This is how to transform an economical beef into something really special – use a herb garlic roast beef marinade to inject extra flavour, juiciness and tenderise. The marinated roast beef comes out of the oven with a deep golden crust, blushing pink inside, unbelievably juicy and bursting with flavour!
Marinated Roast Beef
This is a recipe that was born during the days when I was a poverty stricken uni student who refused to live on packet ramen day after day. I wanted roast beef and gravy, damn it! But of course, my budget would never stretch to Prime Rib, so I’d purchase the best value roast beef cuts I could find then end up chewing my way through dry, tasteless roast beef.
Because that is, after all, the reason we pay top dollar for premium cuts like tenderloin – it’s tender, juicy and full of flavour.
So I started marinating the economical beef I purchased, to add flavour and juiciness. And I never stopped! 🙂
Use this roast beef marinade for economical roast beef cuts to add flavour and juiciness!
Roast Beef Marinade ingredients
Here’s what you need. The ingredients in this are pretty similar to my Steak Marinade. It’s a great one for beef because it adds savoury flavour without overwhelming ie it complements and enhances the beef flavour, rather than overtaking it completely.
(PS Soy sauce acts as a brine in this recipe, injecting salt into the flesh. As opposed to adding Asian flavours – there is nothing remotely Asian about this roast beef recipe!)
Best Roast Beef Cuts
Use this recipe on any economical beef roast cut. It would be wasted on expensive cuts, so do not use it on Prime Rib, beef tenderloin, rump cap (pichana) or any cut of roast beef that you’ve paid top dollar for.
Here’s a list of some of the most common roast beef cuts – I’ve done my best to translate the name of cuts between Australia, the US and UK!
Great for this roast beef marinade
Oyster Blade Roast (Aus) / Top Blade Roast (US) – great for this marinade! Pretty tender cut with decent flavour, very good value. Looks like the pictured roast beef but has a thin line of membrane in the middle.
Bolar Blade (Aus/parts of UK) – perfect for this marinade! An economical cut with fair flavour and is reasonably tender but is enhanced by marinading. This is pictured in the post and video. This cut doesn’t really exist in the US, it’s part of the cow shoulder gets mixed up in chuck meat.
Eye of Round Roast (US) / Girello (Australia) – ideal for this marinade because it’s a leaner, tougher cut of meat with less beefy flavour. In Australia, this cut of beef is usually sold in medallion steak form or pre marinated at supermarkets, so it’s not really available.
Silverside (Aus/UK) / Bottom Round Roast (US) – this is one of the tougher cuts of roast beef, usually slow cooked. It’s used for corned beef and to make things like Pastrami. This marinade is ideal for adding flavour to this cut and it can be cooked to pink as pictured, as long as the beef is sliced very thinly.
Optional Marinade
Rump Roast (Aust) / Top Sirloin Roast (US) – tender, juicy and marbled and a good quality one doesn’t need marinating BUT if you get a very economical one, it will certainly benefit from marinading.
Topside Roast (Aus/UK name) / Top Round Roast (US) – probably the most popular cut for a classic roast beef (ie not marinated). If you’ve purchased a good quality one, there’s no need to marinade. But if you’ve purchased a good value one, this roast beef marinade will certainly enhance it.
Do not use marinade for these beef cuts
Tender, juicy, prime beef cuts – Prime rib / standing rib roast, scotch fillet roast (which is standing rib minus the bone), tenderloin, rump cap (picanha), strip loin roast / Porterhouse roast. These are pricier, quality cuts and a marinade would be wasted on them!
Slow cooking cuts – Brisket, chuck and ribs. These are tough cuts of beef that need to be slow cooked to breakdown the tough fibres. Because of this, I typically do not marinade them as the slow cooking time is when the flavour is infused into the beef – recipes like Pot Roast, Beef Stew, Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce and Brisket in BBQ Sauce.
How to make a Marinated Roast Beef
The making part is very straight forward – marinade, plonk on veggies and roast on high (240C/450F) to get a nice crust, then turn down to 180C/350F (160C fan-forced) to finish cooking.
MOST IMPORTANT STEP is to rest the beef for a minimum of 20 minutes, ideally 30 minutes, to allow the juices to get sucked back into the beef. If you do not rest, the meat juices will run everywhere the second you cut it = less juicy beef. 😢
How long to marinade roast beef?
Because we’re talking about a piece of meat that’s somewhat larger than chicken breast, you’ll get the best results if you can marinate for 2 to 3 days. Anything less than 24 hours is better than not marinating at all, but it’s less effective.
Final Tips!
