Ah, bottom round roast. That super affordable cut of meat that you buy from the grocery store, cook it and find that it turned out about as tender as a shoe.
So what do you do? Well, you don’t have to stop buying bottom round roast, that’s for sure. You just have to learn to cook it right so it turns out tender instead of tough.
Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of how to cook the perfect bottom round roast, including a delicious recipe!
Table Of Contents
Where does bottom round roast come from?
Literally from the bottom of the cow. The butt if you will or beef bottom.
See that black shaded area there? That’s pretty much where the bottom round roast comes from.
This video explains a little bit about the bottom round cut.
But a bottom round roast is still beef, and if you cook it properly, it can taste delicious and fairly tender. Not as tender as a filet, I’m not going to lie to you, but not too terrible and certainly tender enough considering the affordable cost of round roast. As an economical cut, we can enjoy roast beef any day of the week, it stores well for easy meal prep like roast beef sandwiches and serves a crowd.
How do you cook a bottom round roast?
Do you know how to cook a bottom round roast, so it isn’t tough? I had very little knowledge about kitchen and cooking tips, but I am constantly learning and improving.
The best way to cook any cut of meat that has a tendency to be on the tough side is low and slow. You can prepare it with a marinade ahead of time or do a dry rub before cooking. If you are looking to slice it like roast beef, you must cook your roast in the oven. Please do not cook this delicious oven roast in a crockpot or instant pot.
I don’t recommend cooking a round roast in a slow cooker or crock pot unless you are looking for a roast that has more of a pot roast or pulled pork texture. Still delicious but a very different end result but nothing like an oven roast or delicious roast beef.
So, we are going to cook our roast in the oven low and slow, as I mentioned. You can use a Dutch oven or an oven-safe pan like a cast-iron skillet. You can sear the roast on the stove top or in the oven. I find searing on the stove to be messy, so I prefer to start it on high in the oven to cook the outside quickly and seal in the natural juices of the meat.
Should you bring your roast to room temperature?
Some people recommend letting beef come to room temperature before cooking. I don’t do this or like this theory (read why) so the longest I let the beef sit out is around 10 minutes. I open up the package, add a dry rub, and just let it sit for those few minutes so the Kosher salt in the dry rub can help brine the surface. You can also brine the roast in the fridge overnight. This is important to get that nice exterior crust that is packed with flavor.
How long do you cook a bottom round roast in the oven?
I really don’t like to give a flat-out time for cooking for a roast because so many factors will affect the cooking time. Your elevation, your oven (and if it is calibrated correctly or not), how thick your particular piece of meat is, and more.
For cooking “low and slow” a good rule of thumb for bottom round roast cooking time per pound is 2 hours per lb. This rule is more of a guide to help you prepare sides and effectively plan your dinner.
But this is just a guide to help you estimate cook time. You really need to be diligent about checking the internal temperature regularly to ensure you don’t over-cook your roast. Over-cooked meat of any type will be overly tough and dry. For that reason, I recommend using a good thermometer and check often. I usually start checking once I reach the “halfway” point of that rule of thumb time.
How do you Cook a Bottom Round Roast?
The instructions below tell you how to cook a bottom round roast medium rare. It’s the best way to preserve the tenderness and the flavor of the beef. If you don’t like to eat it medium-rare, you can always reheat the pieces of the roast in a small amount of beef broth. This helps retain the tenderness and ensures the roast does not dry out.
- Preheat oven.
- Remove the roast from the fridge and remove its packaging.
- Place the roast on a cutting board.
- Brush the entire surface of the bottom round roast with oil.
- Rub the entire roast with a dry rub (recipe below). Alternatively, you could use an overnight brine or marinade.
- Place the roast in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet (or another oven-safe pan).
- Cook a short time to sear the outside.
- Reduce heat.
- Cook until it reaches your desired internal temperature.
- Slice and serve.
This will cook a bottom round roast to barely medium-rare. It should be flavorful and not tough. Again, it won’t be as tender as steaks or other cuts of beef, but it won’t be tough either. If you prefer a more medium or well-done cook to your roast, you can slice it, and warm it in beef broth until it reaches your preferred level of done.
Other common roasts include the outside round roast, rump roast, chuck roast, eye roast, top round, and tip roast. All of these make great oven roasts when combined with a savory dry rub. And when paired with mashed potatoes smothered in delicious pan gravy, this roast beef shines. The perfect family dinner recipe!
