The Absolute Best Way To Reheat Roast Beef Without Losing Tenderness

Tasty, tender, and full of flavor, perfectly cooked roast beef is one of those meals that always feels special — "a proper, stand-up-and-clap feast" according to the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson. Whether it's the centerpiece of a holiday or a feel-good family dinner, whether you prefer it medium-rare or on the well-done side, it's hard to resist diving in for another slice.

From pricier premium cuts — think tenderloin, prime rib, and strip loin — to slow-cooked pot roasts, there's no denying roast beef requires time and effort. It's the kind of dish that makes every guest appreciate the chef's hard work. Quite often a large cut of meat also means there are leftovers. And while cold roast beef certainly has its place, nothing beats it hot. But it can also be a little daunting if you're not confident about reheating it properly.

Reheating can dry out your roast beef if it's not done right, and you risk losing all that juicy, tender texture. What you really want to do is reheat it without cooking it further, and avoid making your lovingly roasted meat dry and tough. So what should you do to make the second time round just as delicious? From microwave or skillet to oven or Crockpot, there are a number of options — but which works best?

If your meat is well-done, a skillet or microwave can be one of the easiest ways to reheat it, without the need for any special equipment. It's worth slicing the leftover roast beef before you put it in the fridge, so you can heat individual slices as required. Heating each slide for a couple of minutes on either side in a medium-hot skillet will warm the meat without drying it out, or for the microwave, reheat the sliced meat with its juices at 30-second intervals so you can keep an eye on it. 

Another option is simmering slices of roast beef in a water bath, also known by the French term sous-vide. You'll need to place the meat in a vacuum-sealed bag before it goes in the water bath — but while this method stops the meat from overcooking, it also requires special equipment.

And what if you want to reheat your roast beef whole? How do you stop a big hunk of beef from overcooking while still making sure it's nice and hot? Using a Crockpot or slow-cooker is one method for reheating larger pieces of meat, just make sure that there's plenty of liquid added to keep it moist and use the warm setting. But, as the name suggests, it's not a quick option — you could be looking at a few hours depending on the size, and it's not always the safest or most effective way to reach the USDA recommended internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you're reheating a whole roast beef, your best bet is to use the oven. You'll just need to follow a few key rules to ensure it stays juicy and tender. It all depends on how you cooked your roast beef in the first place — and how you stored your delicious leftovers. And, surprisingly, it involves preheating your oven, then turning it off and using the residual heat.

If your beef was cooked medium-rare, you'll need to preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the meat in foil, and place it on a baking tray. Once the oven has reached temperature, turn it off and put the tray in — it will take around 20 minutes to warm up in the residual heat. For a medium roast, the oven temperature should reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit before turning it off, and it will take around five minutes if your meat was kept in the fridge, or around eight minutes if it was in the freezer. For meat that's medium to well-done, the oven temperature should reach 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a meat probe thermometer helps ensure it's at the desired temperature before serving.

So for the best results, reheating your roast beef to perfection just takes an oven — though one that's turned off rather than on. Who'd have thought?