How to cook roast beef

A perfectly cooked joint of roast beef makes an excellent centrepiece for your Sunday lunch or a special occasion. Get it right and the meat will be tender, juicy and full of flavour.

To help you prepare a delicious roast, we’ve answered some common questions, including how many people each size of joint feeds, how hot the oven should be and whether you can cook beef in an air fryer. We also explore how to achieve the right level of 'doneness', from rare to well done, and how to rest your beef so it stays tender.

Keep reading for everything you need to know – plus some flavoursome recipes from Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay.

Roast beef cooking time: how long does it take to cook?

Cooking times for roast beef vary depending on the weight of the joint and how well done you like your meat. Most recipes recommend an oven temperature of around 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5 or 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Check the meat packaging as well as the recipe you're following.

Both of Delia Smith's traditional beef recipes (see below) recommend starting with the oven at a higher temperature of 240°C/220°C fan/gas mark 9, then turning it down after 20 minutes to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5.

Depending on the recipe, you might also need to baste the meat during cooking. Some recipes only require this to be done once, such as Jamie Oliver’s Perfect Roast Beef. Others suggest basting the meat more frequently; Delia Smith’s traditional roast sirloin beef, for instance, recommends doing it at least three times.

You'll need to factor in time for resting the meat once it's cooked – 15-60 minutes depending on the recipe and weight of the meat. This is to allow the juices to soak back into the meat, making sure the meat remains moist when served.

What size of beef joint is needed for 4, 6, 8 and 10 people?

If you're buying meat on the bone, allow around 400g per person. For a boneless joint, you'll need 200g-250g per person.

According to Delia, if you want to feed 6-8 people with a rib of beef and have a little left over, you'll need a joint weighing 2.25kg-2.75kg.

Check our guide on how to make Yorkshire puddings for an extra special Sunday dinner

Which beef cut is most tender and best for roasting?

Ideally, look for beef that has streaks of fat running through it, known as marbling. This can add flavour and help keep the meat moist during cooking. Fat around the outside can also help keep the meat moist and be used for basting.

According to the National Beef Association, the following four cuts are among the best for roasting:

Fore rib

Fore rib comes from the upper back of the cow, around the rib area. These cuts have a good amount of fat on the outside and running through them, which helps keep the meat moist during cooking.

They are sold boned and rolled (with the bones removed and the meat rolled into a joint), French trimmed (with the rib bones left exposed) or on the bone.

Sirloin

Sometimes called top loin, sirloin comes from further along the back of the cow. Because these muscles do relatively little work, the meat is particularly tender. As a joint, sirloin is usually sold boned and rolled, but the area also provides cuts including T-bone and fillet steaks.

For roasting, sirloin can be kept whole as a joint. It's very tender and contains less fat than fore rib, so it's a little leaner. It's also typically one of the more expensive roasting cuts.

Silverside and topside

These cuts come from the hindquarter of the cow. They're very lean and can benefit from regular basting during cooking to help prevent the beef from drying out. As there isn't much fat on them, these cuts are sometimes sold with a layer of added fat around the outside.

They can also be cut into steaks rather than roasted as a joint.

Thick flank

Thick flank comes from the hindquarter of the cow and is well suited to slow roasting as a joint or braising in pieces. It can also be cut into strips for stir-fry recipes.

Delia Smith recommends sirloin for a special occasion, such as Christmas dinner, and rib for a Sunday roast. She and Nigella Lawson also recommend roasting beef on the bone for added flavour.

What to look out for when buying beef

Beef can range in colour from pinkish-red to deep red or burgundy, while the fat is usually creamy white.

Look for beef that has been neatly trimmed. Most beef joints sold in supermarkets will already be prepared and ready for roasting.

Ageing beef can help develop its flavour and tenderness. Around 10 to 14 days is common, although some beef is aged for considerably longer, sometimes for several weeks. Check the packaging or ask your butcher if you want to know how long a joint has been aged.

Don't rely on colour alone to judge how long beef has been aged. Its appearance can be affected by other factors, including the type of packaging and how much oxygen the meat has been exposed to.

Organic beef and beef from rare breeds can be considerably more expensive. Beef sold as organic must meet specific standards covering areas such as how the cattle are reared and fed.

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How to air-fry roast beef

A recipe by BBC Good Food recommends bringing the beef joint to room temperature before coating it with oil and seasoning it to taste.

To create a golden crust, cook the beef in the air fryer at 220°C for 10-15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 170°C and cook for a further 30-40 minutes.

Once cooked, rest the joint for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can roast beef be cooked in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can cook beef in a slow cooker, though you might want to consider using a less expensive cut, such as brisket. It's less tender than some roasting cuts but becomes tender during the slow-cooking process.

Brisket is usually sold boned and rolled and can also be sold salted. It's often used to make lean mince.

Many of the slow cooker recipes we have seen are for beef stews and casseroles, but you can cook an entire joint. Depending on its size and the recipe you're following, it could take around six to eight hours on a low heat, or three to four hours on high.

If you're keen to cook a beef joint in a slow cooker, make sure yours is big enough. Slow cookers typically come in a range of capacities, so check there's enough room.

See our pick of the best slow cookers for models that will reliably roast your food to perfection.

How long will roast beef keep in the fridge?

If you've bought packaged raw beef, keep it refrigerated and use it by the use-by date shown on the packaging. Once opened, follow any additional storage instructions on the label. If you've bought loose beef from a butcher or farmers' market, ask the seller how long it can be kept in the fridge.

Either way, keep raw beef covered and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, away from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

Can a beef joint be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze a beef joint before or after it's been cooked. If it's uncooked, freeze it before its use-by date and follow any freezing instructions on the packaging.

The larger the joint, the longer it will take to freeze. Freezing food promptly helps to preserve its quality, so consider dividing a large joint into smaller portions before placing it in the freezer.

Once it's cooked, allow the beef to cool before freezing it. Dividing it into smaller portions can help it cool and freeze more quickly. Whether it's cooked or uncooked, wrap the meat well or place it in an airtight container to help prevent freezer burn.

How well your food keeps can be affected by the performance of your fridge and freezer. We've found models that are slow to cool food or struggle to maintain a stable temperature.

Read our fridge freezer reviews to avoid one of these models.

Roast beef recipes from top chefs