Bottom Round Roast Recipe
This recipe is naturally low carb, as are most roast or steak recipes. Seasonings have some small amount of carbs, but it’s really negligible. And outside of our beef roast, this recipe only uses a few key ingredients like garlic, thyme, and basil, which we all tend to have in our pantry. And instead of mashed potatoes, you can go low carb and pair this with a combination of oven-baked veggies like asparagus, carrots, and onion.
Helpful Roasting Tips
For the perfect bottom round roast, you should cook with the fat side up. As the roast cooks, the fat melts and runs down the sides of the meat. This helps provide moisture and flavor, which are so important for these more affordable cuts of meat.
When cooking roasts, we want that gloriously browned exterior, the crust, but still juicy inside. The rule of thumb for most roasts is to cook uncovered in a shallow pan. If your roast is on the smaller side, you should reduce the length of time on high heat from 20 minutes to 10 minutes.
Know Your Oven
This is so important for so many reasons! Every oven cooks a bit differently, and you must adjust accordingly. Gas, electric, and convection ovens all vary. While gas and electric have similar cooking times, convection times are often reduced by 25% or more. Worse, some ovens run hot, some run cold, and only a few report internal cooking temperatures accurately.
When preparing a roast recipe for the first time, you must make adjustments for your oven and for the weight of your roast. Every time I read a comment like, “I followed this recipe exactly”, my heart skips a beat. So on that note, if you own an oven, which I’m sure you do, buy a meat and oven thermometer.
Worried your roast will be done early?
Don’t fret, the first half goes by relatively fast. About halfway through, you should reach about 125 degrees (2.5-3.0 hrs), and what you’ll soon realize is it takes considerably longer to reach your final desired temperature. That last 10-15 degrees can easily take another 2-3 hours.
- 125° F (52° C) – Rare
- 135° F (57° C) – Medium Rare
- 145° F (63° C) – Medium
- 150° F (66° C) – MediumWell
- 160° F (71° C) – Well Done
Let your Roast Rest
Let your roast rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving. I typically use a foil tent, let it rest, and start on my gravy pan right away. Since everything else is ready, I round up the family and settle in for dinner.
Low Carb Garlic and Herb Bottom Round Roast
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb bottom round roast
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove the fully thawed roast from the fridge and remove it from the packaging.
- Place the bottom round roast on a cutting board.
- Brush the entire surface of the roast with olive oil (you can use avocado oil as well).
- Combine all of the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasonings over the entire surface of the roast - top, bottom and all sides.
- Place the roast in a cast iron skillet.
- Cook for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.
- Reduce heat to 170 degrees F and continue cooking.
- Cook the roast until the internal temperature reaches around 135-140 degrees (medium-rare is 145 degrees but the roast will cook as it is cooling).
- Slice and serve if you want to serve it medium-rare.
- If you want to serve it medium or medium-well, slice the roast in the cast iron pan, pour 2 cups of beef broth in and heat on the stove over low heat until the slices reach the desired level of done.
Notes
The Perfect Bottom Round Roast recipe originally published Feb. 2018. Updated with new content in Apr. 2020. No change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare! This has been one of the all time most popular recipes since I first published it!
Jan says
Great flavor! We truly enjoyed the enticing aroma as it cooked., too. The information included in the recipe was extremely helpful. My roast cooked more quickly than expected, but checking with a thermometer saved the meal. I will definitely repeat this meal. Thank you- well written.
Donna Moore says
I have a 16 lb bottom round that I want to roast and then chip for roast beef sandwiches . Its a whole piece. Your instructions on cooking time sounds really long to me. Serving a small army of hungry people. What is your recommendation as far as cooking time for that size?
730 Sage Street says
Wow, our bottom roasts rarely exceeds 4-5 lbs. Given this is three times the normal, I can’t confidently answer this. However, if using the low and slow method, it is going to take time for the heat to transfer through the 15 lb roast and reach the center. If I was doing this personally, I’d give the roast a good sear and roast in 4 hour increments between 150-170 degrees F and monitor internal temp. with a meat thermometer.
When you reach about 125° F (52° C), this is generally the midway mark. And from here you can estimate remaining time depending on your desired final temperature.
Melissa P says
Forgot the stars! Would give even more if I could!
Melissa P says
Hands down the best roast I have ever made! Thank you so much for your detailed instructions and comments. The simple rub was perfect and cooking fat side up resulted in a beautiful, flavorful cut off meat. Low and slow is the way to go! Paired with sauteed herbed new potatoes and fresh green bean casserole. My family loved it and we all had seconds!
