This tender roast beef from the oven with garlic herb butter is the recipe if you are looking for a delicious main course that looks beautiful and tastes fantastic. The juicy roast beef with garlic and rosemary butter that soaks into the meat makes it irresistible!
This roast beef is perfect for the holidays, Christmas, or a dinner with friends and family. It is easy to make without spending hours in the kitchen, and it tastes like you are sitting in a luxury restaurant.
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Tender Oven Roast Beef with Garlic Herb Butter
When you make this recipe, you will be sold immediately. The smell of herbs slowly browning in the butter, together with sizzling garlic in the pan, gives the meat a delicious flavor. With every bite, you taste the soft, melted herb butter, which goes perfectly with the tender meat of the roast beef. This recipe is so delicious that everyone asks for it!
This dish is suitable for every season: in winter and autumn, it is served with baked potatoes, and in summer, it is served with a fresh green salad. The best part is that you can prepare this roast beef with rosemary butter without stress.
What do you need?
Which cut of beef should you use?
Ask your butcher for a roast from the back of the cow, where the muscles work the least - that is what keeps the meat tender and juicy. Good choices:
- Top sirloin or striploin roast: my favorite: tender, evenly shaped, and full of flavor.
- Eye of round or top round: leaner and more budget-friendly. Do not cook past medium-rare or it turns dry.
- Bavette (flap steak): works well too; see the notes on the recipe card.
Choose a piece of about 2½ pounds with an even thickness, so it cooks evenly. A thin, tapered end will overcook before the center is done.
What kind of butter do you use?
Use unsalted butter; it is creamy and full of flavor. This way, you can add the right amount of salt yourself. And want a twist? Try my Easy Homemade Garlic Herb Butter with Parmesan. It's really good.
Which herbs do you choose?
Fresh rosemary and thyme give the meat a delicious flavor. If you don't have fresh herbs, replace them with a teaspoon of dried herbs. You can also experiment with oregano or sage.
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 440 °F (230 °C). Season the roast beef generously with salt and pepper, giving it a nice crust.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it is properly hot. Sear the roast beef 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. A hot pan builds the crust that gives this recipe its flavor - medium heat will steam the meat instead of searing it. Searing the meat helps retain the juices. Place the roast beef in a baking dish and place in the oven. Cook until a core temperature of 131 °F (55 °C) for medium-rare, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, wrap in aluminum foil, and rest for 10 minutes. This will keep the meat nice and juicy.
- Melt the butter over medium heat and add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Let the butter bubble gently and turn golden brown, stirring constantly.
- Strain the butter to remove the garlic and herbs for a smooth garlic herb butter.
Doneness table
Pull the roast from the oven at these core temperatures - it rises another 5 °F (3 °C) while resting:
- Rare: 120 °F /49 °C
- Medium-rare (my choice): 131 °F / 55 °C
- Medium: 140 °F / 60 °C
- Well done: 155 °F / 68 °C
Always use a meat thermometer - time per pound is only an estimate; temperature never lies.
Serving: Cut the roast beef into thin slices and pour the herb garlic butter on top.
Frequently asked questions
- Which herbs go best with roast beef? Rosemary and thyme are the classic pair, woody herbs that can handle heat without turning bitter. Sage and oregano also work. Soft herbs like basil or parsley burn in browned butter, so add those only fresh, after cooking.
- Can I make the garlic herb butter ahead? Yes. Brown and strain the butter up to 3 days ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Gently rewarm it while the roast rests, and it tastes freshly made.
- Why is my roast beef tough? Almost always one of three things: the meat was cooked past medium, it was not rested for 10 minutes, or it was sliced with the grain instead of against it. Cut thin slices across the direction of the muscle fibers and even a budget cut turns out tender.
- What is the difference between herb butter and this browned butter? Classic herb butter is soft butter mixed with raw herbs and garlic. Here the butter is slowly browned (beurre noisette) with whole garlic and herbs, then strained - the result is nuttier and deeper in flavor, and it soaks into the warm slices instead of sitting on top.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound Beef Roast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 stick butter, unsalted
- 4 cloves garlic, whole
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Preparing Roast Beef
- Preheat the oven to 440 ℉.
- Sprinkle the roast beef with salt, black pepper, and white pepper.2 ½ pound Beef Roast, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it is properly hot.
- Sear the roast beef 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. A hot pan builds the crust that gives this recipe its flavor - medium heat will steam the meat instead of searing it.
- Place the roast beef in an oven dish and place it in the oven. Bake the roast beef until it reaches a core temperature of 131 ℉ (use a meat thermometer). This takes about 30 minutes.
- Remove the roast beef from the oven, wrap it in aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. This will keep the juices in the meat.
Make the rosemary herb-garlic butter
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.1 stick butter
- Add the whole garlic cloves, rosemary, and thyme.4 cloves garlic, 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Keep stirring well while the butter bubbles and foams. Let the butter slowly turn golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the heat when the butter turns dark golden brown. Sieve the butter and remove the garlic and herbs.
Serve
- Cut the roast beef into thin slices against the grain.
- Pour the warm rosemary butter over it.
- Delicious with a fresh salad or fried potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Let cool quickly and store covered in the fridge for 2 days.
- Freezer: Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for 1 month. Let it defrost slowly in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Briefly reheat the roast beef in the oven (5-10 minutes at 320 °F (160 °C)) or microwave (reheat in 30-second steps).
Nutrition
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