Dinner is ready to be leveled up with this smoke-kissed beef roast made tender and juicy on your charcoal or gas grill. This simple recipe is so much more delicious than oven-roasted beef and is perfect for any skill level.
When I think of roast beef, I think of low and slow cooking in a roasting pan filled with veggies and a crisp fall afternoon. I certainly don’t think open flame, charcoal, and a barbecue. Grill-roasted beef? Not something I’d ever tried.
Until now.
A roast holds masses of flavor at a less expensive price. It also comes in a manageable size for dinner with loads of room for a few inventive meals from the leftovers.
Classic oven-cooked roast beef is hard to top in the down-home comfort food category, but after making grill-roasted beef, I may never go back.
So if you haven’t tried cooking on the grill yet, this is the perfect opportunity for you to do so.
What You'll Need
First of all, start with good beef. Now, by ‘good’ I don’t mean go buy the most expensive cut you can afford.
You can find a great cut that is affordable, overlooked, and loaded with flavor!
A sirloin tip roast is one of my favorites. It’s a lean cut from the round (which is a great muscle for flavor).
Because it’s a well-used muscle, it isn’t as tender as others, so it’s ideal for a slower cook. But in my opinion, one of the best for grilling, especially when it’s all said and done and sliced thin for sandwiches, or… just for nibbling.
Grilling roast beef is easier than you think. And, duh, you can do it outdoors. Double win right?
Most of us think about holiday meals and carolers by the window while the roast is simmering along in the oven. And I am not trying to take that idyllic vision of a holiday roast away from you.
But I’m going to add another version to your mental tally.
So gather your grilling tools recipe ingredients and let's learn how to grill a roast on the grill!
How to Grill a Beef Roast
Grilling a roast can be intimidating but don’t let that deter you! Most people love grilling for thin cuts, like steaks and burgers where some heat and a few fancy spatula flips can make magic happen. But grilling a whole roast can be an idea that many never even take on.
When it comes to grilling cuts of beef roast there really isn’t too much of a distinction between turning the oven on and letting things get preheated. It really is simple!
In this recipe, we are using a charcoal grill (I also share what to do if using a gas grill).
We will be creating a charcoal heat source that is able to withstand the continuance of the cooking and grilling while the lid is closed so that we can have that convection heat for even cooking that is so crucial.
How Long Does it Take to Cook a Roast on the Grill?
First, you have to take the grill to a balanced temperature for 30 minutes. How long the roast will take to cook is dependent on the size and the heat on the grill. Obviously, the bigger the weight is, the longer it is to cook.
This is where an internal thermometer becomes super helpful.
A 3-pound roast with a grill around 350-400 degrees will take about a one-hour cooking time to reach an inner temperature of 125 degrees and 20 minutes to rest before slicing.
Should I use a Sirloin or a Chuck Roast?
What is the difference between sirloin and chuck roast? Is one better than the other? The obvious answer is they are cuts from different areas of the cow but more importantly is why one is preferred over the other for grilling.
I prefer the sirloin for this recipe because it is more tender and doesn’t need extra moisture. A chuck roast is more appropriate for the low and slow oven roasting method or for cooking to shred (a higher internal temperature)
A Roast You Can Make at a Cookout
Seriously. Want to level up your backyard barbecue? Take tailgating to the max? In less than 90 minutes you are ready to serve your guests.
Slice it up into thick slabs, or thin slices for sandwiches dripping with flavor. This grill-roasted beef recipe is what you need the next time you pull out the charcoal.
Stay tuned because later this week I show you a great recipe to use up any leftovers; Roast beef wraps with Dill Slaw.
How to Use Your Leftovers
I know you have leftovers 😉 Here's what you should do with them!
If you’ve tried my Grill-Roasted Beef recipe or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram@passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter& Facebook.
Grill-Roasted Beef
Grill-roasted beef is a classic beef sirloin roast, cooked to perfection on a charcoal or gas grill. A bit healthier and so much more delicious than oven-roasted beef.
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 3 lbs top sirloin roast, trimmed of all visible fat
- 1 (13 x 9 inch) disposable aluminum roasting pan
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with salt mixture.
- Wrap the roast with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
- Punch fifteen ¼-inch holes in the center of the roasting pan, which should be about the size of the roast, and set aside.
For a charcoal grill:
- Open the bottom grill vents completely.
- Light a large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (50 briquettes; 3 quarts).
- When the coals are hot, spread them in an even layer over one-third of the grill.
- Set the cooking grate in place, cover and open the lid vents halfway. Heat the grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill:
- Turn all burgers to high, cover and heat the grill until got, about 15 minutes.
