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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.
Featured with this Recipe
- Ingredients in this Roast Beef Recipe
- What is the Best Cut of Beef for an Oven Roast?
- How Do You Cook a Roast in the Oven?
- How Long Does it Take to Cook a Roast Beef in the Oven?
- Optional Roast Beef Cooking Methods
- More Flavors and Add-Ins
- How to Make Beef Gravy from Beef Drippings
- What To Serve With Roast Beef
- Leftover Roast Beef
- How to Make Oven Roast Beef
- 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 many wonderful memories of walking into our home after church to the smell of the perfect 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
- Kosher salt
- Butter
- Dry onion soup mix
- Beef broth
- 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
- Top Sirloin Roast or Steak
- Tri-Tip Roast
- Round Tip Roast
- Bottom Round Roast
- Top Round Roast
- Eye of Round Roast
How Do You Cook a Roast in the Oven?
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. Simmering 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?
Depending on the size of roast, plan to keep that meat snug in the oven for at least three hours (remember low and slooooow) for a three pound roast. Then, add about an hour per extra pound on top of that.
But, even better than watching a clock is using a meat thermometer. Oven roast is ready when it’s 160-165 degrees inside for a well done roast, or when it easily pulls apart with a fork. For medium-rare, internal temperature should reach 125-130 degrees. For medium, internal temp should reach 140-150 degrees.
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.
- Flavored Olive Oil: Use a flavored olive oil instead of butter.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Mix in a tbsp of Worcestershire sauce to the beef broth before adding it to the roast.
- Garlic: It never hurts to throw a couple cloves garlic (or seven) with your roast. Mash the cooked garlic in with mashed potatoes or serve them whole with your roast and vegetables. If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, sprinkle some garlic powder over the roast.
- Potatoes and carrots: Add some quartered potatoes and thick-cut carrots to the roasting pan with the roast beef before cooking to make an all-in-one meal.
- Pepper: Add some extra black pepper for a little kick.
- Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme: A teaspoon of each will make a delicious herb mix that you can sprinkle over the top for a more earthy flavor.
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:
Leftover Roast Beef
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 is the limit!
How to Make Oven Roast Beef
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. 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 one minute 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 3 hours or until beef is fall-apart tender (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!
Really good tips to follow. Instead of using packaged onion soup mix I found a recipe to make my own. My roast was just at 3 pound but I cooked it for only an hour and a half. 3 hours would have been way too long.
Im just about to put my beef in the oven..cant wait to taste it.looks a great recipe!
If I cook a 6 lb roast, do i double all the ingredients and the cook time?
For the ingredients, yes you can just double them. For the cooking time it is recommended that you add 40-60 minutes for every pound over 3 pounds. I hope this helps!
This is by far the best roast recipe I have ever had I always use it so thank you!
I know you probably won’t see this because it is Christmas but I bought a 2.1 pound top sirloin instead of 4 pounds, how long do I cook it for? Thank you!
This may no longer be helpful, but we recommend cooking a 2 pound roast for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the roast is at least 145 degrees for a medium roast. I’m so happy you like the recipe!
Does it come out well done like a Pot Roast or meduim like a Roast Beef? Thanks!
It comes out like a Roast Beef!
Planning to try this for Xmas.
Do you turn the meat to keep it moist ???
We don’t usually turn it. If you are worried about it drying out you can baste some of the juices over the beef.
at what height in the oven do you put the roast? i.e low down, in middle or high as my roasts tend to be tough. cheers.
james.
We usually set it on a lower rack so the middle of the roast is in the middle of the oven. Hope this helps!
Cheers. thanks for this tip – i will try this recipe as my roast beef has always turned out as tough as old boots. i don.t have a crock pot but cover a roasting tray with tin foil but have never thought about adding beef stock/broth etc. – good idea – will let you know how it turns out.
thanks
james
This is the best recipe I have found or at least worked for me! The meat is fall apart delicious, so yummy! Absolutely loves it. I do add bay leaves for additional flavor. It is delicious right away or I actually put it in the Refrigerator and serve it the next day which of course makes it even more flavorful! Thank you so much for this recipe
How much beef or chicken stock do I put in the roast? I am making this today July 12, 2021 & need to know. Thanks, I’m looking forward to eating this delicious roast.
The recipe lists 1 cup of beef broth! Hope this helps!
Can I add vegetables around the roast while it’s cooking?
Yes! We often add potatoes, onions, and carrots.
When should we put the veggies in, I want to make sure my potato is done but with good flavor of the Roast
We would just put it all in at the same time!
Need a little advise…I’m using this recipe on Sunday, I have a 6# rump roast, how many hours should I cook it at 300 degrees? Want it tender but not dry!
Thank you for your help
Rump roast is tricky because it is a tougher piece of meat. Read through the entire post for tips. Make sure you bring the roast to room temperature, or close to it, before cooking. Remove it from the fridge an hour before you prepare it. Also, use a heavy roasting pan or Dutch oven and a meat thermometer. As far as cooking time, I would roast your 6 lb roast for 4 hours and then check the internal temperature. If you like it more on the medium side, you will want the temperature to be around 150. If you like it more well done, you will want the internal temperature to be between 160-165.
Very good recipe, I put some of the trimmed off fat atop the roast for added moisture.
Your oven is Celsius, the recipe is in Farenheit. You need to convert to suit.
Have a question can I sear the roast in a cast iron skillet and then just transfer skillet to oven , if so do I cover it and still cook on 300 for 3hrs?
Yeah that should work!
You say cook low but suggest an oven temp of 300. That is extremely high? My oven only goes to 260 which is very, very hot. Please explain?
This is for 300 degrees fahrenheit. What temperature system are you using, celsius? If so that would be about 149 degrees celsius.
300 F. I think you have an oven that is in celsius.
This turned out to be the best roast I’ve ever made. It was tender and very tasty. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
It is impossible to find a more comforting meal than a classic roast dinner! So flavorful and delicious!
So excited to have this at Christmas. Thanks for a classic and delicious recipe that doesn’t look overwhelming!! LOVE your website and your always-winning recipes.
This is the best roast beef I’ve ever made! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s a gem!
Oven temperature not stated.
The oven temperature is 300 degrees for this recipe. It is stated in the first step of instructions.
Hi. Planning on making this for thanksgiving. What should I change for high altitude (8300ft) cooking?
For high altitude, we always suggest increasing the baking temperature by 10-15 degrees, and then decreasing the cooking time by 5 minutes per 30 minutes of baking. Hope this helps!
Know that adjustments need to be made when baking (cakes, etc.) at high altitude. Have never thought about adjustments for roasts in the oven. Will most definitely try this. Thank you for this from Denver.