Pepper Crusted Roast Beef

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on Last updated

18 Comments

5 from 5 votes
12 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
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Pepper Crusted Roast Beef is a delicious holiday main course with just a few ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. Use leftovers for sandwiches!

If you’ve tried the Ultimate Slow Cooker Roast Beef (Sliceable!) and loved it, here’s the classic Roast Beef made in an oven with a pepper-crusted presentation. For more dinner ideas, whether you want to use the slow cooker or the oven, check out the Dinner Recipes on the site.

Roast Beef on cutting board

PEPPERY ROAST BEEF

Roast beef is such a great dinner option because not only do you get a fantastic meal but making sandwiches with the leftovers the next day is something to look forward to. You’ll be eating every last bit of this roast beef – not an ounce will go to waste. 

This recipe is super simple but the flavor is special enough for the holidays or your important dinner party. The rub only requires a few ingredients and take almost no effort at all. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of black pepper in the recipe, it will all work out to a delicious meal.

Once your roast beef is done cooking in the oven, allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Allowing the meat to rest is important to preserving the moisture of the beef as you cut it. Once you’re ready to slice, cut against the grain (long line and grooves that run through it) in a thickness that works for you. Doing so will give you a much more tender bite. 

How thick to slice the meat:

For dinner parties you can slice a bit thicker for a nicer presentation. For a buffet style meal I suggest much thinner slices since it will likely be on a crowded plate of food. The thinner slice is easier to cut. For sandwiches cut the meat as thinly as you can.

HOLIDAY MAIN DISH RECIPES

HOW TO MAKE PEPPERY ROAST BEEF

  • Prepare rub: In a small bowl combine pepper, salt and garlic powder.
  • Rub roast: Rub oil then seasoning mix all over the roast.
  • Cook roast: Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 2-½ to 3 hours or until meat reaches desired doneness. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
  • Let it Rest: The most important thing is to let the meat rest when it is removed. This prevents the moisture from bleeding out of the meat. To keep the meat warm you can tent a piece of foil over the roast.

Pepper Crusted Roast Beef

VARIATIONS ON PEPPERY ROAST BEEF

  • Peppercorns: You can substitute the classic black pepper by using a mix of ground black, ground white, ground green and ground pink peppercorns.
  • Sauce: Add a sauce to spoon over the meat or use as an au jus by mixing beef stock and red wine on the stovetop and adding in a roux to thicken. To make a roux add 2 tablespoons butter to a small saucepan, then whisk in flour when the butter is melted. Add in the pan juices along with 1 cup of beef broth and simmer until thickened.

HORSERADISH SAUCE

If you’re looking for an easy sauce on the side, an easy creamy horseradish sauce is the way to go:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, let sit in the refrigerator while the roast is cooking for the flavors to come together well.

FAQs FOR PEPPERY ROAST BEEF

  • What beef is best for roast beef? Look for chuck roast or round roast (top round, bottom round or eye of round). All would be great options for this recipe. The chuck roast and bottom round roast are usually the most budget friendly of choices. If you can’t find any of these choices, ask your butcher and they’ll provide you with the best cut that’s available their meat market.
  • How long do you cook roast beef per pound? The USDA Website states that it should be cooked at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes per pound. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Anything higher and the roast will start to become tough and chewy.
  • Do you cook with the fat side up or down? Roast the beef with the fat cap side up so that the fat drips down the beef while cooking giving it extra flavor and juiciness.

PERFECT DINNER SIDE DISHES:

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE

  • Serve: Roast beef can safely be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
  • Store: Once the roast beef as cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze: If kept in a sealed container or freezer-safe storage bag, roast beef can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Sliced Roast Beef in white dish

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Dinner, then Dessert

Pepper Crusted Roast Beef

Pepper Crusted Roast Beef is a delicious holiday main course with just a few ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. Use leftovers for sandwiches!
Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Roast Beef Roast sliced on cutting board
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pounds boneless beef eye round roast

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Mix the black pepper, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl.
  • Rub the roast with the oil then (with a dry hand) season the roast with the black pepper mixture all over the roast.
  • Bake, uncovered, 2-½ to 3 hours.
  • Use a meat thermometer to remove at the right time for desired doneness. If you want medium-rare remove roast at 135 degrees, for medium remove roast at 140 degrees and for medium-well remove roast at 145 degrees.
  • Let sit for 15 minutes lightly covered with foil before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 522mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 3mg

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Pepper-Crusted Roast Beef collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Hi! I’m loving your recipes and will be trying this one soon. Should the meat be placed on a rack to cook? And I’m not sure it matters but what kind of cooking dish do you recommend?

    Reply

  4. This is such an easy way to prepare roast beef. It comes out perfect, and your horseradish sauce suggestion goes really well with the beef. 🙂

    Reply

  8. Why do you anounce it as *week night* when it takes 3 hours? And *children will love it* but it has amount of pepper?

    Reply

    1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on the stovetop and whisk in flour. Add in the pan juices along with beef broth/red wine. Simmer until it’s thickened.

      Reply