Take the beef out of the fridge 1 hour prior – key to take the chill out of the core a bit to encourage even cooking
Slice thinly against the grain – No matter what cut of beef you are using, slice the beef thinly against the grain for the most tender bite. Here’s a diagram for how to slice against the grain – just look for the direction of the meat fibres and cut 90° across them.
Start high, then go low(ish) – this recipe starts high at 240C/450F to get the crust going, then finishes roasting at 180C/350F (160C fan-forced) until it’s perfectly pink and super juicy inside.
Roast on veggies OR a rack – this encourages more even cooking of the roast by elevating it off the base of the pan (well, skillet in my case. Handy to make gravy afterwards rather than man handling a roasting pan on the stove 😇).
You can just use a rack, I personally think anyone would be made to turn down tasty roasted veg that have sucked up the flavour of the marinade AND been basted with juices from the roast beef, but who am I to judge? 🤷🏻♀️
Gravy is optional here – we’ve added good flavour into the beef so you don’t need it. But I’m never one to turn down gravy, so I’ve popped the recipe in the notes.
But truly, it’s great even without. This beef is so juicy, it is literally squirting juices everywhere when you cut into it – and that’s even after resting it for a good 30 minutes.
I really hope I managed to capture how tender and juicy the beef is in the recipe video! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Marinated Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 1.5kg / 3 lb Bolar Blade (pictured in post), Top Blade Roast, Eye of Round Roast, Oyster Blade Roast or other economical roast beef cut (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Marinade (Note 2):
- 3 garlic cloves , minced (2.5 tsp jar)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
Vegetables (optional):
- 3 potatoes , cut into 5cm/2″ chunks
- 4 carrots , peeled cut into 4cm/1.7″ pieces
- Salt and pepper
Gravy (optional, Note 4)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth (stock), low sodium
- 3/4 tsp black pepper , coarsely ground
Instructions
- Mix Marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag.
- Add beef, marinade for 2 days (24 hrs min, 3 days max).
Cooking:
- De-chill – Take beef out of fridge 1 hour prior.
- Preheat oven to 240C/450F (both fan and regular ovens).
- Toss vegetables – Put the vegetables in an ovenproof skillet. Remove beef from marinade. Pour all the marinade onto the vegetables and toss. Top with the beef.
- High temp roast – Drizzle beef with oil, roast 20 minutes.
- Keep roasting – Turn oven down to 180C/350F (160C fan-forced), roast for a further 35 – 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the centre registers 44°C / 111°F for medium rare (Note 3 for other doneness). Note – thinner and smaller pieces than pictured / per ingredients will cook faster, so check earlier!
- Rest – Remove beef onto plate, cover loosely in foil and rest for 20 – 30 minutes (internal temp will rise to 52°C / 125°F which is perfect medium rare!).
- Brown vegetables – Return vegetables to oven to brown a bit, if needed.
- To serve, slice beef thinly. Serve roast veg and juices in the skillet OR make gravy (below)!
Gravy (optional)
- Remove vegetables, leave juices in skillet. Skim excess off fat from surface, leave behind 2 tbsp.
- Flour – Place on medium high heat on stove. Add flour and stir for 1 minute.
- Stock – Slowly add beef stock while stirring. If needed, use whisk to remove lumps.
- Thicken – Bring to simmer for 2 minutes until thickens to gravy consistency. Stir in pepper and salt, if needed (taste to check). Serve with beef.
Recipe Notes:
- Oyster Blade Roast (Aus) / Top Blade Roast (US).
- Bolar Blade (Aus/parts of UK)
- Eye of Round Roast (US)
- Silverside (Aus/UK) / Bottom Round Roast (US) – no CORNED silverside, it’s been brined already. Use corned silverside for Pastrami.
- Rump Roast (Aust) / Top Sirloin Roast (US)^ – only if you get super economical ones.
- Topside Roast (Aus/UK name) / Top Round Roast (US)^- only if you get super economical ones.
- expensive roast beef cuts like prime rib / standing rib roast, scotch fillet roast (which is standing rib minus the bone), tenderloin, strip loin roast / Porterhouse roast.
- chuck, brisket, ribs or shank (these need to be slow cooked, recipe needs amendment)
- Mustard – can leave out or use other mustard
- Balsamic – 2 tbsp vinegar
- Sugar – honey, maple, other liquid sweeteners
- Herbs – any of choice
- Onion powder – garlic powder, or omit
- Rare is 49°C/120°F. Remove from oven when it is 41°C/ 106°F.
- Medium rare is 52°C / 125°F. Remove from oven when it is 44°C / 111°F. Medium rare is my preference.
- Medium is 55°C / 130°F. Remove from oven at 48°C/118°F.