Bernice Macdonald says
Hi my roast was 3.2pounds and I will cook it 2hours per pound that’s about 6hours is that right
730 Sage Street says
If cooked low and slow yes this is a good approximate. It would depend on our final desired temperature ranging from 135° F (57° C) medium rare – 160° F (71° C) well done. About halfway through, you should reach about 125 degrees F, which will give you a better idea of your exact cooking time.
Madeline says
My family isn’t big on pot roasts done in the crockpot and instant pot, plus I wanted firmer beef for sandwiches. Your dry rub oven roasting method worked very well for me! Today I’m doing out and buying a larger roast, plus an oven thermometer. I look forward to trying your other recipes.
730 Sage Street says
Stellar Madeline, your comment really made my day and I agree, this recipe is perfect for roast beef sandwiches.
Dave P says
all I can say is WOW! I made this yesterday and it was amazing. I’m glad I read through the whole article and followed the tip to check at 1/2 point. My 4 pound roast was perfect after 3 hours this is definitely a keeper. thanks
David Miles says
My Wife made this for us using an inexpensive bottom round roast and I want you to know it was the Best roast beef I have ever tasted. .
Thank You
730 Sage Street says
Appreciate it David, thanks for leaving a comment!
Liz says
I left a review yesterday (which I don’t yet see), but feel the need to update.
My roast came out PERFECT. In yesterday’s review I stated that after only 1 1/2 hours of cooking the roast had already reached 130 degrees. Since it had just 5 degrees to go, I assumed it would be ready way too early and would be tough. I then scrolled through some of these reviews and read that another person had the same experience, but it took an additional 3 hours for his roast to reach the desired temperature of 135 degrees! So I left it in the oven. It took another 2 1/2 hours to reach 135 degrees. That was two hours earlier than expected and way too early for dinner. I let the roast sit and 20 minutes before dinner I covered it with foil and put it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. It came out a perfect medium rare and was delicious.!
I am still wondering why it didn’t take the full 6 hours to cook. The roast was 2.9 lbs, so I let it sear for just 15 minutes, and including the searing time, it took just 4 hours to cook. It was tender enough, but I think that if it had taken a few hours longer to reach 135 degrees it would have been even more tender. Any thoughts on this?
Bottom line, my family loved it and I will definitely be making it again.
730 Sage Street says
Things have been hectic here lately, so we are a bit behind.
The biggest issue I’ve seen, from personal experience, is oven variation. We have gas, electric, and convection ovens, and each of these will have a varied outcome. Add to that the fact most oven temps are inaccurate, leaving us with some pretty significant variations in cooking time.
Know Your Oven
For instance, I’ll often cook at my mom’s house, and after my first overdone roast, I had to make adjustments. Knowing your oven plays a big role in baking, roasting, etc.
And to answer your question, yes, I’ve cooked roasts overnight that are super tender. When you try again, you could lower your oven temp by 10 degrees and compare.
If you’d like to share specifics, feel free to email me at [email protected].
And thanks for the comment and detail Liz, I appreciate it.
Liz says
Ugh! This didn’t work out for me. I followed the recipe exactly. The roast was 2.90 lbs, so I reduced the searing time to 15 minutes. It has now been exactly 1 1/2 hours since the roast went it and the it has reached 130 degrees already. By dinnertime, it’s going to be tough and cold.
730 Sage Street says
It is worth mentioning for everyone scanning/reading the comments.
Every oven cooks a bit differently, and you must adjust accordingly.
To achieve the perfect roast, you must make adjustments for your oven and for the weight of the roast. Rather than following a recipe exactly, use it as a guide.
When preparing a roast recipe for the first time, monitor it closely. Use a meat thermometer and even consider using an oven thermometer to verify your oven temps.
Gas, Electric, and Convection all vary. While gas and electric have similar cooking times, convection cooking times are often reduced by 25% or more.
Knowing your oven is the key!
Liz says
Thanks for the response. The roast was so delicious that I am making it again for dinner tonight. I am looking forward to trying some additional 730saagestreet recipes
Torie says
Dude. That was so delicious! We ate almost the whole 2.5 lb roast in one sitting and there are only two of us! Thanks for sharing!! We will be eating this again and again!
Mary says
I agree! That was the most awesome roast I’ve ever made!!
Judy says
I made this roast today. It is a fabulous recipe. I put the rub on yesterday and baked it today. I followed the cooking instructions to a tee. My grandchildren who are here with us loved it. I did chance cooking it tell medium/ well as they didn’t want it bloody! It was still juicy delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!
