Slow-Roasting Works Magic on This Classic Roast Beef Recipe (2024)

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Beef Roast

A timeless roast beef recipe for rump, round, or sirloin roast.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated October 27, 2023

122 Ratings

In This Recipe

Cooking Low and Slow
Best Cut of Beef
Tips
Storing
See Also
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Leftovers

28 Festive Holiday Main DishesFEATURED IN:

My mother knows a thing or two about cooking beef. She knows all of the cuts and the best way to prepare them. Perhaps it's because she came of cooking age during a time when most neighborhoods still had local butchers who prepared the cuts themselves and freely shared information with customers about what to do with them.

Slow-Roasting Works Magic on This Classic Roast Beef Recipe (3)

I remember accompanying her to our local corner butcher (now long gone) years ago. The butcher had these huge graphics of beef, pork, lamb on the wall behind the meat counter showing what part of the animal the various cuts came from. It was easy to see that a chuck roast came from the shoulder, and that a rump roast came from, well, the rump.

These days most people buy their meat already packed in plastic at the supermarket. If you want to talk to a butcher, you have to work to find one in your area.

Back to the roast. My mother typically uses a rump roast when making roast beef. This is her method for getting the most out of this (relatively) less expensive cut. (You can also use a round roast or a sirloin tip for this recipe.)

Slow-Roasting Works Magic on This Classic Roast Beef Recipe (4)

How to Make Tender Roast Beef: Go Low and Slow

She starts the roast at a high temperature to get browning for flavor, and then lowers the oven temp and cooks the beef "slow and low" for a couple hours.

This slow roasting method at low heat is good for tougher cuts of beef; the lower heat prevents gristle from getting too tough. Roast beef made this way is easy, relatively inexpensive (compared to other cuts of beef), and you get great leftovers for roast beef sandwiches.

Slow-Roasting Works Magic on This Classic Roast Beef Recipe (5)

Choosing the Best Cut for Roast Beef

The cut you buy will depend on what you're using the roast beef for, your budget, your personal preferences. If you're looking for a tender cut for a special occasion or to serve to guests, go for a more expensive cut:

Prime rib
Ribeye
Beef tenderloin

For meals that aren't big affairs, you can still get that wonderful roast beef flavor, but without the high price tag.

Petite shoulder
Sirloin tip
Rump roast
Bottom round

Whatever cut you decide on, look for one with some fat and visible marbling for better flavor.

A tied roast gives a more uniform shape for even cooking. If you have a butcher, ask them to tie the roast for you. Or you can tie it yourself with some kitchen twine.

Tips for The Best Roast Beef

Every oven is different, so the timing will vary. For the most accurate cooking time, use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of your roast. Bring the internal temperature to 135°F (for medium rare meat), 145°F (for medium meat), or 150°F (for medium well).
The size and shape of your roast makes a difference in cooking time. As a general rule of thumb, at 225°F, cook your roast for about 30 minutes per pound, after the initial browning (for a medium rare). But be sure to check at least 30 minutes before it should be done, just to make sure.
You may need to cook bone-in roast a bit longer than boneless roasts, because the bone can act like an insulator.
If your roast doesn't have any fat, you can rub the roast with butter or olive oil. Or top the roast with some slices of bacon to add some fat. If using butter, it'll brown faster, so keep an eye on it and shorten the browning time at the beginning.

How to Store Roasted Beef

Refrigerate leftover roast beef, wrapped in plastic or foil, about 3 to 5 days.
To freeze, we recommend slicing it into portions for easier use later, but you can simply put the entire roast in the freezer. Cool to room temperature and double-wrap in plastic or foil, then, seal in a zip-top bag, squeezing out as much air as you can.
To thaw, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

What to Do with Leftover Roast Beef? Make Sandwiches and More!

Leftover roast is like money in the bank. You can make meals for the rest of the week!

