Eye of Round Roast is an outstanding beef roast for your all of your special occasion meals, including your upcoming holiday meals! And, whether you are a veteran cook or a beginner cook, it's a great choice for everyone when you know how to prepare it right!
This post is sponsored by the Certified Angus Beef ® brand in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.
If I had to pick a perfect roast beef recipe for special occasions I would have to say beef tenderloin tops the list. It's hard to beat that tender beef that literally melts in your mouth. But let's face it, beef tenderloin roasts can be pricey. Thankfully, there is an alternative. This delicious, tender eye of round roast beef makes a great special occasion delicious roast beef with great flavor that won't bust your budget!
What is Beef Eye of Round Roast?
Eye of the Round Roast is a cut of beef from the round portion, or hindquarters of the cow. It is a lean cut of meat. It's economical and is perfectly suited for roasting. Because it's so lean, Eye of Round Roast is best cooked to medium rare doneness and cut in thin slices against the grain. This will ensure a tender roast beef.
Eye of Round is not like a chuck roast that needs hours of cooking to break down the connective tissue. If you follow my instructions, you will get a fall apart eye of round roast that is special occasion worthy!
BLOGGER TIP--> When shopping for Eye of Round Roast, look for Certified Angus Beef ® brand. Because of their standards, your lean Eye of Round Roast will be tender and flavorful.
Tips for Cooking Eye of Round Roast
You might be intimidated by the thought of roasting a large hunk of meat but, with the right tools, you'll see it's very easy to prepare a delicious and tender roast beef dinner!
Here's a few tips to prepare a perfect eye round roast:
- Download the FREE Roast Perfect app from Certified Angus Beef ® brand. This free app makes roasting a snap! It will help you choose the right sized beef roast for the amount of people you need to feed. It not only has beef roast buying tips but it also has roast calculators, a cook timer, store locator, and lots of recipes. This app will help guide you to roasting perfection. You do not need the app to prepare this roast beef, but it is helpful!
- Make sure you have an instant read meat thermometer! Use the Roast Perfect app cook timer as a guide and check the internal temperature of the Eye of Round Roast with a thermometer. Instant read thermometers can be purchased just about anywhere and most are relatively inexpensive.
- Always place roast on a wire rack in a shallow pan. You don't need to have a special roasting pan. I've roasted on quarter sheet pans and I've roasted on traditional roasting pans. As long as the pan is shallow and has sides, you are good to go. Placing the roast on a wire rack in your chosen pan will help ensure your Eye of Round roast cooks evenly.
- Make sure you keep a sheet of aluminum foil handy for tenting once your roast has reached the temperature of your desired doneness. Resting is a very important part of the roasting process. It allows the juices to redistribute back into the muscle fibers so your roast stays moist. Remember, your roast will continue to cook a bit while it's resting. The temperature will increase by 5 to 10 degrees F during this phase. So, it's important to remove the roast from the oven with an internal temperature about 10 degrees F less than the desired degree of doneness temperature. Eye of Round Roast should be cooked to no more than medium rare for best flavor and tenderness. (For medium rare, remove the roast when the internal temperature reaches around 125 degrees F, tent with foil, allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.)
- Have a sharp knife or an electric knife ready for carving. Make sure you slice against the grain to maximize tenderness. I like using an electric knife to get the slices as thin as I can. My kitchen knives never seem to be sharp enough to slice my eye roast as thin as I like it.
- Have a good cutting board ready! (I like to carve the roast on a wooden cutting board.)
What is the Eye of Round Roast Cooking Time?
As I mentioned earlier, this Eye of Round Roast is best cooked to no more than a medium rare doneness. An Eye of Round Roast cooked to medium rare doneness has a warm red center and a final internal temperature of 135 degrees F. (57 degrees F)
To achieve a medium rare doneness, remove your roast from the oven when the instant read thermometer reads around 125 degrees F (52 degrees C) and let the roast rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The internal temperature will climb another 5 to 10 degrees F while resting. It's very important to let your roast rest.
- Rare Eye of Round Roast - cool red center, internal temperature of finished roast around 125 degrees F.
- FOR BEST RESULTS: Medium rare Eye of Round Roast (RECOMMENDED) - warm red center, internal temperature of finished roast around 135 degrees F.