- Turn the primary burner to medium and turn off the other burners. (Adjust the primary burner as needed to maintain the grill temperature around 325 degrees F.)
Once Your Grill is Ready
- Clean and oil the cooking grate.
- Place the roast on the hotter part of the grill and cook (covered if using gas) until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning as needed.
- Place the roast in the pan over the holes and transfer the pan to the cooler part of the grill.
- Cover (positioning the lid vents over the meat if using charcoal) and cook until the roast registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 40 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Transfer the roast to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board and cut across the grain into thin slices.
Notes
from America’s Test Kitchen Light & Healthy 2011
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1114mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 40g
Nutrition information provided is an estimate from nutritionix.com. For specific health concerns, please put the recipe into your Dr recommended nutrition calculator.
Belinda @zomppa says
Tough to beat a good roast - especially on these upcoming cooler days!
Laurie @SimplyScratch says
Umm hell yeah! This looks soooo good. I can't wait to see the leftovers!!
Chris @ TheKeenanCookBook says
Love roast beef, though never made it on the grill. Gonna have to give it a shot before I pack the grill away for winter. Roast beef leftovers are probably the best leftovers in the world, imo btw 🙂
Peggy says
Oh girl! I may have to start eating red meat more often now! This roast sounds incredible - and I bet the leftovers make wonderful sandwiches!
Blog is the New Black says
Brilliant idea, friend!
Eating Deliciously says
Great idea to use the grill! I'm not ready to put my grill away yet so I'll be making this very soon.
Kim Bee says
Oh my this looks so good. It's cooked to perfection. Think I need to grill this week.
Stephanie says
I love the idea of using the grill to make this roast beef!! It looks so juicy and delicious! And you can throw it together so quickly! Love it.
Lacy says
Wow this looks amazing! i've only done the slow roasting but this looks fantastic!
Parsley Sage says
BAM! That's one sexy ass chunk of beef. Color me stupid, I didn't even realize you could roast beef on a grill. Bet the leftovers are genius!
Curt says
Awesome!
Always better on the grill. And even in the midst of the Wisconsin winters, my grill never gets put away.
Isabelle @ Crumb says
Love this! Roast beef is one of my favourite comfort foods, but I never make it in the summer because I can't stand to run the oven for that long when it's hot outside. So using a grill instead of the oven? Genius!
Anthony says
Right up my street, love it! I never put the barbeque away and have been known to use it when 25 deg F! (-3 C). We always do our Christmas turkey in the Weber. The beef looks stunningly tender and nice and grilled on the outside. I'm hungry now.
Jamie @ the unseasoned wok says
Kita this meat looks like it's perfectly done. My husband would love you. Whenever it comes to beef, he handles it because no one can get it as perfect as he can.
Liz @ Southern Charm says
Yum ... talk about mouth watering!
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride says
Just saw this on Tastespotting and I had to click over because this looks SOOOO good!
Cassie @ Bake Your Day says
That looks totally perfect and I love the simple seasoning. We usually stick to olive oil, salt and pepper to season red meat and it's always awesome. The garlic sounds like a great addition too!
Ann says
Stunning! It's cooked to perfection! (great pics as always)
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
This roasted beef is perfectly done. I don't have a roasted beef recipe, so I'm keeping this recipe to try one day.
Eliot says
Great idea--it looks mouth watering. Rosemary? I am there!
Kimberly (Unrivaledkitch) says
only you can make a huge chunk of meat look like a platter of beautiful love. MMmmmm beef!
Deborah says
This looks like a perfect roast beef!
Otto says
I can't find any comment on here from someone who actually made this recipe (yes, we all know it looks amazing lol), so I'll give the first one...Beyond 5 stars! This roast turned out better than any other we've ever cooked in an oven or slow cooker, amazing flavour but also cooked perfectly at all places (this was always difficult for me before) easy too. Added a couple wood chips to the bbq too. After years of searching for perfect roast recipe, I've found it, thanks:D
Mary-Jo Downie says
The BBQ roast beef was delicious
Robin says
Made this this evening, and even though we had a cheaper roast, this turned out perfect. I took the roast off the grill at 120F and let it sit for about 20 minutes. It looked like it came out of a food magazine 🙂 Will definitely do again!
Kita says
Thank you so much for leaving a comment, Robin! I am glad you enjoyed this one.
LJB says
Step 1: Turn all burgers to high??
Kita says
Yep, preheating the grill. Further down, there are instructions to reduce the heat before putting the roast in. Hope you guys have a great meal!