The Complete Guide to Beef Roasts

This guide makes it easy to cook delicious beef roasts. From chuck roasts to top round, we’ve gathered everything you need to make it easy to pick the right roast for every occasion.

There are a lot of options when choosing a cut of beef. The key to selecting the right one is to understand what cooking technique is being used, how it’s being served, and how much you want to spend.

In this guide, we’ve included the most common beef roasts found in grocery stores and butcher shops, the best cooking methods for each type, and common aliases. We’ve also included some of our favorite recipes, a temperature guide, and some tips and tricks.

Beef Grades

One of the first things to learn when picking out a roast is that the USDA grades all of the beef before it arrives in grocery stores and butcher shops. The grades on the labels declare whether the cut inside is Prime, Choice, or Select.

To help cooks understand what they’re buying and when to choose different grades, read How the USDA Grades Beef. 

Primal Cuts

When a steer is first processed, it is broken down into primal cuts. These larger pieces of meat are then broken down into subprimal cuts that are further broken down before being sold to consumers.

The number of primal cuts can vary depending on country and region. There are nine primal cuts commonly used in the United States. From tip to tail, they are chuck, brisket, fore shank, rib, short plate, short loin, sirloin, flank, and round. Many of the subprimal names are derived in part from their primal cut.

The USDA recommends that the labels on meat sold to the public include its primal and subprimal. The subprimal versions can include roasts, steaks, and ground.

How to Cook Tender Beef Roasts

Almost everyone prefers tender meat to tough. A few simple rules for keeping beef roasts tender are to always pick the piece with the most marbling. 

The roast with the most marbling will come from the parts of the steer that move the least. Tougher pieces come from the areas that move the most.

The more tender pieces of beef should be roasted and grilled, while the tougher pieces should be smoked, roasted, braised, or cooked sous vide. For a deep dive into smoking beef, read Tips and Tricks for the Best Beef to Smoke.

Types of Beef Roasts

The following section briefly describes the most common types of beef roasts. To make it easy to pick one out or to adapt recipes from one to another, we have included which part of the animal they come from, the best ways to cook each one, and common aliases. 

A good rule of thumb when buying a boneless roast is half a pound per person if it is being served as the main course. So a 3 lb roast would serve 6 people, a 4 lb roast would serve 8 people, and a 5 lb roast would serve 10. If a bone-in roast is being served, it’s important to add some extra to account for the weight of the bone.

Arm Roast

An arm roast comes from the front shoulder of the steer above the chuck roast. It is often braised in a slow cooker or Dutch oven. It also works well in a pressure cooker or roasted in the oven. This flavorful cut can also be used for stews or turned into ground beef.

Its name comes from the humerus bone in the upper forelimb that is often included in the center of the roast. It is also known as an arm pot roast, arm chuck roast, or clod roast. This economical cut tends to be leaner and slightly less expensive than a chuck roast.  

Chuck Roast

Chuck roasts are one of the most popular pieces of beef and are found in most grocery stores and butcher shops. It is a versatile cut with lots of marbling and rich flavors. It is also the go-to cut for pot roast and generally has a lean-to-fat ratio of 80 to 20.

Standard cooking methods include smoking, braising, and using a pressure cooker. Well marbled pieces make excellent hamburgers when ground. This Southwestern Smoked Chuck Roast is a perfect way to make shredded beef for tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and more.

Southwestern Smoked Chuck Roast

This smoked chuck roast recipe is the perfect way to make smoky, shredded beef with bold Southwestern flavors for burritos, tacos, nachos, rice bowls, and more.

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Beef chuck roasts can also be grilled when cut into long, thin strips and marinated. Other common names include Boston cut, English roast, and cross cut. 

If you love a good pot roast with perfectly cooked vegetables and a fantastic sauce, try this tender Instant Pot pot roast recipe.

Tender & Delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast

It's easy to make a tender and delicious pot roast when you use an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Cooking the pot roast under pressure helps everything cook faster and the meat to turn out so tender you can cut it with a fork. We've added a few things to this pot roast recipe to make it extra delicious.

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Beef Brisket

Brisket comes from the lower chest area of the steer and is one of the nine primal cuts. Each steer has two briskets, one on each side, located below the chuck and above the shanks.

