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Our Oven Roast Beef is tender, flavorful, and perfect every time! Sunday roast has been a tradition in our family for years. We hope you love this classic recipe as much as we do.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients in this Roast Beef Recipe
- What is the Best Cut of Beef for an Oven Roast?
- Easy Steps for Perfect Oven Roast Beef
- How Long Does it Take to Cook a Roast Beef in the Oven?
- Getting the Right Time and Temperature
- Optional Roast Beef Cooking Methods
- More Flavors and Add-Ins
- How to Make Beef Gravy from Beef Drippings
- What To Serve With Roast Beef
- Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- The BEST Oven Roast Beef Recipe
This pot roast recipe has been our Sunday dinner go-to recipe for as long as we can remember. We have so many great memories of walking into our home after church to the smell of the roast beef simmering in the oven. All of the credit for this recipe goes to our amazing mother who truly perfected this tender roast beef recipe. It is simple and delicious!
Ingredients in this Roast Beef Recipe
- Rump roast – You can also use any of the suggestions below
- Butter
- Beef broth
- Seasonings – salt, dry onion soup mix, and Fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
What is the Best Cut of Beef for an Oven Roast?
Choosing a cut of meat can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. With the low and slow method, most cuts of beef can be roasted to tender perfection. But here are a few options to look for at the grocery store:
- Rump Roast
- Chuck Roast or Shoulder Pot Roast
- Rib Roast
- Ribeye Roast
- Tenderloin Roast
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Round Tip Roast
- Bottom Round Roast
- Top Round Roast
- Eye of Round Roast
Easy Steps for Perfect Oven Roast Beef
Don’t be intimidated by oven roast. It couldn’t be easier! There are just a few tricks to getting that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth roast beef you love:
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Take it out of the fridge and let it relax a little before roasting. This will help create a tender roast beef.
- Start with the right pan or pot. A heavy duty roasting pan or a Dutch oven work best. It needs to be able to transfer from stove top to oven.
- Sear that meat! Using hot oil, sear all sides of your roast until there’s a nice brown crust. This step will ensure all those delicious juices stay locked in and give it a gorgeous color.
- For tantalizing, fall-apart meat remember these two words: LOW and SLOW. Roasting at a lower heat for a longer period of time will give even tougher types of meat that tender texture your family will die over!
- Make sure your meat never roasts dry. Keep it covered in its natural juices and beef broth for maximum juicy tenderness.
How Long Does it Take to Cook a Roast Beef in the Oven?
This is a tricky question because roast sizes and oven temps can vary. You don’t really need to rely on precise times and oven temperatures when cooking a roast. It is more about the internal temperature of the roast and getting it high enough to break down connective tissues to make it tender. That can be at a slightly higher oven temperature (no more than 300-degrees) and less cooking time, or a lower temperature (around 200 degrees) but a longer cooking time.
Roast, especially chuck roast, has a lot of connective tissue throughout the meat. Because the connective tissue contains collagen, a long, water-soluble protein, it doesn’t start to break down until it reaches 160 degrees F, and doesn’t fully break down until it reaches 200 degrees F. Some cooks prefer getting the internal temperature up to 210 degrees F before removing it from the oven for maximum tenderness. This is a lot higher of an internal temperature than what you would want to have for a typical steak, but it’s necessary for a tender roast. This can take several hours to achieve, but as I mentioned above, low and slow is the name of the game here.
Getting the Right Time and Temperature
Oven temps and roast sizes can vary and fluctuate but as long as you are going by the internal temperature of the roast, you will be golden. Roast is so easy to make and it is not a temperamental meat. For this recipe, we set the oven at 300-degrees and roast for 3 hours but you can lower the temperature and roast it longer if you would like. It is easy to adjust the times and temperatures. You can cook a 3-5 pound roast at 200 degrees F for up to 8-10 hours with great results. The main thing here is to cook it low, between 200-300 degrees F and cook until the tissues soften and break down, which, as mentioned above, is an internal temperature of between 200-210 degrees F.
Use a Meat Thermometer
Use a meat thermometer to get the most accurate readings for your roast. If you want to get really high-tech, there are bluetooth meat thermometers that can stay in the roast while in the oven. That way you don’t have to keep opening the oven and uncovering the roast to get your temps. You can just keep checking it from your phone! Whether you use an old school analog meat thermometer or a digital one, checking that internal temp is my best suggestion for getting perfect roast every single time.