Slice the roast thinly for roast beef sandwiches or Philly Cheesesteaks.
Cut the beef into cubes and use it for Beef Stroganoff.
Use in place of chicken in a pot pie.
Make Roast Beef Hash.
Toss leftovers into a salad, like this Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce.
Make Beef Pho.

The Best Sides to Serve With Roast Beef

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Green Beans With Bacon
Creamed Corn
Perfect Mashed Potatoes

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Classic Roast Beef

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Bring roast to room temp2 hrs

Total Time5 hrs 8 mins

Servings4to 6 servings

The roast pictured in our recipe is tied with butcher’s twine. A tied roast cooks more evenly, but it's not necessary for it to be tied. You can tie it yourself or ask your butcher to.

Every oven is different, so the timing will vary.For the most accurate cooking time, use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of your roast.

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 pounds (1.3 to 1.6 kg) boneless rump roast (pick an end cut with a layer of fat, if you can)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
8-10 slivers garlic (3 to 4 cloves, sliced in half or into thirds)
Salt and pepper

For the gravy:

Red wine, water, and/or beef stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Method

Salt the roast and let it come toroom temp:
The beef should be brought as close to room temperature as possible before you start to roast it, so that it cooks more evenly. Remove it from the refrigerator at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, before cooking. Open the wrapping, sprinkle all sides with salt, and wrap it up again.
Preheat the oven to 375°F:
(190°C). Move a rack to the center of the oven, and place the other one underneath.
Insert slivers of garlic into the roast:
Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Use the tip of a sharp knife to make 8 to 10 small incisions around the roast. Put a sliver of garlic into each cut.
Rub the roast with olive oil, then season:
Rub olive oil all over the roast. Sprinkle it all around with salt and pepper.
Put the roast on the rack with a pan below:
Place the roast directly on the middle oven rack, fatty side up, with a roasting pan to catch the drippings on the rack beneath it.
Placing the roast directly on the rack like this with a pan on the rack below creates a convection type environment in the oven, allowing the hot air to more easily circulate around the roast, so you don't have to turn the roast as it cooks.
Place the roast, fat-side up so that as the fat bathes the entire roast in flavor as it melts.
Brown at 375°F, then lower the heat to 225°F:
Cook the roast initially at 375°F (190°C) for half an hour, to brown it. Then lower the heat to 225°F (107°C). The roast should take somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours more to cook.
The shape of the roast will affect the cooking time. If your roast is long and narrow, rather than a more round shape, it may take less time to cook, so keep an eye on it.
Roast to an internal temp of 135°F to 140°F:
When juices start to drip from the roast, and it is browned on the outside, check the roast's internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature of the roast is 135°F to 140°F (for medium rare meat).
Make the gravy as the roast rests:
Place the roast on a cutting board and tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. (Resting the cooked roast is important. If you cut into it too soon, the roast will lose more of its juices.)
To make the gravy: Remove the dripping pan from the oven and place on the stove top at medium heat. Note that if you are pulling the roast out early, for rare or a medium rare level of doneness, you may not have a lot of drippings. Hopefully you will have some. If not, you may want to leave the roast in a little longer at even lower heat, 175°F, to ease some more drippings out of it.
Add some water, red wine, or beef stock to the drippings to deglaze (loosen the drippings from the pan). Dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in a little water and add to the drip pan. Stir quickly while the gravy thickens to avoid lumping.
You can add a little butter if there is not a lot of fat in the drippings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mom adds some fresh thyme too if she has some.
How to Make GravyREAD MORE:
Slice and serve:
After the roast has had a chance to rest a bit (and reabsorb its juices), thinly slice the roast to serve. (A sturdy long bread knife works well for slicing roasts.)
Pour the gravy over the slices or serve on the side.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
527	Calories
28g	Fat
2g	Carbs
59g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	527
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g	36%
Saturated Fat 10g	51%
Cholesterol 188mg	63%
Sodium 128mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 2g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 59g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 18mg	1%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 506mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.