- Medium, medium well, and well done degrees of doneness NOT recommended for an Eye of Round Roast!
Eye of Round Roast Recipe
There are many recipes for seasoning Eye of Round Roasts, but this eye of round roast recipe with garlic, thyme, and rosemary is a foolproof recipe. It's my favorite and I hope it will become yours too! My secret for a great tasting roast is pre-seasoning.
For best results, I like to coat the roast with the seasoning mixture the night before I plan to roast it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let the flavor soak in overnight. Then I mix a combination of melted unsalted butter, olive oil, and fresh garlic and drizzle it over the beef roast right before cooking it.
With this recipe, you will start cooking the roast on a very high oven temperature, 450 degrees F. This will sear the roast and help to keep it tender.
After 15 minutes, you will lower the temperature of the oven down to 325 degrees F and allow the roast beef to cook until the internal temperature reaches 120 to 125 degrees F (medium rare). Again, medium rare doneness is what will allow the meat to be fall apart tender. Any longer, and it will be tough. This is why cooking this cut of beef is not recommended for an Instant Pot nor a slow cooker.
What do I need to make an Eye of Round Roast?
- 2.5 pound eye of round roast beef
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
- dried thyme
- dried rosemary
- unsalted butter
- olive oil
- garlic
- shallow pan to fit roast with a wire rack or roasting pan with a rack
Serving Suggestions for Eye of Round Roast
Eye of Round Roast pairs perfectly with this Easy Mushroom Rice Pilaf , Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes or Country Style Green Beans. Think outside the box and serve it with this delicious Sage and Onion Stuffing!
It goes great with beef gravy too, but I wouldn't suggest trying to make a pan sauce from beef drippings because this roast is just so lean, there won't be much to work with. There are many wonderful already prepared gravies you can find at your grocers to compliment.
To make this perfect eye of round roast a little more festive, serve it with buttery Béarnaise sauce. You can make it from scratch, or take the easy way out like I do, and buy it in a packet mix.
Béarnaise sauce compliments this lean roast perfectly and turns ordinary roast beef into an amazing special occasion roast beef dinner you'll be proud to serve your family for the holidays...or any special occasion!
What others are saying about this outstanding eye of round roast recipe:
Pinterest User nKelley4444 says: "It came out amazing! Thank you for sharing!! It’s the first time I didn’t overcook the roast!! My family loved it!!"
Pinterest User lfaser says: "Delish! 2nd time making it. Followed recipe except I seared roast on stovetop 4 min each big side-1 mine on each of the other 4. Cooked 2lb roast at 325 just shy of 40 minutes. Med Rare perfection!"
Pinterest User JuliannaH1993 says: "This recipe is absolutely amazing!!! The flavor!!
Yield: 4 servings
Perfect Eye of Round Roast
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 70 MinInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 25 H & 20 M
Lean and tender, this Eye of Round Roast cooked to a medium rare degree of doneness and sliced thin against the grain is a great economical roast beef choice for any special occasion meal.
Ingredients
- 2.5 pound (Certified Angus Beef ®) Eye of Round Roast
- 1 TBSP kosher salt
- 1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic powder
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- One day before planning on cooking roast: In small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, dried thyme leaves, and dried rosemary.
- Rub spice mixture all over Eye of Round Roast and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight.
- Remove roast from refrigerator, take off plastic wrap, and place on rack in shallow pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In small bowl, combine melted butter, olive oil, and minced garlic. Drizzle mixture over roast coating well.
- Once oven has reached 450 degrees F place roast in oven and close door. Sear roast at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. (Use the cook timer on the Roast Perfect app!)
- When timer goes off after 15 minutes, turn oven down to 325 degrees F. Set timer to roast for approximately 40 minutes. Check for doneness at 40 minutes. If cooking to medium rare, you'll want the thermometer to read 120 to 125 degrees in the thickest part of the roast. If it's not there yet, return to oven in 10 minute increments, checking internal temperature each time. Once the roast is at 120 to 125 degrees F remove from oven and tent with foil. (All ovens cook differently. If you desire a different degree of doneness from medium rare, please refer to the text in the blog post for internal temperatures that match your desired degrees of doneness).
- Allow roast to rest for at least 10 - 15 minutes. I find the longer it rests, the less juices are released when carving. So be patient!
