The BEST 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.
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.
- Start with the right pan or pot. A heavy duty roasting pan or a Dutch oven works 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 180 degrees inside, or when it easily pulls apart with a fork.
Which Roast Beef Cut is Best 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 any cut can be roasted to tender perfection. But here are a few options to look for at the grocery store:
- Rump Roast
- Chuck Shoulder Pot Roast
- Rib Roast
- Ribeye Roast
- Tenderloin Roast
- Top Sirloin Steak
- Tri-Tip Roast (try this Rosemary Tri-Tip Roast!)
- Round Tip Roast
- Bottom Round Roast
- Eye Round Steak
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 Roast Beef 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.
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.
How to Make Roast Beef in the 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
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 before carving.
Equipment
- Conventional Oven
PJ Woollcott says
I am overjoyed that I found this recipe. I have not been able to cook a satisfying roast until now. This was loved by the whole family. Great flavor, easy to make and has the makings for some tasty gravy. Roast will definitely be on the menu more now.
Favorite Family Recipes says
PJ- thank you so much for your kind comment! I am so glad you found a roast recipe that works for you now. Thanks for coming back and sharing your success with this recipe!
Cynthia Kaighn says
Thanks for the delectable recipe!
Rod Esguerra says
What is the temperature of the oven when cooking roast beef
Erica Walker says
All the info you need should be in the recipe– for this one it is 300 degrees. Hope this helps!
Patricia says
No the temperature is not there. I didn’t see it
Favorite Family Recipes says
It is 300 degrees!
Pea says
300 degrees is mentioned there in the recipe.
Joyce Brewster says
How long to cook if its only 1 and 1/2 pounds
Favorite Family Recipes says
I would start by roasting it for two hours and then checking it every 15 minutes or so until it is the desired temperature and tenderness!
Mary Ann Smiley says
Great moisture roast beef. Great for Italian sandwiches
Kathryn Fyfe says
I want slow cooked roast beef. Slow & low but you recommended to cook at 300 degrees. This is not low surely???
Favorite Family Recipes says
300 degrees fahrenheit is pretty low for baking.
Renee says
This recipe is delicious! I am making it for the second time today. Thanks for sharing this.
Rob Keller says
Well, I’d love to be able to reliably cook a Roast Beef so I read your article. You mention nine different cuts of beef to roast. Then when you get to the instructions you recommend a cut of beef not listed in your list of nine cuts to roast. Leaving me as confused as before.
Erica says
Hi Rob- so sorry for the confusion. The list given in the post are options in addition to the one suggested in the recipe. To avoid further confusion I will go ahead and put that cut of roast in the post. Thanks for catching that.
Terry says
I agree this is a very confusing recipe also does not tell you at what temperature to cook roast for three hours !
Erica Walker says
Hi Terry- in the first step you preheat the oven to 300-degrees. That is the temperature you want it to cook at. Hope this helps!
Leigh says
Hi Erica, is this 300 degree Celsius or farenheit?
Thanks
Erica Walker says
Fahrenheit. Hope this helps!
KG says
How about a good roast cooked medium or medium rare approx how many minutes per pound.
Favorite Family Recipes says
About 15-18 minutes per pound!
Deb says
Best oven roast I’ve ever made. So tender and delicious. Definitely a keeper. Oh and the Beef Gravy was out of this world. Thank you
Erica says
Hi Deb! So glad you liked this recipe! I agree about the gravy 😉 Thanks for the 5-stars!
Margo says
Is the roast sitting in the broth? Or does the roasting pan have an insert so it’s “hovering” above the liquid?
Favorite Family Recipes says
It is sitting in the broth!
Jy says
READ PEOPLE!!
Judy says
💯
JOANN Harmon says
To much going on I’ll take my chances.good by Joann harmon.
D. Jones says
I am so tired of having a tough piece of meat. This is a perfect recipe, the only one I now use.
Erica Walker says
Thank you so much for you comment! I agree, tough meat is no good. Thank goodness for the Instant Pot!
Tricia says
This recipe was Fantastic !! 🤗 Good flavour and beautiful gravy. I followed the recipe and cooked my 3.5 lbs rump roast for 3 hours. It was medium well but so tender. My 11 year old daughter who can be quite critical with her opinions gave me the thumbs up at supper.
Erica Walker says
So glad you and your family liked this recipe! It’s always a WIN when we can win over a picky eater! 😀 Thanks for the 5-stars!
