Sous Vide Roast Beef

Use this recipe to make a perfectly medium-rare roast that’s juicy and tender on the inside with a crisp, flavorful crust on the outside.
Sous Vide Roast Beef

By Mark Hinds | Updated June 29, 2025

Pinterest Hidden Image

Sous vide roast beef is an ideal way to cook roasts if you like tender and juicy beef. 

This sous vide roast beef recipe makes a fantastic roast, whether you’re serving it as the main course for a nice dinner or want delicious sandwiches.

The advantage of cooking beef roasts sous vide is that the long cooking time tenderizes the meat while it absorbs the flavors from the seasoning without overcooking the beef.

To develop classic roast beef flavors, we use a seasoning mix with loads of garlic, rosemary, and smoked paprika paired with a simple finishing method for developing a crisp, flavorful crust.

We’ve also included time and temperature recommendations and a short FAQ section.

How to Cook Beef Roasts Sous Vide

One of the best things about cooking beef sous vide is how well the technique works for a variety of cuts. This approach works equally well with tougher cuts such as chuck, top round, or rump roasts as it does with more tender ones like sirloin, ribeye, and tenderloin.

Picking a Roast

The reason this recipe works with so many different cuts is that the flavors are modeled after those in traditional English roast beef recipes. It also helps that sous vide is such a forgiving cooking method. The long, slow cooking time helps tenderize the meat without breaking down the connective tissue and collagen that make the meat fall apart the way braising does.

Beef Roast Marbling
Whatever cut you choose, pick one with nice marbling.

Our favorite cuts of beef for sous vide are eye of round and tri-tip. The round shape of eye of round always looks visually stunning when it’s finished and is easy to slice thin. Tri-tip has a nice marbling and a deep beefy flavor.

No matter which cut you choose, pick one that has good marbling and a nice shape. It’s also a good idea to remove any extra bits of fat or gristle before cooking. Read The Complete Guide to Beef Roasts for tips and tricks for choosing a roast.

Seasoning Beef Roasts

To develop deep umami flavors, combine smoked paprika, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Rosemary adds a brightness to the roast and enhances its aroma. Mustard powder is an underrated spice that adds an extra dimension to dry rubs. 

The long cooking time allows the seasoning to penetrate the meat, deepening its flavors. 

The flavor profile in this recipe is similar to our classic Slow Roasted Mouthwatering Roast Beef recipe, one of our favorite holiday dishes.

Seasoned Beef Roast
The herbs and spices make the roast taste delicious.

Time and Temperature

Sous vide can be a deceptively simple cooking technique that sometimes feels like it’s nothing more than seal and forget it. The secret to using it is understanding how small changes make a big difference in the finished product.

For this recipe our goal was to end up with a perfectly medium-rare roast that is tender and juicy on the inside with a crisp, flavorful crust on the outside.

Most sous vide recipes call for cooking roasts between 12 to 48 hours in a sous vide bath set between 130℉ (54℃) to 145℉ (63℃). They are generally split on whether to sear the meat ahead of time or at the end of the cooking process.

Vacuum Seal Beef Roast
Letting the roast hangout in the bath for 24 hours lets the flavors infuse themselves into the meat.

We found during testing that cooking roasts at 136°F (58℃) gave us a beautiful medium rare beef that was firm enough to easily slice for sandwiches but was still tender enough to serve as a main course.

When we cooked roasts at lower temperatures, the meat pulled apart so easily that it was hard to slice and anything more than 140°F (60℃) tasted over done for our preferences.

When cooking a beef roast sous vide, we recommend a time and temperature combination of 136°F (58℃) for 24 hours.

As far as time goes, at 18 hours, the texture wasn’t what we were looking for, and for the most part, we haven’t found any benefits to cooking roasts this size longer than 24 hours. There are benefits to cooking tougher cuts longer, which is why we cook our Sous Vide Brisket for 48 hours. That being said, an hour more or an hour less won’t make a big difference if it makes it easier to get dinner on the table at the right time.

To get the full benefits of sous vide, use a vacuum sealer to seal the meat before cooking, which imparts more flavor than the displacement method.

Finishing Roasts

A big part of what makes slow roasted beef so delicious is the crisp crust that develops while it cooks in the oven. Developing this type of crust when cooking sous vide can be challenging. 

We found two ways that work well for developing a crust that provides the desired contrast in flavor and texture between the dark, crispy outside and tender inside.

Finish Sous Vide Roast Beef
To get a nice crust on the outside use the oven.

The best method for developing a deeply flavored crust is to place the roast on a broiler pan in a hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The meat should be turned halfway through to brown it evenly. If you’re using the broiler, check the roast every few minutes and turn it as it browns. 

Another method is to pan sear the roast after it’s finished cooking. To pan sear a roast, add some canola or other cooking oil with a high smoke point to a large sauté pan over high heat. Each side of the roast should be seared for 3 to 4 minutes. Pan searing is a great method to use if you’re going to make a pan sauce with the little brown bits leftover.

