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!
Where does bottom round roast come from?
Literally from the bottom of the cow. The butt if you will.
See that black shaded area there? That’s pretty much where the bottom round roast comes from.
The video below 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 bottom round roast vs filet.
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 prior to cooking. If you are looking to slice it like roast beef, you must cook your bottom round roast in the oven.
I don’t recommend cooking a bottom round roast in a slow cooker 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.
So, we are going to cook our bottom round 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 top 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.
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.
Pro Tips, Helpful Links, And Recipe Time Savers
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 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.
Let your roast rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving. I typically use a foil tent, let it rest, and make sure everything else is ready to serve.
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
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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 š
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 itās 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 weāre 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 – 500Ā° – 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!
āRoasting slowly is where all the good stuff happens,ā 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!