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This top round roast recipe makes a juicy, tender, ultra-flavorful meal perfect for fancy dinners and holidays. Served with a simple caramelized onion brown gravy, just add some mashed potatoes on the side and dig in.
Why We Love This Roast Recipe
- Easy. If you can sprinkle some seasonings and tie some twine, you can make this simple roast beef recipe.
- Impressive. The end result is a beautiful top round roast, perfect for Sunday dinners or the holiday table.
- Flavorful. Seasoned with just fresh herbs and garlic, the roast turns out delicious!
- Affordable. Even though it’s a fancy recipe, this cut of beef is actually quite affordable.
Top Round Roast Beef Ingredients
- Beef Top Round Roast – The best cut of meat for a top round roast is the “top round” itself. Top round is a lean cut of beef from the hind leg of the cow.
- Fresh Rosemary – You could also use fresh thyme if you prefer.
- Beef Broth – Vegetable and chicken broth would also work.
- Red Wine – You can use a dry red cooking wine, or you could use your favorite variety of drinking wine.
- Cornstarch – To thicken your gravy before serving.
How to Cook Top Round Roast Beef
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Pat the roast dry with paper towels, season it with salt and pepper, then tie it with twine.
- Make the herb mixture. Combine the rosemary, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Sear and season the meat. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet and sear the roast until browned. Then, coat it with the prepared herb mixture.
- Cook. Roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness.
- Rest. Remove it from the oven and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
How To Make The Gravy
- Make the gravy. In the same skillet used for searing, melt the butter and caramelize the onions. Pour in the broth and red wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add a slurry. Combine the cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Stir it into the gravy until it thickens.
- Slice and serve. Cut the roast thinly against the grain and serve it with the gravy.
Top Round Roast Cooking Times
The cooking time for your roast will vary depending on how you like it cooked. For easy reference, below are the temperatures that go with the different degrees of doneness. Always use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of your meat.
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium Well: 145°F
- Well Done: 155°F
Tips for Success
- Top Round Roast vs Chuck Roast: They are not the same. Top round roast is cut from the rear leg and is leaner than chuck roast, which is cut from the shoulder and contains more fat.
- Room temp roast: Take the roast out of the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before cooking. Room temperature meat cooks more evenly.
- Season generously: Since a top round cut has less marbling, it benefits significantly from the seasoning.
- Sear: This step adds a nice crust and flavor to the exterior. Sear it until it is nicely browned.
- Let it rest: After the roast is done cooking, let it rest for about 15 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and keep the meat juicy.
- Slice Against the Grain: When it’s time to carve, slice the roast against the grain. This helps break down the meat fibers for a more tender bite.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious sides you can serve with a top round roast. I have a recipe for classic mashed potatoes and these baked mashed potatoes. Roasted Vegetables is a simple side with lots of fall veggies! Saute some green beans in garlic butter or make a stovetop green bean casserole. I also love these potatoes au gratin or this cheesy cauliflower gratin.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge or Freezer: Wrap the extra roast in saran wrap, or store slices in airtight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: You can reheat slices of beef in the microwave with a bit of gravy on top until warmed through, or you can reheat them in a skillet with butter.
More Beef Recipes To Try
- Mulligan Stew
- Instant Pot Short Ribs
- Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
- Baked Mostaccioli
- Prime Rib
Top Round Roast
Make a juicy beef roast that's fall-apart tender and full of flavor with this easy Top Round Roast recipe.
Ingredients
Round Roast
- 4 pounds beef top round roast,, at room temperature
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
For The Gravy
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onion,, thinly sliced
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Remove the roast from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you want to start cooking. Room-temperature beef will cook more evenly, inside and out.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Pat the top round roast dry with paper towels.
- Tie the roast with kitchen twine and season it generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until browned. This will take roughly 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the rosemary and garlic in a small mixing bowl; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir until a paste forms.
- Once the roast is browned, remove it from the heat and coat it with the prepared mixture of rosemary and garlic all over the entire surface.
- Place the skillet with the roast in the preheated oven. Roast it uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes per pound – it will take about 80 to 100 minutes for a 4-pound roast – or until the internal temperature reaches your desired level of doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. See notes for cooking temp guidelines.
- Once the roast is cooked, remove it from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making it juicier.
- While the roast is resting, prepare the gravy. In the same skillet or roasting pan used for searing, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until they are caramelized and tender, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth and wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the onion mixture and simmer for a few minutes until the gravy thickens. Remove from heat.
- Slice the roast beef thinly against the grain for maximum tenderness. Serve it with the onion gravy.
Equipment
Notes
- Top Round Roast vs Chuck Roast: Top round roast is cut from the rear leg and is leaner than chuck roast, which is cut from the shoulder and contains more fat. Supermarkets frequently mislabel top round as London Broil, which is actually a cooking technique for tough cuts of beef, not a specific cut itself.
- Room temp meat: Take the beef out of the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before cooking. Room temperature meat cooks more evenly.
- Season generously: Since a top round cut has less marbling, it benefits significantly from the seasoning.
- Sear: This step adds a crust and flavor to the exterior. Sear it until it is nicely browned.
- Let it rest: After cooking the roast, let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and keep the meat juicy.
- Slice Against the Grain: When it’s time to carve, slice the roast against the grain. This helps break down the meat fibers for a more tender bite.
- Rare: 115°F
- Medium Rare: 125°F
- Medium: 135°F
- Medium Well: 145°F
- Well Done: 155°F
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 1113mg | Potassium: 840mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Did you make a recipe? Leave a rating
I love a good top round roast when it’s nicely crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside like this. It looks great!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Such a fabulous dinner! That is definitely a must make!
This is really amazing! Will definitely make it again soon!
This turned out absolutely amazing! Everyone raved about it!
Such a fabulous meal! Can’t wait to make this!
Wow this was so easy and absolutely delicious! Thanks for the step-by-step directions!
I am drooling over this round roast! It’s such easy to make, but festive dish!
Excellent recipe for perfect roast beef. I was skeptical: More than an hour coming to room temp seemed like too much; the oven temp seemed too low, but I followed the recipe and the results were amazing. And the onion gravy was as good as the roast! Thank you!
I’m thrilled to hear the recipe exceeded your expectations! It’s great that you trusted the process and enjoyed the results. The onion gravy being just as good as the roast is a fantastic bonus. Thank you for sharing your experience! 🙂