- Medium well done is 57°C/135°F. Remove from oven at 49°C/120°F.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
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1 rug
Fills the vacuum cleaner twice every week
SO. MUCH. FUR!!!🙄
Hi Nagi, does it matter if my oven highest temp is 230c and not the 240c stated in the recipe?
Thank you Nagi! What a great marinade. Left it for 30hrs and it was so worth the wait.
Thanks for this great recipes. Great flavour and I appreciate how you have made the effort to provide notes and tips. Your recipes always give me the confidence to try new dish. This is my first attempt, never tried until I read your recipe.
Hi Nagi
Long time fan of your recipes, and love that you offer gluten free options (have a coeliac/celiac child).
On this subject, what would I substitute the balsamic vinegar with for a GF option – I’m thinking apple cider, but wondering if too sweet?
Hi Steven, I would use red wine vinegar with a splash of maple syrup to get the slight sweetness that balsamic vinegar has. 🙂 N x
Hi again,
Cooked this tonight using red wine vinegar and a dash of maple syrup as suggested. Came out delicious – and most importantly the 8 year old coeliac loved it!
Thanks again for the great recipes, but more so for the response and active tips you provide!
Me again, I forgot to say I only marinated the topside for 7 hours.
Best roast ever! I have cooked a gazillion roasts over the years, hands down this was the best one ever! Followed every instruction and ingredients, wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you so much.
The recipe reads 1 teaspoon rosemary, however the picture with all the ingredients shows oregano. Which is correct?
Yes Im bit confused as well I’ll see what I have in the cupboard
Hi,
I have two joints of beef marinating at the moment ….. one is for Sunday (two days away) and the other I wish to know whether it is OK to freeze take out of the marinade and use at a later date
Yes 100 % Maggy! N x
I would like to marinade my piece of wagu blade roast. I’ll be going out on Sunday for lunch and won’t have time to roast my beef for dinner. Could I use the slow cooker to marinated beef. Would I need to add anything to slow cooker or use the marinade to cook slow cook roast beef? Should I sear the marble bit of the beef first maybe in a hot oven for a few min before putting beef in slow cooker?. Please and thank you
Made this yesterday with a rump tri cut from the markets (just marinated for a few hours as it was a prime piece of meat). It was just as tasty and juicy as you said it would be. Thanks Nagi! x
It was easy and very tasty.. will probably be my go to go roast. Used hot pot. Cooked longer than recommended. Very tender.
N
Hi if i have 1.5kg beef topside and i want it medium well close to well done i would cook for 20mins at 220 degrees celsius but then how long would i cook at 180 degrees? im a little confused Thank you !!
Hi Jay, you’ll cook for about 45-50 minutes. Just check how it’s tracking with your thermometer to reach the target temperature listed in the notes 🙂 N x
Omg I love your recipes, my favourite is the crispy pork belly, I even found a pork pricker at kitchen warehouse, it was amaaaaazing! This beef is pretty damn good too, I’m cooking it tonight for the second time, yum!!!
Greetings from across the pond! This marinade is wonderful. I have a roast marinating right now. Question for Nagi: I don’t have 2-3 days to marinate so could I tenderize the roast to soak up flavor? I have one of those gadgets that pierces holes in the meat using lots of tiny little blades. It’s terrific for steaks.
p.s. you’re adorable!
Thank you Nagi I have tried 5 of your recipes are they were all yummy. Thank you so much. Dorie
Oh my god, Dozer looks so cozy on that rug, I´m dying just to lie down next to him and watch the Simpsons or something with him and nibble on some of your food,.. Ok, ok, I´m daydreaming now, but that beef was amzing, marinated it last Saturday and we had it for our Sunday dinner with loads of trimmings and it went down a treat, yes there were left overs but they didn´t go to waste, made a beef curry the day after, your new naan bread recepi would have been great with it, but I am a curry monster so there is plenty of time and I have dreams about the cheese naan, never had that before but on my list,.. this was recepi number 40 that I have made from you, no stopping now, my food hero 🙂 x
very good! next time, i’ll omit the sugar, but the meat was juicy, tender and delicious! thank you, Nagi!
Hi Nagi! Does this freeze well?
can you cook the roast in the marinade? what do you put in the pan if you don’t use the marinade?
Hi Joanne, this recipe is all about that marinade and how it tenderises the meat, making it juicy and flavourful. N x
Nagi, I was so excited to make this that I didn’t read the recipe well enough. I cut up the beef first and left it to marinade instead of cutting it later. Will it turn out okay? Please help! I’ve had so much success with all your other recipes, id hate for this to fail especially when the marinade tasted so good!