Optional Roast Beef Cooking Methods
Growing up, Sunday just wasn’t Sunday without the waft of savory roast permeating the house. But sometimes during the summer, our mom refused to heat up the house using the oven. This Slow Cooker Pot Roast came to the rescue during those hot months and is so delicious! And now with the popularity of the Instant Pot, a homemade roast can be on the table in a fraction of the time. Try our Instant Pot Sunday Pot Roast for a quick and easy roast dinner.
More Flavors and Add-Ins
Looking for more flavors and add-ins to try? Here are some more popular additions:
- Red wine: Add a splash of red wine to the broth to get a richer, deeper flavor.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Mix in a tbsp of Worcestershire sauce to the beef broth before adding it to the roast or shake a few splashes over the top.
- Garlic: It never hurts to throw a couple fresh garlic cloves(or seven) with your roast. Mash the soft, cooked garlic in with mashed potatoes or serve them whole with your roast and vegetables.
- Potatoes and carrots: Add some quartered potatoes and thick-cut carrots to the roasting pan with the roast beef an hour or two before serving to make an all-in-one meal.
- Pepper: Add some extra black pepper for a little kick.
- Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme: I am literally singing this in my head while I am typing. You can’t go wrong with this herb combo, or song. A teaspoon of each will make a delicious herb mix that is fit for a fancy dinner or a Scarborough Fair (sorry, I couldn’t help myself).
How to Make Beef Gravy from Beef Drippings
Don’t forget about the show-stopper topper: gravy! Those delectable drippings from the pan make the richest, creamiest gravy you’ve ever had. It’s delicious over roast, mashed potatoes, veggies, rice, just about anything. Just use our simple tips for How to Make the Best Beef Gravy. It’s easy, fool-proof, and oh so yummy.
What To Serve With Roast Beef
When it comes to a family-style roast beef dinner, we definitely have our go-to favorite side dishes. Here is what we like to serve with our roast dinners:
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans or Peas
Roasted carrots
Parmesan Potato Halves
Roasted Vegetables
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store leftover roast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 2-3 months. Reheat leftovers in the oven or in a crock pot until heated through or the internal temperature reaches 165-degrees F.
Fun Leftover Ideas
We love shredding up our leftover roast beef to make roast beef sandwiches, French dip sandwiches, beef stew, and our Mom’s shredded Mexican beef. It sounds weird, but it really makes the best filling for Mexican dishes like enchiladas, burritos, taquitos, and shredded beef tacos. Just shred up the leftovers, add some salsa, and the sky’s the limit!
The BEST Oven Roast Beef
Video
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
Ingredients
- 3 pounds rump roast (see notes above for meat options)
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 (2-ounce) package dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup beef broth (or beef stock)
Instructions
- Remove roast from refrigerator and allow to come to room-temperature (about 30-40 minutes). Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (read notes above for more time and temperature roasting options). Trim excess fat from roast and generously rub all sides with Kosher salt.
- In a heavy roasting pan or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add roast to pan and sear on all sides for about 2-3 minutes per side. You want the roast to be brown all over.
- Sprinkle onion soup mix over the roast and pour beef broth over the top and around the inside of the roasting pan.
- Cover and roast in the oven for 2.5-3 hours or until beef is tender with an internal temp of 200-210 degrees F (add 40-60 minutes per pound over 3 pounds).
- Allow roast beef to rest 10-15 minutes, still covered or wrapped in foil, before carving. While the roast rests, make gravy (optional, see notes above). Use a sharp knife to cut into slices and serve!
Very happy. Thank you. Can’t wait to taste it. Smells great.
Let us know how it turns out!
Hi, I have always had trouble with making a roast beef. Mine are dry and tough. I do fine with roast pork or lamb, and also chicken breast! I have no problems making a potroast either. So, this recipe has intreagued me to try again.
Next time I am at a grocery srore I will buy another roast beef and try again. I am a widow and live alone, I don’t think a 3lb. roast will be too much as I can always use any left-overs for something else. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sincerely, Maureen.
Hope this one is a winner for you! You will have to come back and let us know how you like it!
I cooked my 3 lb rump roast as directed. Since I didn’t want the beef to be fall-apart tender, I cooked it until the internal temp was 122 F. It was delicious!
