This juicy Roast Beef recipe is rubbed with garlic and herbs and slow-roasted for a classic beef dinner that’s just as impressive as any holiday roast. Enjoy slices of tender beef drizzled with a simple and savory homemade gravy made from pan drippings. You’ll love how every bite melts in your mouth.
If you love succulent roasts like Prime Rib or Baked Ham that don’t break the bank, this Roast Beef recipe is sure to impress.
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Roast Beef Recipe with Gravy
This recipe for thinly sliced roast beef covered in the delicious pan gravy is irresistibly delicious and so EASY. Slow-roasting beef in the oven ensures it’s perfectly tender and evenly cooked all the way through. The beef is rubbed with a savory combination of herbs before roasting, and every bite is juicy and mouthwatering.
The best part about this recipe is, just like our Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy, this easy roast beef recipe creates a rich and delicious pan gravy that you can pour over slices of beef or over Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Watch the video tutorial below and see how easy it is to have a succulent beef roast ready for any occasion.
Easy Roast Beef Video
Watch Natasha make the juiciest, most mouthwatering slow-roasted beef, and then turn the pan drippings into a savory homemade gravy. You won’t believe how effortless it is!
Pro Tip: If you liked the giant pepper grinder, it would make a fun gift or decor for your kitchen (make sure you have enough space on your counter since it’s quite tall). We found our giant 31-inch pepper mill on Amazon.
Ingredients
The secret to perfect roast beef is a good quality, room-temperature cut of beef and a few choice ingredients. Below you’ll find an overview of what you’ll need for this recipe, with the full details available in the recipe card.
For the Roast Beef
- Beef – I always choose a top round roast when I make this recipe. See below for suggestions of other good cuts for roasting.
- Olive Oil – Use extra light olive oil to make your herb rub. it has a higher smoke point to help the beef sear without smoking.
- Fresh Herbs – I rub this classic roast with a combination of chopped fresh rosemary, garlic, thyme, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.
For the Pan Gravy
- Red Wine – You’ll want to use a dry red when making your pan gravy. The best wines to cook with are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. Shiraz also works nicely with roast beef.
- Beef Broth – For a true pan gravy, use beef broth combined with some of the pan drippings. Chicken stock works in a pinch.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper bring a wonderful flavor to this easy beef gravy.
- Butter – Stirring a pat of unsalted butter into the gravy at the very end makes the texture silky smooth and enriches the flavor.
- Corn Starch and Water – You’ll use this to make a slurry to simmer into the gravy, in order to thicken it.
What Cut of Beef Is Best for Roasting?
My first choice for a beef roast is a top-round roast (also known as inside round). If you can’t find one where you are, other good options are top sirloin roast, bottom round roast, or eye of round roast.
Pro Tip: Make sure to take your roast out of the fridge two hours (or at least one hour) before roasting so that it comes to room temperature. This way, the beef roasts more quickly and evenly once it’s in the oven.
How to Roast Beef in the Oven
You don’t need any fancy equipment to roast beef perfectly in the oven. Just a sturdy roasting pan with a rack to catch the drippings (I used the rack from my Instant Pot!).
- Make an Herb Rub – Combine rosemary, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper with olive oil. I recommend leaving the mixture for 5 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Prepare the Roast – Meanwhile, pat the beef dry, and truss it up with kitchen twine so that it cooks through evenly. Give the beef a good rub all over with the herb oil before moving it to the rack set inside your roasting pan.
- Cook – Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the beef. Roast at 450ºF for the first 15 minutes, and then lower the oven temperature to 250ºF and continue baking for 28-30 minutes per pound of beef. See below for a helpful guide to knowing when your roast is ready.
- Rest – When your roast is cooked to your liking, take it out of the oven and tent the pan with aluminum foil. Allow the roast to rest for at least 15 minutes while the juices redistribute and the beef reaches its final resting temperature.
- Serve – See further down for instructions on how to prepare your pan gravy while the beef is resting. Once everything is ready, carve your beef, pour on the gravy, and serve. I’ve also included my carving and serving tips below.
How do you know when Roast Beef is done?
The easiest way to tell if a roast is ready is to check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer. Roast beef is usually cooked to medium rare. It’s important to remember when roasting beef that the roast’s temperature will continue to rise by 5 degrees while it rests so don’t overbake.
Check that your roast is done to your liking using my handy roast beef temperature guide:
- For Medium Rare – Roast until it reaches 135-140ºF (145ºF after resting)
- For Medium – Roast to 145ºF (150ºF after resting)
The cooking time will depend on the size of your roast as well as your oven. It’s always a good idea to monitor the temperature with a thermometer.