With a mix of fatty and lean, brisket has been a favorite cut for smoking, braising, or slow-roasting in the oven. It can generally be purchased as a whole brisket or in sections called the point and the flat.

The flat cut is a large rectangular piece with a relatively even thickness and is often used in recipes where the meat will be sliced. The point cut, sometimes called the second cut, has significantly more marbling than the flat and is one of the more popular cuts for smoking. It is often used in recipes where the meat is shredded.

Try this sous vide recipe for a simple way to prepare sublimely tender beef. 

Sous Vide Brisket

This sous vide brisket recipe uses our special brisket rub and a little time on the grill to create a smokey brisket with bold flavors that is so tender it melts in your mouth.

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Rib Roast

A rib roast comes from the rib primal that is located between the shoulder and the short loin. Roasts from this highly desired area are premium pieces that are often cooked for special occasions. Some of the more popular cuts include a standing rib roast, ribeye roast, and rolled rib roast. 

A common area of confusion has to do with the question of what is prime rib. For a rib roast to be called prime rib, the piece in question must be both a rib roast and have been graded Prime. According to the USDA, only a small portion of beef is graded prime each year, with almost all rib roasts graded Prime going to restaurants and the hospitality industry.

Much of what is sold in grocery stores as prime rib is either a standing rib roast or a rolled rib roast that has been graded Choice. 

A standing rib roast includes three to seven ribs and is often slow-roasted in the oven and served with au jus and horseradish sauce. A good rule of thumb is one rib for every two people.

A rolled rib roast is a standing rib roast with the bones removed, rolled up, and tied. The advantage of this cut is that it is a little easier to cook and slice. A disadvantage compared to the standing version is it doesn’t pick up the flavor from the bones and doesn’t have the same show-stopping appearance. 

The ribeye roast, also known as the eye of rib, is cut from the front section of the backbone. This is the same cut used for Ribeye Steaks.

Strip Loin Roast

The strip loin roast comes from the short loin subprimal, which is taken from the area of the loin closer to the steer’s rear end. This cut can be served bone-in or with the bone removed. 

Sometimes referred to as a top loin roast, it should not be confused with a top sirloin roast. 

This is the same area that T-bone, porterhouse, and New York strip steaks come from. Known for their tender and flavorful meat, the steaks are often cooked on a grill or under a broiler while roasts are slowly cooked in the oven. This roast isn’t often found in stores and usually needs to be ordered from a butcher.

Tenderloin

Located in the area below the backbone, the tenderloin comes from one of the least exercised areas. It has a mild flavor and is the tenderest and most expensive cut of beef. It can be served as a roast or cut into smaller steaks. 

Known as filet mignon or chateaubriand, the tenderloin also contributes to the tender side of porterhouse steaks. This cut is so delicate that it can be grilled, roasted in the oven, broiled, or cooked sous vide.

A tip when cooking pieces from the tenderloin is to not cook them past medium-rare. Since this cut has minimal marbling, it can dry out when cooked further. A technique to keep it from drying out is to wrap it in bacon, which will add both fat and flavor.

Tri-Tip

The tri-tip is one of our favorite cuts to smoke. What makes it such a delight to smoke or to roast is its compact triangular shape, which makes it easy to work with and presents well at the table.

This roast is sometimes referred to as a Newport, Santa Maria, or bottom sirloin roast.

With a deep beefy flavor and a decent amount of marbling, this well balanced cut can be seasoned aggressively and should always be sliced across the grain. 

Use this Smoked Beef Roast recipe with a tri-tip for a succulent roast beef with a deep smokey flavor.

Smoked Beef Roast

Make a smoked beef roast for scrumptious roast beef that is tender and juicy with deep, smokey flavors. Smoking beef is great for barbecues, parties, sandwiches, and more.

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Top Round

A top round roast is a relatively lean cut from the steer’s upper thigh. The reason it’s referred to as top round is because it is located directly above the bottom round and eye of round. This lean cut should be slow-cooked in the oven or smoker before being sliced across the grain. 

This cut is also known as an inside round or a round roast. It is also sometimes labeled as London broil, which, according to Spruce Eats, is a cooking method and not a cut of beef. 

