This Easy Top Round Roast Beef Recipe is going to become a regular in your house after you see how easy it is to make. Our fail proof cooking method leaves you with a flavorful and tender roast that you prepared in five minutes.
This recipe has become a huge family favorite in the two plus years since it was first published. My kids love how delicious it is and my husband and I love how easy it is to make, which makes it a true winner.
This easy top round roast beef recipe comes together in just five minutes with only five ingredients and that is counting salt and pepper! You will be shocked by how little it takes to make this oven roast beef absolutely delicious.
Absolutely delicious! So easy. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
How to Cook Roast Beef
The best way to cook a lean roast beef like top round is using a wire rack set in a roasting pan. This is actually key to this recipe because it lets the air circulate around the roast.
I bought my roasting pan (which you can see in the video) for $20 at a local department store and it is a great investment. You can also find one here.
How to Make a Tender Roast Beef in the Oven
In addition to the roasting pan, another key to this recipe is cooking the meat at a high temperature for 15 minutes before turning the heat down for slow roasting. This mimics searing the meat without actually searing it on the stove top. It works amazing!
- Season the beef. Rub the top round roast with olive oil. Then rub in the salt and pepper and the crushed garlic.
- Place the roast beef in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. This allows air to circulate around the roast, which is what you want.
- Start with the oven at 450 degrees. This will sear the outside of the roast beef, given it a nice crisp outside.
- After fifteen minutes, reduce the heat to 325. This will let the inside of the roast cook low and slow resulting in a tender roast beef.
- Use an oven proof thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature. Remove the top round roast right around 135 degrees for a nice medium rare roast like what you see pictured here. (See below for other temperatures to remove the roast at for different levels of doneness.)
- Remove the roast and tent it with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes. This will prevent the juices from running out when you slice it.
- Thinnly slice the roast beef against the grain.
Using an Instant Read Thermometer
I can’t recommend investing in an instant read thermometer enough. While I can give you a general idea of how long this will need to cook, because the thickness of a top round roast varies greatly, the time it takes to hit 135 will also vary greatly.
I love this instant read thermometer. You can poke the roast as many times as you need until the middle reaches 135. This instant read thermometer has been recommended to me by readers as one that you can leave in the roast inside the oven.
What Temperature is Beef Done?
I recommend pulling this recipe out of the oven at 135 for the medium rare you see here. If you would like the beef more rare, pull it out at 125. Pull it out at 145 for medium, and 155 for medium well. I don’t recommend cooking it past 155.
What is Top Round Roast
Top Round Roasts come from the back end of the cow and are an extremely lean cut of beef. It is sometimes labeled London Broil, which is a bit of a misnomer as that refers to the type of cooking, not the cut of meat.
The leanness of this cut of meat is the reason that it needs to be cooked low and slow as we are doing here. Additionally, you want to cut the meat into very thin slices to enjoy it more, even thinner than you see here.
Roast Beef Left Overs
Assuming you have top round roast beef left overs, though I would not be surprised if you don’t have any, there are so many great ways that you can eat it.
Storing
This roast can be kept in the refrigerator in an air tight container for three to four days.
Reheating
- Slice the entire roast before storing it.
- Put the sliced pieces in a 9×13 baking dish covered with tin foil.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Put the meat in and turn off the heat.
- Warm in the oven for 15 minutes and then enjoy the left overs.
What to do with Leftover Roast Beef
- Make a Roast Beef Sandwich. Layer the reheated thin slices on a French baguette, top with provolone cheese and put it under the broiler until the cheese is melted, watching it closely. Take it up a notch by adding horseradish sauce.
- Make a Steak Salad. This roast beef is perfect on a simple green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and red peppers with some ranch dressing. It would also be amazing on this strawberry spinach salad. It would also be a great way to turn my Caesar Salad into a full meal.
- Use it to make my Philly Cheesesteak Baked Tacos or my Philly Cheesesteak Cassserole.
What to Serve with Top Round Roast Beef
There are so many great sides that would go with this roast beef!