Notes
Prep Time does not include overnight refrigeration time. Cook time may vary according to desired degree of doneness and how well your oven retains heat
Nutrition Facts
Calories
369.88Fat (grams)
15.32 gSat. Fat (grams)
6.5 gCholesterol (grams)
15.27 mgCarbs (grams)
2.18 gFiber (grams)
0.41 gSugar (grams)
0.04 gNet carbs
1.77 gProtein (grams)
56.42 gSodium (milligrams)
1867.74 mgNutritional Information provided is an estimate and does not include sauce.
Copyright © 2018 Renee's Kitchen Adventures
That is one gorgeous roast! I have got to give eye of round a try!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bobbi! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
DeleteI love this recipe! So flavorful! I cooked the roast then sliced into thin slices for sandwiches and better than any deli meat. I am trying it in my instant pot next.
DeleteI love this recipe, perfect medium rare. Leftovers I sliced thin and used it for sandwiches- better than any deli meat! I am trying in next in Instant pot.
DeleteHi Chinadoll! Thanks so much for your review! You'll have to let me know if you have success in an Instant Pot. I have not tried that method with this roast. I sort of really love the oven method too much! haha
DeleteI made this roast last night and it was pretty rare. I was almost too scared to eat it even though that's how I like my steak. I have left overs , is it still safe to eat cold or not ? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your question! Yes, it's still wonderful to eat cold. We like to do French Dip sandwiches with the leftovers. If you're worried about it being too rare, you can always leave it in the oven until the internal thermometer reads around 140 degrees F. It might not be as tender as it would have been a bit rarer, but it will still be delicious.
DeleteI don't know where u get that it has to be cooked rare or med rare to be tender. I cook mine well and it's juicy and so tender u can cut it with the side of your fork. I dust mine with a little season flour and sear it in a skillet. Then remove and place it in a Dutch oven. I make a thin gravy in the skillet I sear it in and pour that over the roast pop it in the oven and let it cook till a fork enters the meat with ease. About 4 to 6hrs for 3lbs. Remove from oven let it rest for 30mins and slice in thin pieces although it falls apart sometimes from being so tender.
DeleteHi and thanks for your comment. It's been my experience, and through the knowledge I've gained over working with chefs that primarily work with beef, that rare to medium rare for this particular cut of roast beef is best for flavor and texture. I'm happy to hear your method comes out well for you though. There just isn't enough connective tissue and fat in the eye of round roasts I have made over the years to produce this sort of outcome and I've found much better success cooking it to rare-medium rare degree of doneness.
DeleteI'm so glad I found this recipe! I was looking for something simple that didn't take hours and hours to cook and this fit the bill! Delicious and easy.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you so much for your review! I'm so happy it was the perfect recipe for you! It's one of my favorites!
DeleteI made this roast yesterday and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe. Do you have a French Dip recipe for the leftovers?
ReplyDeleteHi NancSu56! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe and thank you for your review. Unfortunately, I do not have a recipe posted on this blog for french dip with leftovers, but I do make it with leftovers from this roast. What I do is heat a can of beef consumme with some water and then put the cold leftover roast in the broth to heat then serve on toasted rolls.
DeleteMaking this tonight, but we have an almost 4 lb eye of round. Do we need to sear it longer? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Mandy! No, you shouldn't need to sear any longer. Hope you enjoyed it!
DeleteMy mom and I made this last week and it was AMAZING! We are making another one again this week because it was so popular with our family!
ReplyDeleteHi Abigail! Thank you so much for your wonderful review. I'm so happy your family enjoyed this recipe!
DeleteI made the roast 2 weeks ago. I'm making another one tonight. But I would like to make easy bearnaise sauce that is guaranteed not to separate. Do you have one
ReplyDeleteHi Jack! Thanks for stopping by. I do not have a recipe for bearnaise sauce, but I do like the mix you can buy in the packets by the gravy in your grocery store. It seems to have a good flavor and hold up well without breaking. Hope this helps.
DeleteThis turned out perfectly. I've never made one before. I did change the time to 15 minutes at 450 and 20 at 325. My oven runs hot. It turned out tender and super tasty!
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you so much for your review. I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe.
DeleteI made this Eye Round Roast exactly as directed! It was absolutely delicious and tender! This recipe is a KEEPER!
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you for your candid review. I'm so very happy you enjoyed this recipe.