730 Sage Street says
Appreciate the comment Judy! My parents use to make this for us as well and it was always a popular recipe.
Karyn says
Turned out perfect. My guests raved about how tender it was. At first I was worried the garlic would burn…it didn’t Next, I was nervous because after 3 hours in it was at 125 and I thought it would be done way to early (I had estimated 6 hours) but it took another 2.5hours to to reach 140. It was still light pink in middle. I will use this recipe again.
John says
Is it OK to cook this on a bed of aromatics ( Onions, celery)? Is it OK to add liquids to the bottom of the pan such as a small amount of water to help cook the vegies?
730 Sage Street says
Sure it is OK John! This is more like braising and often referred to as pot-roasting. This is a great option for less tender cuts of beef and I personally love adding carrots, celery, red onion, and 1-2 bay leaves. Thinking about this now another great option would be fresh rosemary and thyme.
Estimate:
1/2 cup beef broth
carrots, celery, onion (naturally add liquid)
potatoes (not low carb)
1-2 bay leaves (or) rosemary and thyme
Notes:
Watch your cooking time, the steam from the broth and veggies will speed things up. I’d highly recommend using a meat thermometer!
Cathy says
Do you bake it fat side up?
730 Sage Street says
Hi Cathy, great question and the general rule is fat side up. As the roast cooks, the fat melts and runs down the sides of the meat. This helps provide flavor and moisture. Also another reason to avoid trimming the fat on a bottom roast.
Bonnie says
Do you coverit
730 Sage Street says
Hi Bonnie!
Uncovered = Roasting = Dark crust as pictured
Covered = Braising = No dark crust, considered a pot roast and common with veggies.
Both are great but have different textures and flavor.
Hope this helps 😉
Alex Coleman says
A well described blog step by step. It shows the easier way to make the dish for beginners. Last part “Nutrition Facts” seems very helpful for me. Thanks for the delicious recipe and tips.
Meghan says
Do you cover the pan while it’s in the oven?
730 Sage Street says
No Meghan, you leave it uncovered so the roast gets that dark crust. This is part of the magic and you literally can not buy this kind of flavor.
Robin says
Great recipe. Thanks for making it so easy to prepare this inexpensive cut of beef so well.
Kasey says
Oh my goodness! This roast looks amazing! My husband had been looking up a lot of new, low carb recipes and we’re gonna add this to our rotation!
Kim says
It’s really good, and it’s great because it’s such an affordable cut of meat. You just have to take the time to cook it right.
Andrea Martin says
How long does the meat take to bake per lb?
Kim says
I hate to give this kind of information because it seems like every oven is different. I really recommend checking the internal temperature regularly as it cooks. 2 hours per lb is a decent estimate but we’ve had roasts take longer and roasts take far less. It depends upon the thickness of the roast and your oven.
Beth says
2 hrs per lb?
Is that a typo?
I’m thinking – after a seat, braise, like 10 min at 450 – 500° – turn off oven and leave door closed – time @ 10-12 minutes/lb
Remove, let rest 20 min and Slice your roast.
730 Sage Street says
Thanks Beth, but this is not a typo, this is at 170, not the standard 375-450 which is 10-20 min/lb.
I am for 130-135 medium rare:
– remove from fridge and let rest 2-4 hours
– sear either in cast iron or oven (cast iron works better while oven is easier, dry roast/dry pan)
– fat side up and slow cook at 170, sometimes less if I have extra time
– tent for 10-15 before carving, slice the meat against the grain
Note that a fat roast may even take 2.5 hours per lb!
“Roasting slowly is where all the good stuff happens,” says Jim Swenson, who has been executive chef at the National Press Club in Washington for 17 years. He also recommends 2 – 2.5 hours per lb at 170.
Trying to guess the internal temperature of a roast is not recommended. With the variations of ovens today: gas, electric, convection, and hybrid it is not good to follow a recipe blindly. Check your roast with a meat thermometer (!!)
Tiger says
about to attempt this, I have a small 2lb roast, that’s cut thing, about 3 1/2 in, I’m thinking that this will take significantly less time than 2hrs a pund. Maybe 1 and ahalf, 1 hr per pound even? What do you think?
730 Sage Street says
Wow, yes, definitely! And given you mentioned it is cut thin, you’ll have way more surface, so it will cook faster. You’ll have to rely on a meat thermometer for this one. And I recommend that regardless!