Making the Beef Pan Gravy
Once the beef is roasted and resting, we love using the leftover pan drippings to pull together a delicious beef gravy that’s saturated with flavor.
- Make a Slurry – Combine water and cornstarch to make a slurry, then set aside.
- Combine the Ingredients – Set the roasting pan with the roast drippings to the stove over medium heat, deglaze the pan with red wine and then let it reduce by half. Add the beef broth, and once it’s at a light boil, stir in the seasonings.
- Thicken – Next, stir in the cornstarch slurry. Keep stirring as the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens, to prevent lumps from forming. Turn off the heat and stir butter into the gravy and season to taste if needed. Straining through a sieve is optional but will create a smoother gravy.
- Serve – Pour your homemade beef gravy over slices of beef, mashed potatoes, or anything else that graces your plate. See the section later on for serving ideas.
How to Carve Roast Beef
Apart from proper roasting, properly carving the meat is the trick to unbelievably tender beef that basically melts in your mouth.
- The key to carving roast beef is to carve against the grain (lines) of the meat. These are the muscle fibers that run parallel to each other throughout a piece of beef.
- Once you determine which way the grain is going, cut the beef into thin slices in the opposite direction (see photo).
Pro Tip: Cut only the amount of roast beef that you need for serving, and then refrigerate leftovers to slice and use for sandwich meat later. Roast beef serves really well cold and is the perfect sandwich meat for French Dip or even a quick Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.
Common Questions
This depends on the size of your roast, but aim for medium-rare to ensure a juicy roast. Since it is a very lean roast, you don’t want to overcook it.
A 3-pound roast serves between 6-8 people, while a 4-pound roast serves 8-10.
Roasting low and slow, and resting the beef under foil after it’s out of the oven are key to this moist, tender roast beef recipe.
Leave the roast uncovered while it’s in the oven to give the outside a chance to sear and lock in the flavor. Only cover the beef while it’s resting.
What to Serve with Roast Beef
Whether it’s for a special occasion, holiday, or more casual dinner, we love serving our roast beef with a combination of easy side dishes:
- Potatoes – Pair with Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Roasted Potatoes drenched in beef gravy.
- Roasted Vegetables – Serve with Roasted Carrots or Roasted Asparagus.
- Bread – Soft Dinner Rolls are perfect for soaking up leftover gravy.
- Salad – Lighten up a meal of roast beef with Beet Arugula Salad or Caesar Salad.
- Sauces – Try serving beef with creamy Horseradish Sauce, especially if you aren’t making gravy.
Make-Ahead
A beef roast is one of our favorite leftovers to have in the fridge. We love turning yesterday’s beef dinner into today’s roast beef sandwiches! It also helps that storing and reheating cooked beef is a breeze.
- To Refrigerate: Store your roast in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze airtight, either whole or in servings, for 2-3 months. Thaw the beef in the fridge overnight.
- To Reheat: It’s easiest to reheat the beef when it’s in slices. I’ll place the beef in a pan with a bit of gravy, and reheat it in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through.
Pro Tip: You can serve leftover roast beef cold or warm. We love to shave it thinly and serve it cold.
We just know you’re going to love making this perfect roast all winter long. Roast beef is great for feeding a crowd, or you can make it for a weeknight dinner and have leftovers for days. You can’t go wrong!
More Easy Beef Recipes
If you loved this recipe for succulent roast beef, here are more delicious beef dinner ideas to try:
- Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce
- Classic Beef Stew
- Beef Stroganoff
- Pot Roast Recipe
Roast Beef Recipe with Gravy
Ingredients
For the Roast Beef:
- 3-4 lb top round roast beef*, at room temperature 1.5 to 2 hours before cooking
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic, from 3 cloves
- 2 tsp thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Beef Gravy:
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
How to Make Roast Beef:
- Preheat oven to 450ºF. You’ll need a roasting pan with an oven rack to allow the air to circulate and to catch the drippings for gravy.
- In a small bowl, mix together oil, rosemary, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Set aside for the flavors to meld for 5 minutes.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels and tie it with a kitchen string in 1-inch increments to create a more even thickness on the roast. Rub the roast all over with the seasoned oil. Put an oven-safe thermometer into the deepest part of the roast and set the roast on a rack inside the roasting pan.
