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This Eye of Round Roast Beef recipe is affordable, so easy and totally foolproof to prepare! It’s generously slathered with a delicious herb butter on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, roasted with rich mushrooms and finished with a luscious gravy! This beef roast dinner has it all and it’s perfect for everything from casual Sunday dinners to special holiday meals!
“Turned out absolutely perfect. The whole family couldn’t get enough!”
– Lynn
Update: This recipe for eye of round roast was originally published in December 2020. I made edits to the content below to include more information about making eye roast at home.
Hi, friends – today we are doing it up. Because, you can’t properly celebrate the holidays without a show-stopping, extra-special roast of some kind1
While roast beef may sound fancy and look complicated to prepare, it’s actually remarkably simple. All you need is this foolproof recipe, a decent piece of meat, fresh mushrooms (optional) and a few pantry staples to prepare a roast that will blow your mind!
Table of Contents
About this eye of round roast beef recipe
A great roast beef is a culinary classic for a good reason! And, this tender eye of round roast beef is most definitely something special!
This beef eye round recipe features an economical cut of beef and lovingly smothers and covers it in a delicious herb compound butter. It’s slowly roasted in the oven to produce a richly golden, tender and juicy hunk of beef that’s beautifully pink from edge to edge! Served with earthy, meaty mushrooms and finished with a silky, luscious red wine gravy, this beef eye round roast is a savory, decadent delight the entire family will love!
Bonus points – this eye of round beef roast recipe is incredibly budget friendly and easily feeds a crowd! Plus this fall apart eye of round roast is very simple to prepare and everything is all made in just one roasting pan – from the beef and mushrooms, right down to the gravy!! You start the roast at a high temperature in the oven to get a richly browned outside, and then reduce the oven temperature to cook the beef low and slow. This slow roasting method is not just incredibly easy, it also prevents the gristle from getting too tough and produces a juicy, flavorful roast beef dinner!
If you’re looking for more roasts perfect for the holidays, be sure to check out these fan-favorite recipes next: Orange Glazed Holiday Ham and Thanksgiving Turkey Roll with stuffing and gravy.
Step-by-step photos: making this recipe at home
(Please scroll down for the detailed instructions in the complete printable Eye of Round beef roast recipe card at the bottom of the page!)
FAQs: frequently asked questions
You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can!
What cut of beef is the most tender?
The wide variety of cuts of beef roasts at the grocery store can be overwhelming, and confusing if you don’t understand the labels. The following beef roasts are the best cuts for preparing classic tender roast beef.
- Eye of Round Roast: Cut from the very lean and active round primal. This roast packs tons of beefy flavor and no fat. It’s incredibly easy to prepare and requires low and slow cooking for maximum tenderness and flavor. It’s best when cooked to rare or medium-rare and sliced thin against the grain.
- Bottom Round Roast: Lean cut from the round primal. It needs low and slow cooking for maximum tenderness and flavor. This cut is great for making roast beef, as well as pot roasts and cube steaks.
- Top Sirloin Roast: This versatile roast is cut from the top sirloin. It’s lean and tender with good marbling throughout.
- Sirloin Tip: A lean cut from the bottom sirloin, also known as Crescent Roast, Knuckle and Round Tip Roast. This cut is economical and best when carved thin. The sirloin tip is often used for Philly Cheesesteaks.
- Top Round Roast: Also known as Top Round Pot Roast, this is a popular cut for roast beef; however, it’s also great for London Broil, Swiss Steaks and Scaloppini. It’s economical, moderately tender and full-flavored.
When is roast beef done?
The exact cooking times and internal temperatures for roast beef will vary depending upon the size, shape and grade of beef, as well as your desired degree of doneness. The roasting time in this recipe for eye of round beef roast is an approximation. You should always test for doneness using an instant read thermometer or meat thermometer. Internal temperature is accurate and unwavering; it’s the only way to guarantee that your meat is properly cooked to your desired doneness.
How do you check the internal temperature of beef?
Make sure you insert the thermometer through the side of the beef into the thickest portion of the center of the meat, avoiding any fat and bone. If your beef roast is irregularly shaped, check the temperature in several places and use the lowest internal temperature, as that’s the most accurate temperature for the core of the beef.
Pro-tip: Remove the roast from the oven BEFORE it reaches your desired degree of doneness – when the thermometer is 8-10°F lower than your desired doneness. The internal temperature of the roast will continue to rise by about 8-10°F while it’s resting. (See the temperatures listed in parentheses below for guidance.)
