Roast Beef Recipe

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cooking roast beef

Roast beef is one of the best comfort foods you can make in your kitchen, but only if you know how to do it right. If you’ve ever had to eat dry roast beef, you know what we mean. 

The good news is that roast beef isn’t difficult to master; it’s a matter of knowing how to season the meat so that it’s tasty from the inside out, how to choose the right cut, and how to cook it properly (i.e. slowly and steadily) for tasty, tender results. We’re going to explain how to do all of that in this guide, so get your roasting pan and carving knife ready.

Choosing the Best Cut for Roast Beef

Roast beef is one of those dishes that can only be as good as the quality of the meat you use to cook it. You’ll cook roast beef using low heat over a couple of hours in the oven, but it’s not as forgiving as cooking in a slow cooker or smoker, both of which take several hours of cooking to tenderize the meat. Therefore, starting with beef that’s very lean and not as tender isn’t a great idea for roast beef.

We prefer cuts with a good balance of tenderness and flavor, like top sirloin, bottom round, rump roast, or strip roast. If you can afford to splurge a little, consider a rib roast, which has lots of marbling that cooks down as it roasts, adding flavor to the roast and tenderizing the meat. 

Tips for the Best Roast Beef

Want your roast beef to come out of the oven with restaurant-quality texture and flavor? Here are a few tips to help:

  • Give it time: Roast beef needs a good amount of time to cook in the oven without being rushed. The general timestamp is about 20-25 minutes per pound, but this can vary a little with different ovens. Expect your roast to take at least 2-3 hours; the more time you can give it to tenderize, the better. 
  • Use an oven-safe thermometer: Every time you open your oven to baste your roast, you’ll lose a little bit of heat from the oven. Avoid opening it even more to check the temperature of your roast by adding an oven-save thermometer before cooking. These thermometers stick directly into your meat and stay there throughout the cooking process, so you can always check the temperature through the oven window. Or, opt for an app-enabled thermometer that displays your meat’s temperature on your mobile phone.
  • Truss thinner cuts: If you have a thinner roast or a roast with some thin outer sections, consider trussing it with butcher’s twine to give it a more even shape and promote even cooking. 

Classic Roast Beef Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds of boneless beef roast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, split in half
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
  • 1 tbsp chopped thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, combine half the oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  2. Pat the beef roast dry using paper towels. Use a pastry brush to brush the oil and herb mixture on all sides of the beef roast. 
  3. Heat the rest of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for about 3-4 minutes per side. 
  4. Transfer the roast to a wire rack inside a roasting pan. Pour the beef broth into the bottom of the pan. Move the pan to the oven’s middle rack.
  5. Cook at 375°F for 30 minutes before reducing the heat to 225°F to continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes per pound for medium-rare. Every 20 minutes or so, baste the meat using the beef broth in the roasting pan. 
  6. Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, or 150°F for medium-well.
  7. Tent aluminum foil over the roast as it rests for 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing. 

Notes

While your roast beef rests, consider making gravy using the leftover beef broth and drippings. First, strain the drippings and bring them to a boil in a saucepan. Then, make a cornstarch slurry using ¼ cup cold water and three tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the slurry to the drippings and whisk the mixture. Allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low to let it simmer for another several minutes as it thickens. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. 

How Do You Know When Roast Beef is Done?

Use a digital meat thermometer to accurately gauge when your roast beef has finished cooking. Insert the thermometer’s probe into the thickest part of the meat. If you’re cooking to medium-rare, the beef is safe to remove from the oven when it reaches 135°F. If you’d rather cook to medium, keep it in the oven until it reaches 145°F or 150°F for medium-well.

If the outer edges of your roast appear to be cooking much faster than the inside, you can cover the roast with aluminum foil until it finishes cooking. This holds more heat directly against the roast to speed up the cooking process. 

How to Carve Roast Beef

Remember to rest roast beef for about 20 minutes at room temperature after cooking it to allow its juices to redistribute throughout the roast. This way, you’ll retain more moisture inside the meat as you carve it. 

Next, look for the long lines running through your roast. This is known as the grain of the meat. You’ll want to cut against the grain rather than with it, which breaks up long fibers that can be tough to chew, leaving you with a more tender roast. 

Use a sharp carving knife for the job, slicing the roast against the grain into thin strips of meat. Only slice what you want to eat right away; you can always go back and cut more if needed. 

slicing roast beef

How to Store Roast Beef

If you have leftover roast beef, there’s no reason to toss it. Roast beef usually stores well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but you’ll want to make sure you keep as much air out of the meat as possible.

Once the roast has cooled, but within two hours of cooking it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, ensuring that no small holes or tears can allow air in. Place the wrapped roast in a shallow dish and store it in the refrigerator, preferably wherever your refrigerator is the coldest. 

You can also freeze roast beef. To do this, slice the leftover roast into 2-inch or thinner sections and seal the sections in vacuum-sealable bags to keep them airtight. Store them in the freezer for up to three months. 

What to Serve with Roast Beef

roasted vegetables

Roast beef is a versatile, classic dish that pairs well with numerous types of side dishes fit for virtually any occasion, whether you’re having an intimate family meal or a festive holiday feast.

For a hearty and comforting side, consider mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts. To make cleanup and cooking even easier, you can often cook these veggies in the same pan as the roast, allowing them to absorb the flavors of your roast drippings. For a more indulgent option, try creamy scalloped potatoes or a cheesy gratin. A light, fresh salad with a tangy vinaigrette dressing can also work well with savory roast beef.

Here are a few more side dish ideas to draw inspiration from:

Next Steps

Our recipe and instructions for cooking roast beef call for a boneless roast, which is typically a bit easier to work with and takes less time to cook. However, many roast beef enthusiasts opt for bone-in beef roasts, which is an excellent choice, too, if you have more time to spare with the cooking process. Bone-in roast beef tends to pack in even more flavor. No matter what type of roast beef you choose, make sure it’s a quality cut that’s well within its sell-by date and, preferably, marked as USDA Choice or Prime.  

roast beef

Classic Roast Beef

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Course Main Course

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 lbs boneless beef roast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, split in half
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
  • 1 tbsp chopped thyme
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Meanwhile, combine half the oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  • Pat the beef roast dry using paper towels. Use a pastry brush to brush the oil and herb mixture on all sides of the beef roast.
  • Heat the rest of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for about 3-4 minutes per side.
  • Transfer the roast to a wire rack inside a roasting pan. Pour the beef broth into the bottom of the pan. Move the pan to the oven’s middle rack.
  • Cook at 375°F for 30 minutes before reducing the heat to 225°F to continue cooking for about 20-25 minutes per pound for medium-rare. Every 20 minutes or so, baste the meat using the beef broth in the roasting pan.
  • Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, or 150°F for medium-well.
  • Tent aluminum foil over the roast as it rests for 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

Notes

While your roast beef rests, consider making gravy using the leftover beef broth and drippings. First, strain the drippings and bring them to a boil in a saucepan. Then, make a cornstarch slurry using ¼ cup cold water and three tablespoons of cornstarch. Add the slurry to the drippings and whisk the mixture. Allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low to let it simmer for another several minutes as it thickens. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.
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