 125 degrees internally, you reduce the heat to 250 degrees and then the internal temperature drops down below 125, as opposed to rising to 135, correct? What type of thermometer are you using? How uncooked is the middle -- is it completely rare, or just pink?
Barbara
I attempted this recipe almost exactly as written EXCEPT I added even more time because it didn't seem like long enough.. Even with the extra time, my roast was almost raw in the middle! Since everything else was ready to be served, my husband had to slice around the outsides for family to start dinner, and I put it in for another 20 mins at 375! It was nice and pink this time (I should have done only 15 mins more but can't take that back.. I'll stick to my 15 mins at 450, then lower temp to 350 for 20 mins per lb. Spices used on outside and garlic inserted was delictious though!
Lacey Baier
Hi Barbara. I'm sorry to hear it didn't turn out for you as expected. Did you use the same size/cut roast as my recipe calls for?
Amber DeGrace
This really was a delicious roast beef! I had to adjust the cook time for a bit longer since my cut of beef was larger but I followed your technique and it was amazing. Tender and juicy. Still pink in the center. I also made the au jus - well done, Lacey!
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad it turned out yummy for you 🙂 Thanks for the feedback.
Kristen
Can I cook a New York strip this way as well? I just bought a 5 pounder and this recipe sounds delicious. Do I need to make any modifications?
Lacey Baier
Oooh, good question. This recipe should work for any roast, but I'm not positive on how it might change the cooking time for that cut of beef since I've never tried. I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it out 🙂
Tricia
made this for the 2 nd time tonight. So happy the 1st time was not a fluke. Absolutely the best roast beef I have ever had. Hubby and my son where speechless during dinner 🙂
Followed the directions but needed more time to reach the 125 temp as the roast was over 4 lbs. would highly recommend a thermometer that can stay in the oven for a perfect dinner!
Thanks for sharing.
Lacey Baier
Woohoo for not a fluke! lol. Yes, a digital thermometer is a lifesaver in the kitchen. So glad you enjoyed the roast beef both times, Tricia. Thanks for the feedback 🙂 Yay for speechless hubbies and sons!
Carol Johnson
I have made this roast 3 times now. The last 2 where wonderful. The first time i bought the wrong cut of roast, the flavor was great but that meat would always be tough unless braised for hours. Tonights was the best. Super flavorful and perfect moist juicy med rare meat. This recipe is a keeper!
Lacey Baier
Yes! I'm so glad you love the recipe, Carol. Thanks for sharing!
Jenny
Lacy, what do you recomamd I use if I don't have a rack or roasting pan. I want to make sure the roast does not touch the bottom, but I don't have the rack or the roasting pan like yours. Thank you for your help.
Lacey Baier
I'd recommend using any oven safe pan (or even pot) and laying the roast beef on a bed of quartered, peeled onions to keep it off the pan. Best of luck!
Lisa
Came out perfectly! Looks exactly like your pics! Used evoo, a nice kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper massage. I exfoliated with herbs de provence. The aroma is hereby, the meat juicy as all get out! Definitely a keeper, thanks for sharing!
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad it turned out well for you, Lisa. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tricia
Made this tonight! Yummmmmy. Can not wait for lunch tomorrow.
I had to add an extra 20 min to the 45 time to get the correct temp before lowering the oven. It turned out perfect. Will be making this again and again!
Lacey Baier
Yay! So glad it turned out well. Thanks for the feedback and enjoy your lunch tomorrow!! 🙂