Perfect for entertaining or family dinners, my Garlic Herb Bottom Round Roast recipe is guaranteed to yield flavorful, tender, juicy roast beef every time!
My easy roast beef recipe is made with simple ingredients, letting the beef roast be the star of the show.
For a perfect roast every time, simply follow my easy instructions, and you’ll be rewarded with perfectly seasoned delicious slices of beef that your whole family will love.
This easy bottom-round roast is definitely one of my favorite beef recipes, second only to my Prime Rib Roast recipe and my Oven Baked Beef Brisket recipe.
Serve this delicious bottom round roast with au jus made with the pan drippings and my creamy horseradish sauce for a meal you soon won’t forget.
Ingredients to make Garlic Herb Bottom Round Roast
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Garlic Herb Bottom Round Roast recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Made with simple ingredients
- Bottom round roast
- Garlic cloves
- Shallots
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh rosemary
- Black pepper or cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt or coarse sea salt
- Dried oregano
- Dry mustard
- Extra virgin olive oil
You can use all dry spices if you prefer, using garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic cloves and onion powder in place of the shallots. I prefer using cracked black pepper to season the roast, but regular black pepper works well too.
If you don’t have kosher salt or coarse sea salt, use one teaspoon of table salt to replace the two teaspoons of kosher salt.
You can add other fresh herbs and aromatics the seasoning blend that you enjoy the flavor of.
What cut of beef is a Bottom Round Roast?
The bottom round roast, also known as a “Rump Roast,” is a lean cut of beef taken from the outer part of the upper thigh on the rear legs of a steer. Because it comes from a part of the cow that’s frequently used for movement, it tends to be a leaner and tougher cut of meat. Which also means it’s one of the less expensive cuts of beef.
Because it’s a tougher cut of beef, it’s best cooked slowly to give the connective tissues time to break down; roasting at low temperatures and braising (pot roast) are two of the best ways to cook a bottom round. It can also be cut up and used as stew beef.
Compared to a chuck roast, it doesn’t have the amount of fat marbling that a chuck roast has, but it does have less connective tissue. Almost an even trade-off. The bottom round roast is more closely compared to a top round roast. The top round roast comes from the inside of the steers leg so it can be perceived as a more tender cut of meat.
How to make Bottom Round Roast
- Add the chopped garlic cloves, shallots, fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, dry mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings until well blended.
- Remove the roast from its container and pat it down with paper towels.
- Cover the entire roast with a thin coat of oil, then rub the seasoning blend into the surface of the beef. Place the roast on a pan uncovered in the refrigerator for 6 – 8 hours.
*Leaving the roast uncovered will help the surface dry out, which will help the beef achieve a better crust on the outside of the roast. The roast can be covered if you’d rather not leave it uncovered in the fridge. - Remove the bottom round roast from the refrigerator and set it on the counter for 30 minutes, allowing it to come to room temperature.
- Place the roast on the center rack of the preheated oven and cook for approximately 1 hour per pound. Cook the beef until it reaches an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
We’re cooking for temperature, not time, so start checking the roast at the 3-hour mark. Cooking times will vary depending on the weight of the roast and your home oven, so make sure to use a meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer.
- When the beef has reached the desired temperature, remove it from the oven and loosely cover the roast with aluminum foil for 15 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.
- After 15 minutes, remove the foil and thermometer and place the beef back into the oven. Let the roast cook for 8-10 minutes until a nicely browned crust has formed. Then carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board, letting it rest for 30 minutes before slicing.
- While the beef is resting, add a cup of water to the pan drippings in the roasting pan and place it on the stove to heat back up. Use a heavy spoon to scrape all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Strain the au jus and keep warm until ready to serve the beef.
*You can add red wine or beef broth to the pan drippings for added flavor or to stretch the au jus.
Don’t wait for a special occasion to serve this delicious bottom round roast to your family. It takes very little work to prepare, and clean-up is easy.
Store any leftover roast tightly wrapped with plastic wrap refrigerated for five days. You’ll be able to slice it more thinly for roast beef sandwiches after its completely chilled.
Serve the roast with mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes and your favorite green vegetable.
Recipe FAQ’s
Cooking a bottom-round roast slowly at a low temperature will help improve its tenderness. However, overcooking the roast in an attempt to make it more tender will cause it to become dry and tough.
Let the roast rest for at least 20 – 30 minutes after removing it from the oven. This will let the juices redistribute through the roast, helping to make a juicer slice of beef.
Yes, you can. But it will be difficult to control the doneness and the entire roast will be well done.
Slice the roast against the grain for maximum tenderness. Use a sharp knife to cut thin, even slices.
Teresa Ghassemi
I’m having trouble with the refrigerator time. I’m thinking overnight, and I put it in at 8;30 pm, so 8 hours would be 4:00 am? Since it has to cook for so long I want to put it in the oven around 11:00 am. Will it hurt to stay in the fridge longer than 8 hours? Should I cover it when I wake up on the morning?
Chef Dennis Littley
It will not hurt the roast to sit uncovered for the additional hours you mentioned.
Bubbie Jones
Outstanding
Followed the recipe exactly,
3 lb roast so only cooked it two and a half hours at 225 before raising heat.
. Came out perfectly.
Best piece of beef I’ve ever cooked, short of a prime rib.
I was actually amazed that I could get a tough piece of beef like a bottom round as tender and flavorful as I did
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the roast!
Andy Norris
Tried the bottom round roast today. Very Very pleased with the results! Will use this recipe with during th holidays and many times after. A real winner!!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the roast!
Heidi
Is there somewhere on this page that I’m missing what the desired temperature should be?
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for pointing that out, it was in the step by step instructions in the post but not in the recipe card. The target temperature is 125 degrees F.
Chris
I never had cooked a bottom round roast before but I made this last night and it turned out a perfect. Very flavorful. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. It’s a keeper.
Chef Dennis Littley
You’re welcome Chris. Nothing beats a good bottom roast, it’s all about simple techniques when roasting meats.