Jann Barkess says
Can you add potatoes and carrots to the roast? If so half way through the roast timing or at the beginning? Thank you
I look forward to fixing this tomorrow with mashed potatoes until I hear back.
Erica Walker says
Yes, absolutely! We usually add the vegetables at the beginning but sometimes they come out softer than some would like. You can add them part way through but it may cause your roast to get dry if you take the lid off part way. I would suggest keeping the vegetable chunks on the larger side and just adding them at the beginning. Hope this helps!
Jen says
Quick question. I like my roast beef medium rare. Could I pull it out at a med rare temp or do you feel it won’t be as tender at that time/temp? Thanks!
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can take it out at medium rare, but like you said it won’t be as tender at that temperature. Just depends on how you like it!
Pat says
This is pretty much my favorite “pot roast”” recipe — for cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking to break down tough fibers. Some comments ask about cooking this medium rare — for that you buy a tenderloin or rib roast, not a tough cut of meat!
Hill Sheperd says
Easy peasy, like at grandmas!
Reese says
Hi,
Could you tell me what cut of beef this is in your photo?
Thanks so much. It looks deliciois!
Erica Walker says
I’m not sure which exact cut we used in the picture but when making roast you can use beef chuck roast, bottom round, or even top round roast. A lot of times at the butcher counter the beef will be labeled “Oven roast”, this will work great too! Hope this helps!
Sandy says
I felt my roast was a little dry though everyone loved it. What should I do different next time.
Favorite Family Recipes says
It is hard to know what went wrong since so many factors can affect a recipe. You want to make sure that the roast is well seared on all sides to lock in the juices. You also want to make sure to let it rest after you cook it! Hope this helps!
Lorie says
Just wanted to say this is the best and easiest oven roasted beef recipe! Fall apart and so flavourful! Your instructions are clear and easy to follow including the temperature. I wish people would read through recipes and instructions carefully before posting questions.
Lydia May Webb says
Found the recipe simple. Outcome awesome. I now can make delicious roast beef thank you!!
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Deanna says
I use your recipe whenever we have a hankering for roast. I use Chuck Roast. My husband prefers roast cooked in the oven over roast cooked in the crock pot. I usually throw in some quartered potatoes (skins on) instead of making potatoes on the side. This recipe turns out great every time.
Echo Blickenstaff says
Thank you! I like to leave the skins on too, but my kids are so picky about it. 🙁
Carole E Szarka says
This recipe is absolutely phenomenal. I added chopped Vidalia onions just because I am a huge fan of onions and beef married together. Simple recipe, for a delicious outcome!. Made Jaime Oliver’s sky high Yorkshire pudding recipe and roasted potatoes, carrots and peas. Sooooooooooooo Yummy Thanks for the recipe!!!
Beth says
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love this!
Toni Dash says
This was a huge hit at my house! Everyone really loved it!
Matt Taylor says
So good and easy to make. I love a good roasted beef!
Dannie McGuire says
This is my Mother’s Sunday Roast Beef dinner! She prepared her roast exactly as you did. The roast went into the oven on Sunday morning before we went to church. When we returned home , we were greeted by the wonderful aromas coming from the oven! Thanks for the memories.
Mary says
Can I leave the onion soup mix out and will it have good flavor without it? Onion soup mix is not gluten free.
Favorite Family Recipes says
It would lose a lot of flavor if you left the onion soup mix out. I found this recipe on the web for gluten free onion mix substitute if you want to try that: https://www.thecountrycook.net/homemade-dry-onion-soup-mix/#wprm-recipe-container-21106
Mary says
I made this Roast Beef Recipe yesterday, and I did not use the onion soup in it because of Glutten. It was delicious, the flavor was milder, I’m sure , but we really liked it. My 3 lb roast cooked for 3 hours exactly and was perfect. It was so tender. I made the gravy to go with it using some of the drippings. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Made my life easier.
JULIE CRAIG says
I made this recipe 2 weeks ago and it was AMAZING and easy, I got chicken stock by accident but used it anyway and it turned out fabulous anyway 🙂
Now……I had someone else get my roast for tonight and they got me a thinner cut…not tall and bulky but only 2 inches hight and 3 lbs. Do I cook it less because its not thick,?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Yes, I would take the cooking time down a little. Maybe start with 2 hours and then check it every 10 minutes after that. Hope this helps!
Philipp Schilmann says
Hi. Planning on making this for thanksgiving. What should I change for high altitude (8300ft) cooking?
Favorite Family Recipes says
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!