What we like about these methods versus searing at the beginning of the cooking process, before the roast is vacuum sealed, is that it’s one less step.

In our experience, presearing didn’t add much flavor or texture. Also, presearing doesn’t eliminate the need to finish the roast when it’s done cooking and the outside is wet and colorless from the cooking process. 

Read What is Sous Vide Cooking & Why it Works if you’re interested in learning more about this type of cooking.

Temperature guide

Here is a simple temperature guide for beef roasts.

DonenessDescriptionTemperature Range
Very RareVery red, bloody, and coldBelow 125℉ (52℃)
RareCold red center & soft to the touch125℉ (52℃) to 134℉ (56℃)
Medium RareWarm red center, firmer with a bit of spring135℉ (57℃) to 144℉ (62℃)
MediumPink all the way through & firm to the touch145℉ (63℃) to 155℉ (68℃)
Well DoneGray and brown all the way through, very firm156℉ (69℃) to 165℉ (74℃)
Way Over DoneDark and crusty inside and out166℉ (74℃) plus
Sous Vide Roast Beef

Sous Vide Roast Beef Recipe

3.9 from 266 votes
This sous vide roast beef recipe is delicious whether its being served for a Sunday dinner, weeknight snack, or on delicious sandwiches.
Print Pin Save
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 lb beef roast, Eye of round or similar roast preferred
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp rosemary, minced
  • 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions 

  • Set up your sous vide immersion circulator and bring the water to 136°F (58℃).
  • Mix the minced rosemary and garlic with the smoked paprika, mustard and onion powders, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
    2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp rosemary, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp mustard powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 2 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Rub the meat with Worcestershire sauce, then spread the seasoning over the roast.
    3 1/2 lb beef roast, 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    Seasoned Beef Roast
  • Vacuum seal the roast in a plastic bag and cook it at 136°F (58℃) for 24 hours. When the roast is done cooking, drain the liquid into a small bowl if you’re using it for a pan sauce, au jus, or gravy, and set the roast aside for finishing.
    Vacuum Seal Beef Roast
  • To finish the roast, place it on a broiler pan in a preheated 400℉ (204℃) oven for 15 minutes. Turning it halfway through. The heat from the oven creates a crisp crust on the outside.
    Finish Sous Vide Roast Beef
  • Once it comes out of the oven, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes, tented under foil, before serving.
    Sous Vide Roast Beef
Tried this RecipeLet us know what you think of this recipe. Leave us your thoughts and rating.
Nutrition
Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation.

Sauces and Gravy

A simple way to elevate roast beef is to serve it with a pan sauce, au jus, or gravy.

If the roast is being served as the main course or for open faced beef sandwiches, serve it with this Savory Beef Gravy. This gravy recipe uses a fortified beef stock and creamy horseradish to develop a deep savoriness with a little bite, highlighting the meat’s flavors.

When a roast is being used for Sous Vide French Dip Sandwiches, make an Au Jus. The au jus is made using aromatics and a few other ingredients. The au jus sauce has a deep ebony color, is easy to make while you’re cooking, and is perfect for dipping.

Savory Beef Grvy
A savory gravy always makes everything taste better.

The liquid from the bag at the end of the cooking process is deeply flavored and makes a great base for a pan sauce. 

To transform the cooking liquid into a pan sauce, start by emptying the liquid from the cooking bag into a saucepan. The liquid should be reduced over medium to medium-low heat with a nice red wine and some aromatics until it reaches the desired consistency. Finish it with some butter for a velvety texture.

Helpful Info

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions about sous vide beef roasts.

What is the best cut for sous vide roast beef?

The best cut of beef to cook sous vide for a classic roast beef is eye of round. If you’re splurging and looking for something special, go with tenderloin.

How long does it take to sous vide a roast?

We recommend cooking beef roasts sous vide for 24 hours to get the right balance between flavor and texture.

Can you overcook beef in sous vide?

When something is overcooked using sous vide the long cooking time will break it down giving it a mushy texture. This is different from overcooking in an oven, which dries out the item being cooked and makes it taste like jerky.

Can you sous vide a frozen roast?

Yes, you can. A few things to keep in mind are that the roast needs to be in plastic that works for sous vide, so beware of items that you didn’t package yourself, and depending on the cut, it may need to cook longer to get it to turn out the same as one that’s been defrosted.

If you have other questions, leave them in the comments below, and we’ll try and answer them.

So Many Delicious Serving Options

There are so many different ways to serve beef cooked sous vide. One of the most popular ways is to slice it thin and use it for French dip or Italian beef sandwiches.

We’ll often make a roast and slice it for lunch or as a snack throughout the week. For traditional open-faced beef sandwiches make a nice gravy.

