Eye of Round Roast Beef

This economical Eye of Round Roast Beef Recipe with simple seasoning crust is perfect for a special occasion or weeknight dinner. Using a few simple tricks, learn how to cook eye of round roast that is juicy and tender every single time!

For hands off dinner, we love this eye of round roast in crock pot!

Cooking a whole roast can be intimidating. However, I guarantee you will be making this tender eye of round roast recipe again and again!

Not only does it melt in your mouth, it is very affordable and easy to make. It is great to serve with various side dishes for a Sunday dinner, or during Christmas or Thanksgiving to feed a crowd.

The secret to this juicy roast beef recipe is to dry brine it the night before and follow instructions exactly.

What Is Eye of Round Roast?

Eye of round roast is is a very lean cut of beef without any connective tissues or fat. Therefore, it is a slicing roast and not a good roast for shredding. Rump roast and sirloin tip roast are good cuts of meat to make a pot roast with veggies.

Beef eye of round roast comes from the back leg, hindquarters of the cow, that gets a ton of use. It is a very lean cut and if not cooked properly it will be tough and chewy. Good news are that it is very flavorful and affordable, so if you follow this foolproof recipe you will end up with tender eye of round roast beef.

This recipe for sirloin tip roast is my other favorite affordable, lean cut of meat to cook.

Ingredients and Notes

All you need is just few simple ingredients to make this perfect eye of round roast recipe.

• Beef eye of round roast: There is enough seasoning for 2-4 pounds of roast. If you have a layer of fat, do not trim it. While roasting the eye of round roast, the fat will melt, drip and flavor it.
• Olive oil: Or any other neutral oil like avocado oil.
• Salt: I recommend to use coarse sea salt, kosher salt or himalayan pink salt. Not table salt.
• Dried parsley: Feel free to experiment with other dried herbs like dried oregano, basil or Italian seasoning.
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Red pepper flakes: Adds a bit of heat. You can add more if you like spicy food.
• Paprika: I used regular paprika but smoked paprika would be nice too.
• Coriander: Ground coriander and not seeds. Ground cumin can be substituted.
• Black pepper

How to Cook Eye of Round Roast

Here is a quick overview how to cook eye of round roast recipe in 3 simple steps.

All you have to do is marinate it in salt, roast and let rest. Plan to prep this eye of round roast the night before and up to 1 day in advance.

Dry brine the roast the night before: Rub roast with oil and then with salt, covering all sides. Place in a resealable plastic bag in a bowl and refrigerate for 4-6 hours but best is overnight and up to 24 hours. This step is known as dry-brining.

It is important to have juicy, tender and well-seasoned roast. At first, salt draws out all of the moisture from the meat but returns it back along with seasonings during roasting and resting.

Do not skip this important step!

• Bring roast to room temperature: When ready to make the eye of round roast recipe, remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours before roasting. It will help to cook roast evenly.
• Season the roast: In a medium bowl, combine dried parsley flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, coriander, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. Sprinkle on the roast.
• Sear it: Sear it in a skillet just until nice golden crust forms, for about 45 seconds per side.

• Cook the roast: Place roast fat side up in a shallow roasting pan fitted with a wire rack and roast uncovered in preheated oven at 275 degrees F for 20 minutes per pound or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 125 F internal temperature, for medium-rare roast.
• Rest the roast: Remove beef from the oven, cover with foil and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Its temperature will climb by another 10-15 degrees F and reach desired level of doneness.
• Slice and serve: Place beef on a large cutting board and using sharp carving knife slice roast against the grain into thin slices. Make sure to spoon the pan sauce and juices with browned bits on top.

How Long to Cook Eye of Round Roast?

I used 4 pounds meat to make this eye of round roast recipe. I cooked it for a total of 80 minutes at 275 degrees F for medium rare results.

I recommend to check your roast often with a quality meat thermometer because all ovens vary and weight of your roast in between a pound and half a pound mark will make a difference.

To calculate your eye of round roast time, follow this cook time chart:

• 2 pounds – 40 minutes
• 2.5 pounds – 50 minutes
• 3 pounds – 60 minutes
• 3.5 pounds – 70 minutes
• 4 pounds – 80 minutes
• 4.5 pounds – 1 hour 30 minutes
• 5 pounds – 1 hour 40 minutes
• 5.5 pounds – 1 hour 50 minutes
• 6 pounds – 2 hours

Eye of Round Roast Internal Temperature Guide

Follow these temperature guidelines for the desired level of doneness:

• Rare – 120-125 degrees F (red and bloody).
• Medium rare – 130-135 degrees F (pink centre with brown towards the outside).
• Medium – 140 degrees F (mostly brown with a light pink centre).
• Well done – 150-160 degrees F (brown all the way through).

Tips for Best Results

With these expert tips, you will have the best eye of round roast recipe to share with your friends and family.

• Know your roast weight: It is important to determine correct cook time and not overcook the roast. Invest in a kitchen scale.
• Dry brine for 24 hours: Allow beef marinate for at least 6 hours or preferably for 24 hours for the best flavor and juice.
• Warm up beef roast before cooking: Warming up roast for 1-2 hours before cooking makes it more tender and juicy.
• Sear beef before cooking in the oven: Brown your eye of round roast in a skillet on medium heat until golden brown. This makes the outside crispy and adds flavor.
• Cook low and slow: Allowing beef roast to cook at low temperature for longer amount of time makes it tender. I tried to cook roast at high temperature first and on low heat afterwards, and roast came out overcooked.
• Do not open the oven: Every time you open the oven to check on your roast, you let the heat out and oven temperature drops. Instead, turn on an oven light or invest in an oven-safe meat thermometer.
• Do not overcook: Although it might seem difficult to overcook a beef eye of round roast but it’s still possible. Do not let meat cook past 165 F, because meat starts to dry out.
• Let meat rest after cooking: Avoid cutting into beef right away as it will leak out all of the liquids. By resting the beef, you allow the juices to redistribute resulting in a more juicier, tender cut.

How Much Roast Beef per Person?

When roast beef is served with a few other side dishes, I recommend to plan for about half a pound of meat per person. Cold leftovers are great to use in sandwiches.

What to Serve with Eye of Round Roast Beef?

Serve roast with classic pairings like creamy mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. Also sweet and spicy mustard goes very well with it.

Why Is My Beef Eye of Round Roast Tough?

Your eye of round roast recipe may come out tough if you didn’t brine it long enough, didn’t know the accurate weight, didn’t let it rest or slice along the grain. Maybe your oven runs hotter or lower? So many reasons.

This cut of beef is pretty lean and tough but if cooked correctly it comes out juicy and tender. Make sure to keep the fat cap on and cook with it on top, so it infuses the meat with extra fat during baking.

More FAQs

More Roast Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot pot roast
• Boneless leg of lamb recipe
• Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast