If pot roast and a beef ragu had a baby, it would be this slow-cooked rump roast dish. Simmered in the oven in a savory, tomatoey sauce, this beef rump recipe is rich, cozy, and 100 percent comforting.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Slow Cooked Beef Recipes
This slow-cooked rump roast is a little different from the classic beef roast and is more akin to pot roast or beef ragu. In fact, you can serve it as either of those two dishes.
It starts with seared beef rump, which slow-braises in the oven with herbs, garlic, and a savory tomato-beef broth that turns into the kind of sauce you’ll want to lick off your plate (no judgment). The meat gets fall-apart tender, perfect for serving over mashed potatoes—or shredding into a rustic ragu for pasta night.
I’ve made this one a bunch of times and tweaked it to balance richness, acidity, and all the cozy vibes. Bonus: it’s budget-friendly and easy to adapt to your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
If you want something hearty, affordable, and totally soul-soothing, give it a try. Check more of my comfort food recipes. You may also like my boneless turkey breast in a slow cooker or my slow cooker steak bites.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this slow-cooked rump roast recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Beef rump roast or any slow-cook-friendly beef like chuck or brisket.
- Onion, carrot, celery — the classic trifecta flavor base that makes every sauce magic. Garlic, which when slow cooked, will leave that mellow flavor without being too pungent.
- Beef stock — better than water as it adds more depth and umami (use a cube if you’re in a pinch).
- Tomato passata or tinned tomatoes — brings that ragu-like richness and acidity.
- Worcestershire sauce — adds umami and a tiny tang, it’s such a great condiment for beef. I use it in my Bolognese, Big Mac wraps, and Big Mac salad, in beef and mushroom stew, and in my popular oven-baked brisket recipe.
- Herbs and spices: cinnamon — just a whisper – for subtle warmth, it adds subtle warmth, fresh rosemary and sage — earthy, woodsy, perfect with beef; salt and paper, season in layers and taste as you go.
- Optional: A splash of milk or cream at the end for a smoother ragu, this is if you want to serve it over pasta.
- To serve: Fresh parsley for brightness, Parmesan if serving with pasta, it’s a must; side can be pasta, mashed potatoes, or roasted veggies.
How To Make Slow-Cooked Rump Roast
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for slow-cooked rump roast.
- Cut the piece of rump into thick chunks or slices. Sear the beef chunks until browned all over.
- In the same pan, sauté onion, carrot, and celery in butter, then deglaze with half of the stock and add Worcestershire, a little extra salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Combine with tomato puree, garlic, and herbs in a baking dish.
- Nestle the beef in the sauce, cover with foil, and bake at 355°F / 180°C for 60 minutes.
- Add remaining stock after 1 hour, flip the beef, bake another 60 minutes uncovered.
- Spoon liquid over the top, bake 20-30 minutes more until fork-tender.
- Rest under foil, remove rosemary twigs, then serve as roast with sauce or shred for ragu. If shredding for ragu, add extra stock/tomato at the end to make it more saucy.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Sear beef, then combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours.
Instant Pot Method:
- Sear beef using Sauté mode, then add remaining ingredients. Pressure cook for 45 minutes. Let naturally release. Optional: pop into oven uncovered for 15–20 mins to reduce and caramelize the sauce.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- Use the right roasting pan. A deep baking dish or Dutch oven works best.
- Layer the salt. Don’t dump it all in at once—season in steps: when searing the beef, when making the sauce and again towards the end, to taste.
- Tomato too sharp? Stir in a splash of milk or cream at the end, especially if shredding the meat for ragu.
- Want it saucier? Add extra stock + passata at the end when making ragu.
- Freebie tip: Add a Parmesan rind to the sauce while it cooks—so good.
- Other cuts that work: Chuck, blade, or even brisket if you’re feeling fancy.
- Storage Tips: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave, adding a splash of stock if needed.
- Make-Ahead Tips: You can sear the meat and prep the sauce base the day before. Store everything in the baking dish covered in the fridge, then pop it in the oven when ready to cook. The cooked roast actually tastes better the next day—hello, meal prep win!
Serving Suggestions
- For a classic roast dinner, serve it with buttery mashed potatoes or roasted root veggies.
- For pasta night, shred the beef into the sauce and toss it through pappardelle or rigatoni with lots of Parmesan.
- Bonus idea: pile the shredded beef onto crusty rolls with melty cheese for ragu sandwiches.
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Video
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef rump roast about 1 kilogram, cut into 2–3 inch pieces
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 celery rib sliced
- 2 cups beef stock divided
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 1½ cups tomato passata or tinned tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
- Parsley to garnish
- Extra salt to taste
- Optional: extra stock/passata for ragu version
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 355°F / 180°C.
- Cut the beef rump into thick slices and season with a teaspoon of salt and some pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Sear beef pieces for 2 minutes per side in batches until browned. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium, add butter, then onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté briefly, then deglaze a cup of stock, then add Worcestershire, cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir and heat through.
- Transfer mixture to a deep baking dish. Add tomato puree, garlic, sage, and mix through.
- Nestle browned beef into the sauce. Pour over any meat juices. Tuck rosemary around the edges. Cover tightly with foil.
- Roast for 60 minutes.
- Uncover, flip the beef, add remaining cup of stock. Bake for another 60 minutes.
- After 60 minutes, spoon sauce over beef, then bake 20–30 more minutes until meat is fork-tender. The sauce will have reduced and thickened. You will get some sauce splashes on the baking pan, it comes off easily during cleaning.
- Let rest under foil for a few minutes. Remove rosemary sprigs.
- Serve as is, or shred meat and mix into the sauce for ragu. Add extra passata or stock if you want it saucier.
This is great! I put it all in a slow cooker for a few hours and it turned out great. My family loved it!
My family loved this.
Thank you 🙂
This looks delicious and I will be making it for company soon. If using the Instant Pot method, what should the temperature of the oven be for thickening afterwards?
Hey Addie, you could do it at 200 C /395 F to speed things up.
LOVED this! I made it with a chuck roast because it’s what I had on hand, threw it in the slow cooker, and served it over mashed potatoes. It was a nice change of pace from my normal pot roast recipe and will definitely make the Sunday dinner rotation!
Thanks Stephanie for your lovely feedback. Glad it worked with a few leftover bits on hand. Irena
I’ve made a lot of variations of roast beef but this one has something special about it. The warm flavor profile shines through so nicely. It’s in the regular meal prep rotation now.