Sous Vide French Dip Sandwich
French dips are amazing with tender beef.

It also works equally well as the centerpiece of an elegant dinner. A few side dishes that pair well with this recipe are Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Carrots with Rosemary and Fennel, and Sautéed Green Beans with Balsamic Vinegar.

Toss in a Classic Old Fashioned or a couple of Perfect Manhattans, and you’ve got a thoroughly modern take on a classic 1950s Sunday dinner.

Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.

More Info About Mark Hinds

Learn More

Find more recipes, tips, and ideas about these techniques, ingredients, and cuisines.

Let us know what you think

Let us know what you think, and share your thoughts with other cooks.

3.87 from 266 votes (266 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Responses

  1. Nate

    I have had a 2 rib, 3lb SIRLOIN (not prime) rib roast in a salt rub for 2 days. I want to sous vide it. It’s 5pm on Christmas eve. I’m thinking of getting the dry brine off at about 7pm (eastern US here), vacuum sealing things and using my ANOVA sous vide at 135degF until about 3 or 4pm tomorrow. Then, I’d sear in cast iron. Does that sound like a good plan?

    1. Mark Hinds

      That does sound like a good plan and should give the roast enough time to cook.

      1. Puppie

        I would love to know how it came out. I’ve been using Sous vide often for the past year and I don’t understand such a lengthy cooking time for a tender cut of meat. I would think the texture of the meat would deteriorate and eventually get mushy.

  2. Char

    Can I put two 4-5 lb roasts in the same sous vide container (provided they fit!)? And would I have to adjust the length of time? Thanks!

    1. Mark Hinds

      Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when cooking two roasts in one container. The roasts should each be sealed in their own sous vide bag. There needs to be enough room for the water to circulate around both roasts; otherwise, it could develop hot and cold spots. They may take a little more time, but it should be pretty close if there’s enough room for the warm water to circulate around the roasts.

  3. Glenn

    Hello,
    The crust as seen in your pictures never materialized for me…roast came out pretty much exactly as it did when it went in. What am I missing? The exterior was dried and all instructions were followed

    1. Mark Hinds

      One thing we’ve found when using the broiler to finish a roast is to make sure the roast and the pan are close enough to the flame to build the crust. If the roast is too far away from the broiler, the crust won’t develop as nicely. Hope that helps.

  4. Azaria

    From the amount of details and good reasoning it appears you know what you are doing. But then you go and slice it ‘with the grain’, instead of perpendicular to the grain. So how can this whole article be taken seriously?
    Please provide a sound explanation for the unusual slicing direction… I loved most everything else about this recipe.

    1. Mark Hinds

      Thanks for the comment, after seeing it, I went back and read through the post and recipe again, and we don’t specifically call out how to slice the roast after it’s finished. You are correct, and we would recommend slicing it across the grain.

  5. Mollie

    Hey there! I’m excited to try this recipe. All my store had was a 3 pound chuck roast that’s about 2 inches thick. It has beautiful marbling. I’m just worried about the cook time with it being thinner. Do I need to adjust the cook time in any way? Thanks so much!

    1. Mark Hinds

      You shouldn’t have to adjust the cooking time for a 3 lb chuck roast. It’s very similar to the size roasts that we regularly cook this way.

  6. Jeff Candell

    I will sous vide 75 lbs. of sirloin roasts for my daughter’s wedding. I would love your advice on a couple of questions. I have the roasts in the deep freezer in shrink wrap. They have been pre-seared and seasoned with salt, pepper, sliced garlic and fresh rosemary.

    My plan is to place the frozen roasts in my large marine cooler in cool water 48 hours before serving, change out that water a few times to promote defrosting, and then to begin cooking with the sous vide device 30 hours before serving.

    I have done this before with 60 lbs. of roasts, that turned out well, but it will be a bit crowded in the cooler by comparison this time. Do you believe it will make a big difference to acquire another set-up to spread out those roasts into two coolers to cook?

    Secondly, for portioning for 150 people how much roast by weight is left after cooking by sous vide? Is that typically 90% or 80% etc. ? I want to equip those serving the sliced beef so they serve a nice portion without running out before everyone is served.

    Thank you,
    Jeff

    1. Mark Hinds

      Jeff, For starters I want to applaud your ambition that’s a lot sirloin for a very important day!

      I haven’t tested cooking that amount of roast in a cooler to give you a definitive answer but at a certain point the amount of mass in the cooler will slow down the cooking process. Personally, if it was me I’d get a second setup to make sure I was comfortable with the cooking time and to make sure if something went sideways, I’d have a backup to make sure I could get that important of a dinner on the table.

      As far as your second question goes, there should be almost no loss in weight when cooking roasts sous vide. I normally plan on 1/2 lb of beef per person but would make sure to have extra in your case, since there will be end pieces and other bits that won’t look great on the plate and should probably be treats for the kitchen staff.

      Hope this helps,
      Mark