A popular choice for deli roast beef, this cut also works well when cooked sous vide or braised.

Sous Vide Roast Beef

For tender, juicy roast beef cook your next beef roast sous vide. This sous vide roast beef recipe makes a fantastic roast whether you’re serving it for Sunday dinner or just want super delicious roast beef sandwiches. Use this recipe to make a perfectly medium-rare roast that’s juicy and tender on the inside with a beautifully seared crust on the outside

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Eye of Round

Cut from the elongated muscle in the center of the round subprimal, an eye of round roast is a lean, inexpensive cut. The shape, flavor profile, and tenderness of this cut make it ideal for slow-roasted tender roast beef.

There are a couple of ways to develop the flavors in this cut, which come from a well-exercised muscle without a lot of marbling. The first is to marinate it overnight, making sure to poke small holes in it so the marinade penetrates the meat.

The second is aggressively seasoning the outside before roasting. For roast beef lovers, a superb way to season it is to use a technique from our favorite Roast Beef recipe and cut small slits on the outside and stuff them with garlic slivers.

Classic Roast Beef Recipe

This classic roast beef recipe uses fresh rosemary and garlic to create tender beef slow roasted in the oven that’s cooked to a perfect medium rare with a crisp crust so good every slice melts in your mouth.

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French Dip Sandwiches

What makes French dip sandwiches so delicious is the combination of crusty bread, tender beef, melty cheese, and savory au jus.

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Rump Roast

A rump roast is a triangular-shaped cut from the tip of the rump to the end of the outside round flat. This flavorful roast has more marbling than the top round but must be cooked low and slow for the connective tissues to have time to break down.

Also known as bottom round roast or round tip roast, this is an excellent cut for braising at low temperatures, allowing the meat to break down. 

Sirloin Tip Roast

The sirloin tip roast is cut from the area of the round subprimal located next to the sirloin. It is sometimes referred to as a round tip or ball-tip roast.

This cut excels when braised or cut into pieces for stew, where the slow cooking and extra liquid allow it to develop a nice beefy flavor.

Temperature Chart for Beef Roasts

The simplest way to know when a roast has finished cooking is to use its internal temperature. Temperature is a much more accurate measure of doneness than cooking time, which varies based on the oven, grill, or smoker used. 

The best way to measure the internal temperature of a piece of meat is to use an instant read digital thermometer placed in the thickest part of the roast. 

The one caveat to this chart is that chuck roasts or brisket being braised or smoked until they fall apart should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches between 195℉ (91℃) and 205℉ (96℃), with 203℉ (95℃) being ideal for shredded beef.

Tips for Cooking Beef Roasts

Here are some general tips for cooking a beef roast.

A roast should be cooked within three or four days of coming home from the store. Frozen meat should be fully defrosted in the refrigerator before being cooked.

To prevent leakage, place meat stored in the fridge in a baking dish. If it is in its original packaging, it can be placed directly in the baking dish. If it is no longer in its packaging, cover it in plastic wrap to keep flavors from the fridge from seeping in.

Beef that is being marinated should be stored in the fridge in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap, in aluminum foil, or in a large plastic bag.

A simple way to give a roast a more uniform shape is to tie the roast using kitchen twine. Shaping a roast makes it easier to cut into uniform slices. Most butchers, if asked nicely, will tie the roast for you.

Bringing the beef to room temperature before cooking can help it cook more evenly. 

Carving Tips 

Here are a few simple tips for carving a roast.

Let the meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Letting it rest allows it to relax and reabsorb its juices. A pro tip for resting meat is to place it on a cooling rack set on a plate or baking sheet and loosely cover it in aluminum foil.

When slicing the meat, use a sharp carving knife and slice it against the grain. To hold the meat in place, use a carving fork or a pair of tongs to hold it steady while it is sliced.

Meat sliced against the grain will be more tender than meat sliced with the grain. Slicing against the grain cuts through the muscle fibers, shortening them, and making the meat easier to chew.  

A simple way to ensure better leftovers is to cut slices as they are needed. Keeping the roast whole makes it easier to reheat without the meat drying out. It also never hurts to serve an Au Jus Sauce or Savory Beef Gravy on the side.