Roasting temperatures and degrees of doneness
- Extra-Rare (also known as blue or bleu): 100-115°F – Roast is deep red in color and barely warm. The beef will feel soft and squishy to the touch. (Remove from oven when roast is at 95-98 degrees.)
- Rare: 120-125°F – Center of roast is bright red with a slightly pinkish exterior portion and just warm throughout. Beef will feel soft to the touch. (Remove from oven when it’s 115-118 degrees.)
- Medium Rare: 130-135°F – Center is very pink and turns slightly brown towards the exterior; roast is slightly hot throughout. Beef will ever so slightly yield to the touch. (Remove from oven when it’s 125-128 degrees.)
- Medium: 140-145°F – Roast is hot throughout with a light pink center and brown outer portion. Beef will slightly yield to the touch. (Remove from oven when it’s 135-138 degrees.)
- Medium-Well: 150-155°F – Roast is hot and mostly grayish brown throughout with the slightest hint of pink in the center. Beef will feel firm to the touch. (Remove from oven when it’s 145-148 degrees.)
- Well Done: 160-165°F – Roast is uniformly brownish gray throughout with little to no pink. Beef will feel very firm to the touch. (Remove from oven it’s 155-158 degrees.)
Why is my eye of round roast tough?
Large cuts of beef, such as eye of round, can be intimidating to home cooks. However, roasting isn’t a difficult process and you shouldn’t be timid. Follow the simple tips below so your recipe for eye of round beef roast turns out juicy every time.
Common mistakes when cooking a large cut of beef
- Your roast wasn’t room temperature. Lean and tough cuts of beef, such as eye of round, don’t have a lot of fat, thus they’re less forgiving if even slightly overcooked. You must let the beef sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before cooking to ensure it cooks more evenly.
- You didn’t season with salt in advance. Generously seasoning your roast of beef an hour or two before cooking gives the salt a chance to permeate the roasts interior and absorb into the meat, which results in juicer, more flavorful beef.
- Too high of heat. A roast that is cooked too fast at too high of a heat will be tough. All roasts require low and slow heat! Low and low cooking allows the collagen to melt and the tough muscle fibers to separate, which creates a beautiful, tender mouthfeel. If you cook a roast quickly at high heat the collagen and fibers in the beef will contract, causing moisture to squeeze out of the beef.
- Undercooking. Undercooking your roast will cause the meat to be very chewy and not palatable!
- Overcooking. Similar to the above, overcooking a roast will make your beef very dry and unappetizing.
- Not resting the meat. Even if you cook your beef perfectly, it will turn out dry, tough and inedible if you don’t let it rest. Resting the beef allows the juices to redistribute within the meat, instead of spilling out onto the cutting board.
- Slicing beef the wrong way. If you slice parallel (with) the muscle fibers (the grain), you will end up needing to use your teeth to chew through them. Carving your roast against the grain allows your knife to do all the hard work!
Recipe testimonials!
Here’s what readers are saying about this delicious Eye of Round beef roast recipe
- “I made this exactly as written, temped to medium and sliced thin, and it was fantastic!! My husband is a chef and he said it was “better than restaurant quality.” This recipe is definitely a keeper!!” –Kelly
- “Outstanding, tender succulent roast and the gravy is insanely good!” –Cynthia
- “Thank you for detailed and clear directions! It did turned out better than prime rib I made couple weeks ago, believe it or not. Needed 70 min in low heat for med rare. It is foolproof. Printing out recipe, search is over!” –Kristine
More luxurious beef dinners!
- Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce
- Korean Beef Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Brisket of Beef
- Ropa Vieja Cuban Food
Roast Eye of Round Beef
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 ½ pounds Boneless Eye of Round Roast
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper – to taste
- 8 TBS Unsalted Butter – softened
- 5 cloves Garlic – softened
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped Fresh Rosemary (substitute: ½ tsp Dried)
- 2 tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme (substitute: 1 tsp Dried)
- 1 Yellow Onion – peeled & quartered through root
- 2 large Carrots – peeled & cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 head Garlic – loose skin removed & halved through root
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 12 ounces Cremini Mushrooms – stemmed & halved
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
GRAVY:
- 1 Cup Dry Red Wine
- 2 ½ Cups No Sodium Beef Stock (substitute: no-sodium beef broth)
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 TBS Cornstarch – mixed with 2 TBS Water
- OPTIONAL Heavy Cream – to taste
Instructions
- Bring beef to room temperature: Remove the beef from the refrigerator at least 1 ½ and up to 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature. (Don’t skip this step – it’s the key to tender, evenly cooked beef). IMMEDIATELY go to step 2 and SALT BEEF according to the instructions below.)