- Bake on the center oven rack at 450ºF for 15 minutes then (without opening the oven), reduce heat to 250ºF and bake for about 28-30 minutes per pound, or until the thickest part of the roast reaches 135-140ºF for Medium-Rare**. Note the temperature will continue to rise 5 degrees as it rests.
- Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and rest 15 minutes while you make the gravy. When ready to serve, cut against the grain, shaving the meat into thin slices.
How to Make Beef Gravy
- In a small bowl, stir together corn starch and cold water to make a slurry and set aside.
- Set the roasting pan with any drippings over medium heat and add the red wine, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan. Once wine is reduced by at least half, add beef broth and bring to a light boil. Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Add the cornstarch slurry mixture to the gravy while stirring constantly (this prevents a lumpy gravy). Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 3 minutes until gravy is thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Strain gravy through a sieve if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
forgot to leave the rating on my review…definitely a 5 star… would give 10 if allowed!!
omg! so good! We had an eye of the round roast and it was tender and so flavourful (I am Canadian so spell with a “u” lol). The gravy is out of this world. This will be my go to roast and gravy recipe from now on. Thank you, Natasha! I love your recipes and videos.
Please recommend an ingredient to sub for the wine. Also, temp/cook time for full cooked roast (I’m learning to love roast beef, so prefer no pink, but fear to dry it out)
Hi Amira! You can use more broth. Since this is a very lean roast, you don’t want to overcook it to dry it out, that’s why I recommend those cooking times/temperatures. A medium roast is cooked to 145 degrees, so you can cook it closer to 155-160 for a more well done roast.
I added a bit more salt to the rub – 3 tsp for 3.5 lbs of meat. I’m used to using about 1 tsp per lb and it worked well and I didn’t have to salt the gravy.
The roast cooked allot faster than expected. I had to open the oven to get the temp down to slow it down. Took only about 1 hour total. But it was delicious. I’ll be using this recipe and method again. The gravy tastes great with the meat and over mashed potatoes as well.
Whenever I roast a joint of meat, your page is where I come. Just used this recipe for my joint of rump. It was delicious 🤤 thank you 🙏
Hi Anita! Thank you for trusting my recipes.
We made this recipe today. It was fantastic.
So happy you enjoyed it, Tony!
Made this roast for Christmas, followed all instructions carefully. I don’t really ever make roasts and I was nervous. Turned out amazing! Perfectly pink and tender at 140 F. Served with smashed potatoes and honey glazed roasted carrots. Soo good. Gravy is yummy too. Next day made roast beef sandwiches. Will be keeping this recipe. Was so easy.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kristine!
Made it tonight with the best looking top round I could find. Easy to come together and great flavor, but my roast was so difficult to cut. The grain of the top half and bottom half, separated by a gnarly membrane, were opposite directions. Is this normal? It became such a mess! I’ve never made a top round roast before. Pictures always look so lovely, with one solid piece! Where do I find one of those!? It was still yummy, just a lot more work than expected. I blame Safeway.
Hi Courtney, it was probably just an unfortunate cut of beef. I’m picky in that way also and prefer not to have surprises in my beef. It sounds like the cut you had might not have been a true top round roast. Sometimes, grocery stores label cuts differently, or they might trim them in a way that makes slicing more difficult. For the even-grained roast you’re looking for, I recommend checking with your local butcher or asking the meat department at your store for an inside round or top round roast specifically. Look for a cut that’s nice and uniform in shape and doesn’t have visible membranes or connective tissue running through it.
Oh my, this was so yummy 😋 I will never make the roast any other way. Could you tell me what brand carving knife you are using?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Amazing! The biggest top round I could find was 2.17 pounds. It was enough for my family of four. The rub was the perfect seasoning with the beef. And the gravy… Oh my gravy!! Everything was delicious! Followed the recipe to the T
Hi Natasha! I came across your recipe and it sounds amazing! I am a little picky on bloody meat, how long or what temp would a 3.5 roast need to be well done?
Hi Jenna! For a well done roast, you should aim for an internal temperature of around 160-170.
Hi Natasha,
How important is it to let the beef get up to room temp before cooking?
Hi Adrienne! It helps it cook more evenly and be juicier.
Hi Natasha, does it work for 3.18 lbs Boneless chuck roast? If yes, how many minutes to cook in the oven? I have 1.5 inch thickness in our freezer.
Hi Eden, that should work. I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make to match the pounds of meat you have. I hope that helps! I recommend using an in-oven meat thermometer to check for doneness.