DeleteIs it necessary to leave overnight with spices. Can I do it an hour before only
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you for your question. Overnight is best, but however long you can leave them on there before cooking is fine! Enjoy!
DeleteCan I make this a day or two ahead
ReplyDeleteHello and thanks for your question. You can make it ahead of time if you plan on serving it cold. I do not recommend reheating to serve as warm roast beef. It does make excellent cold sandwiches and French Dip Sandwiches. (Reheat meat by placing into warm broth for those) Hope this helps!
DeleteDo you place fat side up in the pan? Middle rack in the oven?
ReplyDeleteHello! Yes, fat side up (although many times there isn't a visible fat cap) and yes, middle of the oven. Hope this helps!
DeleteIs cooking time the same if I have two 2.5 lb. roasts or do I need to cook longer?
ReplyDeleteHello and thanks for your question. If you have two separate roasts, each around 2.5 pounds a piece, and you plan to cook at the same time, you should not need to increase the cook time. But the most important thing would be to check the roasts with an instant read thermometer for best results.
DeleteHello Renee! Merry Christmas!
DeleteDo I need to increase cook time if my roast is 7lbs? Thanks, Beth
Hi Beth! You can find the answer to your question in the app mentioned in the article above. Yes, you will most likely need to increase cook time, but the app will tell you just how long that will be. Hope this helps!
DeleteHello. If I make a larger pound roast about how long per pound after the first 15 minute seat? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHello! You can find the answer to that question in the app mentioned in the article. Hope this helps!
Deletewe dont usually eat beef but I made this for Christmas and put in crock pot —sooo good with some horseradish on the side - thanks for sharing your recipe!
ReplyDelete~Diane
Made this tonight for my family of 6 (4 kids under 10) and we LOVED IT! The cooking instructions were perfect! This is a keeper for sure! Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your review! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
DeleteRoast beef has been my favorite dinner since I was a little girl. My gram would cook it every Sunday. This is my second time making and it is absolutely WONDERFUL ♥️ Thank you😊
ReplyDeleteHi Abby! Thanks for your comment and I'm so very happy you enjoy this recipe!
DeleteWow!!! Followed your exact instructions. Roast was perfectly medium rare and oh so tender! Will definitely be making again. Thank you for such a great recipe!
ReplyDeleteHello and thank you so much for your review! I'm so pleased you had success and enjoyed this recipe!
DeleteLove this roast. Have been using this recipe for a couple of years and it always turns out delicious
ReplyDeleteHello! Thank you for your review. I am so very happy you enjoy this roast!! It's definitely a keeper in my family!
DeleteI have been eating this roast my entire life! My mom made it at least three times a month. Her recipe is a bit different because she seasons flour then shakes the roast up in the bag. And then puts extra seasonings on top like garlic powder, and paprika. Sometimes she would sprinkle a tiny little sugar on top to caramelize... the flour keeps the juices from running out when it cooks. It is definitely my favorite dinner. Especially with roasted potatoes and asparagus! Loved seeing this recipe!
ReplyDeleteHello and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! It is a great roast and it sounds like your mom did an excellent job preparing it!! Love the idea of adding a little sugar.
DeleteI made a small roast (1.89lb) and followed your directions. It came out perfect! I usually don't have good luck cooking beef, so I was very happy! This is a definite keeper!
ReplyDeleteHi and thank you for your review! I'm so happy this recipe worked for you!
DeleteMade this last night and it turned out perfectly❤️ Thank you so much!! I get nervous about cooking beef because I haven’t cooked with it as much. This recipe made it look like I knew what I was doing😉
ReplyDeleteHello and thank you for your comment. I'm so happy you had success with this recipe!
DeleteI made this today and it was fabulous. I didn’t do the rub the day before but will next time. It was very tender and had a great flavor.
ReplyDeleteHi and thanks for the review! I am very happy it turned out well for you. I think you will love it even more with the rub. :)
DeletePerfect recipe! 2lb roast perfectly medium rare at 40min. Great flavor, doing the pre seasoning night before is key!
ReplyDeleteHi Holly! I'm so happy you had great success with this method and recipe. And I agree, seasoning ahead of time makes a difference. Thanks so much for your review!
DeleteThis recipe produced a delicious roast. Very juicy and flavorful. Thank you!
ReplyDelete