Herb Crusted Top Round Roast

This Herb Crusted Top Round Roast recipe makes the perfect holiday roast.  It has a delicious crust full of fresh herbs and spices, and is moist and tender on the inside.  

The Best Top Round Roast Beef

If you love roast beef but are scared of ruining such a large piece of meat, then this top round roast beef recipe is for you!  It requires minimal prep and gives great results every single time.  

We like to use top round beef because, as one of the more inexpensive cuts of meat, it makes the most tender, juicy, and flavorful roast beef.  It’s actually what is most often used for deli roast beef.  The compound butter mixture adds a ton of flavor, and keeps the beef moist and delicious!

What to Serve with this top round roast recipe

This Herb Crusted Top Round Roast will taste great served with the roasted veggies included in the recipe, but if you are making this for part of a larger meal, or for a holiday, we have a few suggestions of what you may want to serve it with.  Most of these can be made ahead of time, or be prepared while your beef is cooking.

• Homemade French Bread would be great for sopping up some of the delicious juices.
• You can’t go wrong with another roasted veggie side dish, like Oven Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon or this Warm German Potato Salad.  
• Grandma’s Stuffing is such a classic and goes great with roast beef.
• Try making with a potato casserole, like our Cheesy Funeral Potatoes (aka Cheesy Hashbrown Potato Casserole).

Ingredients in this Beef top round roast

• Beef - this recipe calls for a top round roast - the same cut of beef that is usually used for London broil.  You could also use a sirloin or rump roast.  If you wanted to really get fancy, you could also use prime rib.
• Butter - it’s important for your butter to be at room temperature so that you will be able to easily mix it with your herbs and spices.
• Garlic - you can use french minced, or from the jar will work, too.
• Herbs - this recipe uses fresh thyme, rosemary and sage, however, you can really use whatever herbs you can find.  Fresh herbs are great, but if you can’t find them you can absolutely substitute dried.
• Onion Powder 
• Salt & Pepper
• Carrots - we use whole carrots, peeled and cut into 2” pieces.
• Potatoes - we like Yukon Gold, but Red Potatoes or Russet Potatoes would both taste great.
• Onions - this can just be peeled and quartered, and if you don’t have white onions you can substitute yellow, or even red.
• Olive Oil - you can also use avocado oil, or another cooking oil that you have on hand.

How to cook a top round roast in the oven

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add your butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage (if using) and onion powder.  Mix together using a fork or spatula until well-combined.
3. Place your top round beef into the center of a 9"x13" baking dish or roasting pan (if there is a large section of fat, place that side face up).  Season with salt and pepper on all sides of your roast, then spread the herbed butter all over the top and sides of your roast, using a fork and your fingers.
4. In the same medium-sized bowl, add your carrots, potatoes, onion, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and toss to combine.  Spoon your seasoned veggies all around the sides of the roast in the baking dish.
5. Put into the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, then reduce oven to 325 degrees and cook for another 90 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 140 degrees in the thickest part for medium-rare.
6. Remove from the oven and cover your roast loosely with aluminum foil.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing against the grain.  Serve with your roasted vegetables.  Enjoy!

Top Round roast cooking time

In order to get that beautiful browning on the outside, you’ll need to start cooking at a very high temperature for about 30 minutes.  After those 30 minutes are up, though, your motto is low and slow!  Since we are using such a lean cut, this is the key to keeping things crisp on the outside, and juicy and tender on the inside.  

Once you’ve reduced the temperature down to 325 degrees, it will take another 90 minutes or so for a 3-pound piece, so more or less depending on the size of yours.

For a fall-apart top round roast beef, try reducing your oven all the way down to 300 degrees.  It will take longer, but if fall-apart beef is what you are going for then it’s the price you’ve got to pay!

Tips for Cooking a top round roast

• Let it rest for at least 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven to let the juices settle and redistribute.  If you cut too soon, they’ll all run out on your cutting board!
• Pull your beef from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature for about 30-60 minutes prior to cooking.
• Use an instant-read or meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your roast beef.  For medium-rare, you’ll want it to be at 140 degrees.  
• If your cut of beef has a larger area of fat, make sure and have that side facing up in your baking pan.
• To chop fresh thyme, hold the top of the sprig with one hand and with the other hand, use your fingernails to pull the thyme leaves down the stem.