Top Round Roast Beef (Roast Beef for Sandwiches)
This easy and tender Top Round Roast Beef cooked to a perfect medium-rare is my favorite roast beef for sandwiches.
While leaner and less marbled than other roasts, top round roast is an affordable cut that offers great flavor and works well with slow roasting. It’s perfect for roast beef sandwiches, wraps and salads!
Key ingredients
- Top round roast: This lean cut of beef is best cooked to medium or medium-rare for the best tenderness and flavor.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt is best for this recipe. Its large grain size makes it easier to evenly distribute and control the amount of seasoning. It’s also more effective at drawing liquid from the meat.
- Vegetable oil: Any oil with a high smoke point, such as canola, vegetable or sunflower oil, works well for searing the beef.
- Spice mix: Rubbing the roast beef with spices adds extra flavor to the crust, but it’s completely optional. I often make this recipe with just salt and it’s wonderful for sandwiches.
Step by step photos
Step 1: Generously salt the roast and let sit uncovered overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Sear on all sides then transfer to the oven for 1.5-2.5 hours.
Storage
Leftover roast beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze top round roast beef for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
FAQs
Top round roast is a lean roast from the “round” or rear end of the cow. The lack of fat and marbling mean that low and slow is the best way to cook this cut. I like this cut for roast beef as it’s budget friendly and has an nice beefy flavor.
Bottom round and eye of round roasts are acceptable substitutes, but will need to be sliced very thinly for tenderness.
Yes, I often make this recipe with just kosher salt. This keeps it versatile so you can use it for everything from sandwiches and wraps to stir-fries and quesadillas!
I highly recommend this step, but it can be skipped if you’re short on time. If you don’t have at least an hour to let the salted roast sit before searing, I recommend salting it immediately before searing. This is because the roast won’t have time to reabsorb the moisture drawn out by the salt, which can hinder a proper sear.
I don’t recommend cooking this roast beyond medium-rare. I generally cook it until the internal temperature reaches 125-130°F. Carryover temperature brings the final temperature up an additional 6°F to 131-136°F while the roast is resting.
Top Round Roast Beef Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Global
Ingredients
Top Round Roast Beef
- 3–4 pound top round roast
- 2–3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Spice Rub (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Generously season all sides of the roast with kosher salt. Place the roast on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered overnight or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Pat the roast dry and rub the roast evenly with the spice mixture if using. If necessary, tie the roast with kitchen twine to ensure even cooking. I only do this when my roast is an irregular shape.
- Heat a large cast iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil.
- Sear the roast in the skillet, browning it evenly on all sides. This should take about 12-15 minutes.
- Transfer the seared roast to a roasting pan fitted with a wire rack. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the roast reads about 6°F (3°C) below your desired final temperature. Carryover heat will raise the internal temperature by approximately 6°F (3°C). For medium-rare, I take out my roast at 129°F (54°C) to reach a perfect 135°F (57°C). Start checking smaller roasts at 1 hour. Larger roasts can take up to 2.5 hours.
- Place the roast on a cutting board and allow it to rest for 15 minutes to retain its juices before slicing thinly and serving.
Notes
Storage: Leftover roast beef can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
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