My store was completely out of rump! I settled on a bottom round. Do you think it will still work?!?!
Yes I believe that will still work!
Can I cook this in my slow cooker
Check out our recipe for Crock Pot Roast Beef! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/slow-cooker-roast-beef-and-vegetables/
I plan to try this soon would a slow cooker work as well as oven
This is the recipe we use for crock pot roast beef: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/slow-cooker-roast-beef-and-vegetables/
I’ve bought a 7.6 lb bottom blade roast boneless for thanksgiving dinner. How long do you suggest cooking at 300 degrees for? I want it to be well done but not dry ….soft and tender.
Could you please let me know asap
Thanks
Our rule of thumb is to add 40-60 minutes per pound over 3 pounds. However, using a meat thermometer will be more accurate than using a timer. Oven roast is ready when it’s 200-210 degrees inside for a well done roast, or when it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Sorry, my MS family has been cooking roast all their lives. I am almost 72 & have been doing the same. For some of us who don’t have a lot longer to live/cook (sorry my dear friend who sort of became my 2nd mother when I had breast cancer 9 yrs ago was buried Friday and my 65 yr. brother died last Friday. Life is getting fragile. And if I can spend the money and have the energy to do so I want to make the best to serve someone. I have prided myself on good cooking but may not have much longer so I want to spend my time satisfiying people with the best I can produce.
Hi, is this temp fan forced or regular? Thanks so much!
I don’t have a fan forced oven, so I would say regular.
Thorntonbarbara02@gmail.com My Question is about a chuck Roast l want to cook in the oven low and slow.I have no Lipton onion soup,my gluten free people can’t eat it.What can I use besides that for a good flavored roast,my chuck has a lot and I mean a lot of fat on it,no way to get it all off.Thank you ,for your recipe and help.
You can substitute the soup mix with minced dried onion and salt and pepper!
I have tried numerous roast beef recipes and they have not come close to how good this roast is. So easy to cook and soooo tender!!
love the receipe, but I struggle with the internal temp of the roast hts the medium rare 130 F after one hour of cooking .. but one hour can’t be long enough.. everyone says low and slow at 300F for 3 hours for a 3 lb roast .. what am i missing?? clearly, I’m new at this!
Three hours low and slow is for a well done roast. If you want a medium rare roast, the cook time will be shorter. Always go by what the meat thermometer says instead of going by time.
Low and slow for roast is the way to go if you want a really good very tender roast with gravy. First step is brown roast on all sides in a skillet with a little oil first.
Mix together 1 pkg. lipton dry onion mix, 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, and 1 cup water and mix well. Pour this mixture over your Roast and bake at 325 for 4 hours, (3 to 4 pound Roast) checking it now and then for tenderness. Simple and delicious.
You’ll love it with mashed potatoes and green peas.
I don’t have a dutch over so I want to do the roasting pan approach. Can I cover this will foil if I don’t have a proper lid for the roasting pan?
Sure!
Sounds delicious. Will certainly be making this for Easter
Absolutely love roast beef in red wine !
tri tip roast ,, Onion soup mix who knew ??
This was the most delicious roast beef, it came out so tender. I cooked it on the stove instead of the oven on low. Thank you for sharing this recipe. Delicious 😋
If I want to add thick cut carrots and potatoes, at what point in the 3 hours should I add them so they aren’t disintegrated by the time I pull the roast out?
We usually just add them in at the beginning!
What oven temperature should the roast be cooked at? I can’t find it in the recipe. Thank you!!
300 degrees F!
What type of seasoning no salt or pepper
This was excellent! Forget the crock pot! Better than the memories of the traditional Sunday meal. Only modification was the initial seasoning which was the addition of 1/2 tsp of garlic powder to the salt and pepper. I let it cool in the Duth oven before slicing. I made portioned meals for the week of: base of mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables topped with sliced roast beef with gravy (made with the remaining juice). We also ate: sandwiches with home made bread, mayonnaise, cheddar and a bit of horseradish. Oh so yummy! I bought another roast and will be cooking it tomorrow for more of what I described plus some shredded meat for some awesome tacos! The pico de gallo is already made! Can’t wait! Thanks for the excellent recipe.
WOW! Thank you so much for this glowing review!! We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe.