Bottom Round Roast Recipe

I still remember family dinners as a kid and the savory, enticing aroma of a juicy beef roast cooking away in the kitchen—few other things compare. This easy bottom round roast recipe transforms an economical cut of beef into everyone's favorite tender, flavor-packed, mouth-watering feast.

Table of Contents

• 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
• 🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
• 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
• 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
• 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
• 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat bottom round roast
• Marye's Tip o' the day
• 💭 Insider tips: things to know
• 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
• 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
• 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
• 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose
• 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
• 📖 Recipe
• marinated bottom round roast
• 💬 Comments

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🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

• Rump roast is a lean cut of beef, so it's cost-effective, but my cooking process makes it taste straight out of a five-star restaurant.
• Your whole family will be begging for more—it's perfect for everything from a special occasion or holiday meal to a relaxing Sunday dinner.
• The best way to make a tender, delicious bottom round roast is to let the meat marinate overnight. I'll show you how. (Psst—it's so simple!)

This easy roast beef recipe takes just minutes to prep—the oven does all the work, and you get the credit! Slow roasting the tough cut of meat tenderizes the beef into a juicy roast that melts in your mouth with every flavorful bite.

If you're looking for an easy beef recipe it doesn't get better than this one! I love it for Sunday dinners!

🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

1. No rump roast? Use a chuck roast instead, or even a prime rib roast.
2. Switch up the flavor with fresh herbs or spices. I like rosemary and thyme or some cayenne for a bit of heat. Onion powder is good, too!
3. If you don't like to cook with alcohol, you can swap the beer for beef broth or dark cola soda. If you've simply run out of beer, use red wine.
4. If you don't have any Dijon mustard, yellow mustard does the trick.
5. Try making this with my homemade honey teriyaki sauce—it's so good.

🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment

1. Roasting pan with a rack
2. Instant-read thermometer

🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat bottom round roast

With such a large cut of beef, you might have some leftovers. (Thankfully for you, leftover roast beef makes the absolute best sandwiches—but we'll talk about that later.)

Let the meat cool to room temperature and portion it into an airtight container. You can store it sliced or unsliced.

Keep the bottom round roast in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze it for up to three months. (However, for quicker thawing, I recommend slicing the beef before freezing.)

Transfer frozen, cooked beef to the fridge overnight to let it thaw. To reheat from the fridge, do so in 30-second intervals until warm to prevent overheating. You can also eat it chilled right from the fridge.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

1. If you're short on time, you can marinate the beef for as little as 2 hours. However, take my word for it: this will result in a tougher roast.
2. The longer the beef roast marinates, the more flavorful and tender it will be. If you have the time, marinate for up to 24 hours, but no longer.
3. Place the bag (with the marinade and meat) in a foil roasting dish or large Tupperware if you're worried about it leaking into your fridge.
4. Cooking time varies depending on the size of your roast. If it is larger or smaller than 3 pounds, you will need to adjust the time.
5. Using a meat thermometer to check internal temperature is the best way to track the level of doneness and ensure maximum tenderness.
6. If you use a three-pound roast, following the cooking time in this recipe card should result in a perfectly medium roast.
7. Let the bottom round roast rest for ten minutes under aluminum foil before slicing so the juices redistribute—otherwise, you'll lose it all on your cutting board!
8. For the best results, slice thin and against the grain. (That means cutting across the muscle fibers—not parallel to them.)
9. It might be tempting to keep the marinade and create a wonderful sauce from it, but once the meat touches it, it's contaminated. To prevent food poisoning, throw away the leftover marinade.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

• Not feeling the oven? On hot days, I like to whip up this Rump Roast in a Crock Pot—it's mouthwateringly delicious and totally effortless.
• An easy, dump-and-go dinner, Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast has fantastic flavor and you can enjoy the beef in so many different meals!
• Coca-Cola Glazed Pork Loin is perfectly sweet 'n spicy, fork-tender, and a family favorite way to switch up the normal dinner routine.

🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with

🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose

Transform your bottom round roast leftovers into the best roast beef sandwiches ever! Simply layer thin slices of beef between two hearty pieces of bread, or use crusty cornmeal Sandwich Rolls.

Then, add your toppings! Here are some delicious ideas we love:

• Onions: caramelized, pickled, or raw
• Peppers: Sauteed, fresh, or canned (like jalapenos or pepperoncini)
• Greens: Butter lettuce, arugula, or spinach
• Veggies: Tomato slices, radishes, etc.
• Cheese: Gouda, Provolone, cheddar, Pepper-Jack
• Sauce: Mustard, Zesty Italian dressing, mayo, hot sauce, or Chipotle aioli

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

There's something about roast beef that makes any day feel special. This is an easy recipe that will give you a delicious, old-fashioned dinner plus leftovers for days.

Best. Sandwiches. Ever.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published November 20, 2017. Last updated July 23, 2024 for readability and editorial improvements.