Top Round Roast Beef

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This easy top round roast beef turns an inexpensive cut into a company worthy dinner. It is tender, juicy, and flavorful with a delicious gravy.

This roast beef is a recipe passed down to me by my dad. It took me quite a while to work up the courage to tackle it myself, but much to my surprise, it was insanely easy and fuss-free to make!

An instant read thermometer is crucial in my opinion, and takes all the guesswork out of it! I’ve had this affordable ThermoPro meat thermometer for years and love it, since you can monitor the temperature from the outside without having to open the oven door.

Although I make this beloved roast for my family throughout the year, if you’re looking for an impressive centerpiece for your holiday table that won’t break the bank, this, along with my orange cranberry boneless pork loin roast, is a great one. A roast is also a great way way to feed a crowd.

What is Top Round Beef?

Top round beef is a lean cut of meat that comes from the rear leg of the cow. It is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, but it can be tough if not cooked properly. From how you cook it to how you cut the meat before serving – everything makes a difference.

Top round beef is a good source of protein and other essential nutrients, and it is relatively low in calories because of the lack of fat in the meat.

Why You Need to Try this Top Round Beef Recipe

It’s easy to make. This top round roast beef recipe is simple to follow, even for beginner cooks. All you need to do is season the meat and then roast it in the oven. Only 4 ingredients are needed for the roast itself, and a few more for the gravy, which is optional. I sometimes make this roast JUST for these favorite roast beef sandwiches, and skip the gravy in that instance.

If you’re making this for a special occasion, use the time it’s roasting to make some easy stovetop sides like these brown sugar glazed carrots or sauteed carrots, some green beans. I ALWAYS serve this roast with mashed potatoes for soaking up that gravy.

It’s flavorful. This recipe is simple, yet it produces a flavorful and tender beef roast. The mustard and garlic add a delicious depth of flavor, and the slow roasting method ensures that the meat is cooked perfectly. Topped with the delicious gravy, it’s the perfect holiday roast.

It’s affordable. Top round roast beef is an affordable cut of beef so it makes it the perfect choice of meat for a big family dinner.

It makes for the perfect leftovers. If I manage to save some leftovers – I love make these roast beef sandwiches for lunch the next day.

Ingredient Notes

Top Round Roast

Look for a roast that is even in thickness, so that it cooks evenly. I use top round roast beef for this recipe (also known as “inside round”), but you can also use bottom round or eye of round roast. All of them come from the same part of the animal (the leg) and are fairly interchangeable.

The cooking time will vary according to the size of your roast and the cut of beef, but in general you can count on about 20 minutes per pound for medium-rare. A meat thermometer is your best friend when it comes to roasts!

Truss the meat with string, if it isn’t already, to keep the roast from shrinking, deforming, and cooking unevenly.

Garlic

Garlic adds a delicious depth of flavor to the top round roast beef. Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.

Dijon Mustard

Dijon mustard has a sharper flavor than regular mustard, which gives the top round roast beef a delicious flavor.

Black Pepper

It adds a bit of heat and flavor to the beef roast. You can adjust the amount of black pepper to taste.

Butter

Butter is used to make a roux, which is the thickening agent for the gravy. It also adds a rich flavor to the gravy.

Flour

Flour is another ingredient you need to make a roux. It also helps to absorb the pan drippings from the top round roast beef, which adds flavor to the gravy.

Red wine

Red wine adds a rich flavor and depth to the gravy. It also helps to deglaze the pan, which means that it helps to loosen and dissolve any browned bits of food on the bottom of the pan. If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can simple use more beef broth, or water to deglaze the pan.

Beef stock

Beef stock is the base of the gravy. It adds flavor and body to the gravy. You can use chicken or vegetable stock as well.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Cut the garlic into tiny pieces and make slits in the top round roast beef. Fill the slits with the garlic pieces.

1. Sprinkle the beef roast with black pepper and spread Dijon mustard all over it.

1. Place the roast beef in a cast iron skillet or roasting pan, with or without a rack, and transfer to the oven.

1. Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Continue roasting until the meat registers 130-135 degrees F on a meat thermometer for medium-rare (this will take about another 40 minutes for a 3 lb roast), or cook to 145 degrees F for medium doneness.

1. Remove the roast beef from the oven and let the roast rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes, tented with foil, before slicing.

1. While the roast beef is resting, make the gravy. For this, place the same cast iron skillet with all the pan drippings over medium heat and add the butter.

1. Once the butter has melted, add in the flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes. Now deglaze the pan with the red wine, whisking constantly.

1. Once the wine is reduced by half, whisk in the beef broth. Let the gravy simmer until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1. Now remove the garlic and strings from the beef roast and slice it thinly. Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes.

Tips to Make Top Round Roast Beef

• Top round roast beef is a lean cut of meat, and the lack of marbling means if you don’t cook it properly, it will be tough. The best way to keep it tender is to roast at a high temperature initially, in order to sear the exterior and create a crust, and then reduce the temperature to finish cooking it slowly.

• The other important thing for ensuring tender top round roast beef is to slice it thinly. Thinly sliced meat is much easier to chew.

• A meat thermometer is essential for cooking top round roast beef. This will help you to ensure that the meat is cooked to your desired level of doneness.

• For medium-rare, the internal temperature of the roast should be 130-135 degrees F and the internal temperature of the roast should be 145 degrees F for medium. What you see in the photos was cooked to 135F. I don’t recommend cooking this cut to a well-done level, as it will be quite tough.

4. It is important to let the roast come to room temperature before cooking. This will help the meat to cook more evenly.

5. Once the top round roast is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. If the meat rests, it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and juicy roast. I consider this step to be critical!

6. It is best to cut only the amount of top round roast beef that you need for serving. This will help to keep the remaining roast beef moist and juicy.

7. Cooking top round roast beef low and slow will give you the best results. Instead of trying to move around your top round roast beef in a cast iron skill to sear it on all sides – start the cooking in the preheated oven at a high temperature. This will help to develop a golden, delicious crust without the added step.

What to serve with Top Round Roast Beef

• Mashed potatoes (a must if making the gravy!)
• Roasted vegetables such as maple balsamic brussels sprouts, roasted maple glazed sweet potatoes, cauliflower with cumin and coriander, or roasted asparagus and potatoes
• A side salad like this apple pecan salad, roasted sweet potato salad, pear and arugula salad, or strawberry goat cheese salad, or ancient grains salad.
• Stovetop sides like steamed green beans, sauteed carrots, or brown sugar glazed carrots.

Storage Instructions

The leftover roast beef can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To refrigerate the beef roast, simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in an airtight container. To freeze it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag.

When you want to reheat it, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the top round roast beef in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Then, bake for 20-30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the beef roast is heated through.