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Brown Sugar Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Broccoli and Rice Casserole
If you make this easy top round roast beef recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Easy Top Round Roast Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound top round roast
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Fit a rack in a roasting pan and set aside.
- Rub the top round roast with the olive oil. Then spread the salt, black pepper and garlic over it. Do your best to cover not only the top and bottom but the sides.
- Place the seasoned roast on the rack in roasting pan. Roast (uncovered) in the oven for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 325. Roast for another 45 to 60 minutes or until the a thermometer reads between 135 and 140. Please note that roasts that are less than 3 inches thick will take less time to roast. I highly recommend investing in an instant read thermometer so you know the exact moment to pull it out of the oven.
- Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil, and allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes. Slice thin, and enjoy. See post for details about reheating and left over ideas.
Cari Fallis says
I used regular black pepper instead of cracked pepper. It was VERY peppery!!! I also had to put the meat back into the oven after 15 mins at 450, and 40 mins at 325, because I could have given it a bandaid and helped it up and walk away…
Even with the extra 20 minutes, it was quite rare (which is fine for us).
I’ll try this again, with longer cook time, different pepper. Thanks!
Hi Cari! I like making really thin slices so that the taste of the pepper on the outside isn’t overwhelming. That said, maybe cut it back a little next time, it is definitely a matter of preference.
As for the cook time, it is so difficult on this recipe to give my readers an accurate time frame since the thickness of the top round roast can vary so greatly. I would recommend investing in an instant read thermometer that is oven proof. They run about $25 and they are so helpful for so many different recipes to make sure you are pulling out the meat the exact point you want.
Bret says
So is there a way to make this top round with potatoes and carrots. I know an hour isn’t long enough to cook those. Thank you
Hi Bret! I would need to play around it with you to give you something concrete, but I think if they were cut small enough and if you had a thick round roast that required a little more than an hour it would work well.
Janet Wagley says
Sounds great! Could an eye of round be used?
Yes, it should work fine with eye of round. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the temperature so it isn’t over done and make sure to slice it thin.
Margie says
Really excellent and so easy!
So glad you liked it!
Loretta says
I will be trying this recipe soon. I notices in your picture that you show pieces of rosemary, but I don’t see that in the recipe. Can you add rosemary?
It was just for pretty picture garnish, Loretta :)
Karen A says
First absolutely love that it isn’t imposing with the ingredients, and doesn’t take long. So easy and after resting, sliced and tasted… had to Drag myself away so there’d be some left for dinner!
So happy you liked it, Karen! It’s one of my family’s favorites too!
Bec says
I cooked as described at 425 degrees for 15 min and did not seat. The temp already said 140! I didn’t know what to do except broil the top to make it brown. We will see what happens. It’s probably currently overcooking.
Hi Bec! I’m so sorry this didn’t work fo you. I’m not sure what you mean by “did not seat.” I’m guessing that was an autocorrect. If you get back to me, I’d be happy to walk you through what you could try next time.
Donelle Cushing says
Pretty sure its supposed to say sear, not seat!!
Steph says
Do you put water in bottom of pan ? Steph
Nope, no need for water in the pan.
Joan Swan says
We are seniors in this house so, like many others of our age, we like our beef pink not red. How long should I cook a 3 pound roast to keep it as tender as possible and still have it chewable for our made to measure teeth? Also, thankyou for all the wonderful recipes you send. I have tried a few so far and I am impressed with the variety of meats and fruit and vegs you suggest. Keep them coming please.
Hi Joan! First of all, thank you so much for your kind words. Second, the best bet with this recipe is to get an instant read thermometer. Even better if you can get one with a long wire prob that allows you to keep it in the meat as it cooks. You will likely need to add about 20 minutes to the end to get it more well done. It sounds like you are looking for something in the medium well to well done, which is 150 to 160 degrees. And then, finally, make sure to slice this meat really thin. A really sharp knife helps with this, and it makes all the difference in enjoying it.
MrsSW says
Your recipe sounds great and I’m eager to try it but why not use a cast iron skillet with a rack?
Thanks,
Sheila
MrsSW says
PS – the “new” blog looks terrific. :)
Sheila