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My Spicy Top Round Roast recipe is slow cooked all day in your crockpot for an incredibly tender and flavorful roast. With just a few ingredients you can whip it up in minutes, set it and forget it.
Want to get the most out of your slow cooker? We’ve got tons of slow cooker recipes to try! Some of our favorites are also our most popular, like Crockpot Ribs, Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers and Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Drumsticks.
My house never nevers smells better than the day I’ve had a roast beef cooking in the slow cooker all day. This Easy Top Round Roast recipe is one of my favorites because it’s not only amazingly delicious, it’s amazingly simple. You only need a few ingredients – top round roast, butter, beef broth and pepperoncinis. I also add a little bit of the juice from the pepperoncinis for extra flavor a just a little bit of heat.
Ingredients
- Top Round Roast – I always buy a couple when they’re on sale. It makes a super delicious roast beef in the crockpot!
- Salt and Pepper – Usually I say this is a given, but it’s the only seasoning you’ll use. You can add a little garlic powder or fresh garlic if you want.
- Pepperoncini – You know those little peppers in the jar that you always see on Olive Garden Salad? Yup, throw a bunch of those bad boys in there, along with a little bit of the juice. It’s what give this roast its heat.
- Beef Broth – not a lot, but enough to add flavor and make the meat nice and juicy.
- Butter – You’re going to use a lot of butter, a whole stick in fact. This also helps to make the meat tender and juicy, and adds a little bit of fat that the meat might be lacking.
How to Cook Top Round Roast in the Slow Cooker
- Season your roast. It’s so important to season your roast with salt because it helps to not only improve he flavor but to break down the tissue making the meat more tender.
- Add the beef roast, some pepperoncinis (plus some of the juice), beef broth to the pot. You could also use some red wine instead of the broth if you like.
- Top the meat with pats of butter. The butter helps to form a crust on top of the meat, and also adds a creaminess to the liquid (which makes for an excellent gravy).
- Cook the top round roast on low. You can cook it on high if you need to, but I recommend low and slow for any kind of roast. Higher heat can dry it out and make the meat more chewy so while you can cook on high, I recommend using the low setting.
FAQs
Top Round Roast beef is a budget friendly, lean cut of meat, so slow cooking can tremendously improve the flavor and texture. Sometimes top round is wrongly labeled as Bottom round roast or London Broil which is actually a cooking method rather than a cut of meat. If you can’t find this cut, a chuck roast is the best alternative.
Cooking top round in the crockpot helps to preserve its tenderness. Slice it thin or shred it for sandwiches or just for serving over mashed potatoes or rice.
If I’m planning to make gravy I definitely brown the roast in olive oil because it adds so much flavor. If you don’t have time you can skip it. For Top Round Roast, I don’t always brown it because I usually shred the meat rather than slice it.
Top round is very lean, and as such it’s a rather inexpensive cut as well.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftovers in an airtight container with some of the juices. When reheating, do so with the juices, or add more beef broth to keep the meat from drying out. Keep in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Freeze top round roast beef in a freezer bag, tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge and reheat as directed above. Freeze for up to 4-6 months.
Recipe Notes
- Want it spicier? Try add a couple of jalapeños instead of pepperoncinis.
- Feel free to add in some fresh garlic and onion for added flavor.
- Add some root veggies, like potatoes and carrots, to bulk up your meal.
- Save the juices to make a pan gravy. You could also thicken it right in the slow cooker like I do with my Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
- Want to make it in the Instant Pot instead? Follow the in this Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe.
More Slow Cooker Recipes to Love
- Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
- Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes (Slow Cooker)
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Slow Cooker Spicy Top Round Roast
Ingredients
- 3 pound Top Round Roast
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 5-10 pepperoncini plus 1 tablespoon of the juice
- 15 ounce can Beef broth
- ½ cup Butter 1 stick, cut into 8 pieces
Instructions
- Rub roast all over with salt and pepper and place into a slow cooker. Place the butter on top of the roast and the pepperoncinis around it. Carefully pour the beef broth around the roast, and not over the top. Cover with the lid.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-7 hours.
- Shred meat into chunks and serve with rice or mashed potatoes, spooning the juices over the top. Or, stuff into tacos or burritos.
Notes
- Save the juices from your slow cooker to make gravy.
- Want it spicier? Try add a couple of jalapenos instead of pepperoncinis.
- Feel free to add in some fresh garlic and onion for added flavor.
- Add some root veggies, like potatoes and carrots, to bulk up your meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
For how long should the roast be cooked on low? I did not see the time in the recipe.
Hi Lisa, It’s instruction #2: Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-7 hours. Enjoy!
Being the next day now, I’d like to comment that it tasted great and was tender! Now thinking back, I should have left it in for that fall apart tenderness?
I appreciate you coming back and leaving another comment! Beef roasts generally do best cooked low and slow. That’s how to get them super tender and fall apart delicious. I hope you’ll give it another try!
YIKES! I put my inside round roast in at 7:30 am and by 12:30 pm, the temperature of the roast was 180 degrees! Way to long of a cook time. Other websites said 3-4 hours and I should have followed one of those. Supper isn’t for 4 hours and I’m afraid this roast is now a waste.
Hi Penny, I’d love to help you troubleshoot. If you google “slow cooker top round roast” the first 5 recipes (mine included) have roughly the same cook time. Did you cook the roast on high or on low? If it was on low perhaps your slow cooker runs hot? Feel free to comment back and I’ll try to help you figure it out. Also, dinner is definitely not a waste. If it cooked too quickly you could refrigerate and reheat at dinnertime.
Hello i used a beef top round roast I cooked it 8+in slow cooker and my meat Is still a little tough. Should I put in oven? I added 1 hr and 1/2 to slow cook will let you know if that helps.
If the meat is still tough, you could cook for an additional 30-60 minutes.
I love the flavors but my top round was well done after 6 hours on low and sadly, was not tender. I will try a different cut of beef next time. I was hoping for sandwiches but it’s a little to tough. Great juices!
Sorry it didn’t work out for you. Some slow cookers run hotter than others, and not all roasts are created equal. I hope you’ll try it again, maybe for a shorter time.
Hi, I’ve heard that for slow-cooked “Pot Roast” you want to use a fat-heavy cut like Chuck Roast, and that Top Roast may not be a good cut to use for slow cooking/braising. I guess adding the butter (fat) helps with this?
It does, but the low and slow method also makes it quite tender and juicy.
Looked so good that I just put everything in the crock pot to cook all night.
I had all chicken broth but no beef . Ugh!
I put in a jar of au jus beef gravy and some water.
I be back to post results
What temperature should the top round be to shred?
If you cook it for the time listed in the recipe, it will be perfect for shredded. It’s hard to go with a temperature because meat needs time to become tender in order to shred it.
So good and so easy! My husband and I are big fans of Italian beef sandwiches so that’s how I served it , with sauce for dipping on the side. It was perfect I will definitely make that again.
It was delicious and very simple to make! I made it with a piece of top round roast several weeks ago and made mashed potatoes and it was wonderful! The flavor reminded me of Italian beef. I plan to make it again tomorrow with a chuck pot roast and hope it turns out just as tasty!
Love the feedback MarieRo! Thanks for stopping by.
I wonder if I want to cook potatoes and carrots with the roast should I put them in at the same time?
You can, but they might get mushy. You could always add them 2 hours at the end.
Best roast I’ve ever made! I finally have found a keeper recipe that I will make again and again. Juicy and full of flavor and so simple to make
Love the feedback Ruth! Thank you so much for stopping by.
K.
So yummy & simple to make!! Loved the flavor!
Awesome feedback Ashley! Thanks for stopping by.
What do you do with the butter: “1 stick cut into 8 pieces”. Last item on ingredient list. Oh, now I see in picture, you placed on top of roast in crockpot. Just not listed in instructions.
Hi Susan, in the first line of instruction it tells you to “add remaining ingredients” which includes the butter. But I will add the specific method to make it less confusing.
Is Top Round Roast the same as Top Round Steak?
It’s close, but it’s not the same thing. Both cuts come from the “round” section of the cow near the rear leg, but are cut differently. You could not substitute one for the other.
This roast was amazing! It was so tender we could have cut it with a butter knife. Will definitely be making it again. Made mashed potatoes and green beans and was great comfort food on a cold December night. The pepperoncinis gave it a tangy, slightly spicy taste, but not hot. This recipe turned what is usually a tough cut of meat into a mouthwatering treat.
Awesome Feedback Kara! Thank you so much for stopping by.