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Is there anything more satisfying than a classic Roast Beef dinner? If you’re a little overwhelmed at the thought of cooking a joint for Sunday lunch or a special meal, fear not! It’s easy when you know how. This simple recipe has all the tips and tricks to getting it perfect, every single time.
I often default to my trusty slow cooker when making a beef joint, especially when time and energy are low, but there are times when only a traditional Roast Beef dinner, cooked slowly in the oven, will do.
I know a lot of people shy away from making this classic and I understand it can feel like a hard one to get right – nobody wants to spend hours over a meal when their expensive cut of meat turns out tough and chewy!
I am here to tell you it’s not that difficult and honestly, this recipe will have you whipping up a tender beef roast (with gravy!) like a master.
Why is this the best Roast Beef recipe?
⭐️ Works every time!
⭐️ Easy method, a few simple ingredients
⭐️ Melt in the mouth showstopping roast
Sarah’s Notes
I know even a joint of beef we make at home these days can seem like an indulgence, but while a 1.5kg joint might seem a bit spendy, remember this recipe serves up to 8 people, so it’s definitely worth it if you want to have a special dinner.
This post features all the timings, temperatures and flavouring you need to get the most out of your topside roast beef, along with step-by-step videos, making it so easy to follow along.
Quick tip: I make my gravy with the beef juices when I’m cooking this recipe, so it’s much easier if you put the meat in a roasting tin that’s safe for the hob too. Don’t worry if you haven’t though, you can transfer everything into a saucepan for this later.
Roast Beef Ingredients
- Beef joint – Get a 1.5kg topside of beef to serve 6-8 people (or fewer but with leftovers!) Make sure you dry it and it’s at room temperature before you cook it.
- Olive oil – This is to rub over the meat and to seal it in the pan before you roast it.
- Thyme – Dried thyme is fine and is also for coating the beef in.
- Onions – Slice these up and pop in the tin with your joint. The flavour from this will make your gravy unbelievable.
- Garlic – Put whole cloves in with the onions for immense flavour.
- Plain flour – Or all purpose flour. This is to make your gravy with at the end.
- Beef stock – You can make this with a cube or stock pot, that’s fine. However, for something a little richer, you can also use beef consommé if you can find it.
- English mustard – This is for flavouring your gravy a little.
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt – Season the beef generously.
Roast Beef Temperature & Timings
How long your topside takes to cook will depend entirely on its size. The best way to know if it’s cooked is with a meat thermometer (this is the one I use and it’s brilliant).
The centre of your meat should read around:
- 50℃/122F for rare
- 56℃/132F for medium rare
- 60℃ /140F for medium
These temperatures will increase a little while the beef is resting. We don’t recommend you cook topside past medium as it’s a lean cut and can become a bit tough.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can insert a skewer into the middle and if the juices run red, it’s rare, and if the juices are more pink, it’s likely medium rare.
Time
As a general rule, you want to cook the beef for about 4½-5 minutes per 100g for medium rare.
For reference, in this recipe we’re using a 1.5kg topside of beef and cooking it for 50-60 minutes.
How to make Roast Beef
1. Pat the beef dry then rub it all over with olive oil, dried thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Sear the beef until dark brown.
2. Put the onions and garlic in a roasting tin, drizzle with oil and sit the beef on top. Cook as per the full recipe below.
3. Remove the beef, cover and rest while you make the gravy. Cook the onions, stir in the flour and pour in the stock. Stir well.
4. Simmer until the gravy is thick, then strain into a pan. Stir in the mustard and season. Slice the beef and serve with the gravy.
Leftovers
Leftover Roast Beef makes the BEST sandwiches! For maximum flavour, reheat the meat in your leftover gravy to keep it moist. Serve in sliced bread or bread rolls (OR adapt this Philly Cheesesteak sandwich). It should stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
For any surplus gravy, freeze it to save for another day’s delicious beef gravy.
Leftover beef also freezes fine in the gravy for another day’s feasting. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or oven.
Recipe Tips
✅ It’s really important to let your beef come up to room temperature before you cook it to help make sure it cooks evenly.
✅ Pat the beef dry with kitchen roll or a clean tea towel before you add the oil. Getting rid of any moisture helps to kickstart the Maillard reaction when we sear it, which is the process of browning it and getting those deep, divine flavours of the meat.
More Roast Recipes…
Winter Warmers
Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb
Christmas Recipes
Easy Roast Turkey Crown
Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Roast Chicken {with Lemon & Herb Butter}
FAQs
If it’s the WORKS you’re looking for, it’s got to be Yorkshire Puddings, Cauliflower Cheese, Roast Potatoes, Roast Parsnips and Red Cabbage.
If you’d rather not do all the trimmings, how about a couple of sides, such as Dauphinoise Potatoes and some green veg?
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
How to cook PERFECT Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) Topside of beef, At room temperature
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tsp Dried thyme
- 3 Onions, Thickly sliced
- 3 Cloves of garlic, Peeled but whole
To make the Gravy:
- 2 tsp Plain flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) Beef stock
- 1 tsp English mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃/320F fan, 180℃/350F, Gas Mark 4.
- Pat the beef dry with kitchen towel, then rub the beef all over with 2 tbsp olive oil, dried thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium high heat and sear the beef until it’s a lovely dark brown all over.
- Spread the onions and the garlic cloves out on the base of a roasting tin and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. (If it’s hob safe, making the gravy later will be easier.)
- Sit the beef on top of the vegetables and cook for 50-60 minutes for medium rare.
- Remove the beef from the roasting tray, place on a warm plate and cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes while you make the gravy.
To make the Gravy:
- Put the roasting tin on the hob over a medium heat. (Transfer the contents of the roasting tin to a saucepan if your dish can’t go on the hob. Be sure to scrape out all of the good, tasty bits!)
- Cook the onions and garlic over a medium heat for a few minutes until they are golden brown, then stir in the plain flour.
- Gradually pour in the beef stock, little by little, while scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes until you have a lovely thick gravy, then strain through a sieve. Pop the strained gravy back in the pan and stir in the mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice the beef and serve with the gravy.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