- Salt beef: Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon kosher salt all over the top of the beef and use your hands to rub the salt into the beef. Flip the beef over and repeat the process of sprinkling with ¾ teaspoon of salt and massaging salt into beef. Set beef aside and let come to room temperature as indicated above.
- Make compound butter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper. Use a fork and mix until fully combined. Set aside.
- Preheat oven: Adjust oven rack to the bottom third position. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (standard) or 475 degrees F (convection).
- Dry beef & smear with butter: Once beef is at room temperature, gently pat the beef dry with paper towels. Spread 2 tablespoons of the compound butter evenly over one side of the beef. (Tip: If you have a fat cap on your beef, you want to butter the bottom side. You will flip the beef over so it’s roasting with the fat cap facing UP in step 7.)
- Prepare roasting pan: Add the onions, carrots and garlic halves to the bottom of a roasting pan to create a bed.
- Add beef: Place the beef, butter side DOWN on top of the vegetables. Spread 4 tablespoons of the compound butter evenly on top of the beef.
- Brown: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 225 degrees F (standard).
- Add herbs and remaining butter: Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme along with the bay leaves to the roasting pan. Carefully spread or dollop the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter evenly on top of the beef. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of the beef.
- Slow Roast: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Slow roast the beef for 30 minutes.
- Season mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Set aside.
- Add mushrooms and continue to roast: Remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the mushrooms to the pan, arranging them on the sides of the beef. Return pan to oven and continue to roast for an additional 40 to 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 115-118 degrees for medium-rare. (SEE NOTES)
- Rest: Remove the beef from the roasting pan and transfer to a serving plate or cutting board. Use a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms to a serving bowl. Cover the beef and mushrooms loosely with aluminum foil. Rest for 20+ minutes (the internal temperature of the beef will continue to rise 8-10 minutes during resting).
- Make the gravy: (You should have about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. If you don’t have a lot of fat, add butter to make up for the lack of drippings.) Remove and discard the onion, garlic and carrots. Place the pan over medium-high heat and add the wine to deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, Worcestershire and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring the sauce back to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half again. Mix the cornstarch with the water. Slowly drizzle the mixture into the pan while whisking constantly to avoid lumping. Simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. OPTIONAL: Turn the heat to low and stir in heavy cream to taste. Remove from heat and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a gravy boat.
- Serve: Thinly slice the beef against the grain. Serve with mushrooms and drizzle with gravy. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the best sear – use a pan instead of the oven: Drizzle the beef with 1 tablespoon of oil and use your hands to rub the oil onto the beef. Season all sides of the beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a dry roasting pan or large oven-proof cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pan and sear on one side until the bottom becomes golden brown, about 2 minutes. Use tongs to rotate the beef on its side and add 6 tablespoons of the compound butter to the pan. Repeat the process of rotating and searing the beef on all 4 sides, for about 1 ½ – 2 minutes per side, basting the top of the beef with the melted butter from the pan as it sears. Remove the beef from the pan and transfer to a clean work surface. (Skip steps 4-8 of the recipe. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.)
- Internal Temperature of roast: Internal temperature will rise by about 8-10 degrees F while it’s resting. Remove the beef from the oven BEFORE it reaches your desired doneness. I DON’T recommend cooking this roast over medium.
- Rare: 125 degrees. Remove from oven when it’s 115-118 degrees.
- Medium Rare: 135. Remove from oven when it’s 125-128 degrees.
- Medium: 145. Remove from oven when it’s 135-138 degrees.
- Medium Well: 155. Remove from oven when it’s 145-148 degrees.
- Well: 165, Remove from oven when it’s 155-158 degrees.
- Resting: Resting the beef is important! If you cut into the roast too soon it will lose its juices and become dry. Rest the beef before slicing!
Nutrition
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DK
I was nervous making this roast as this is such a lean cut of meat… as you know. I think the butter compound, fresh herbs and vegetable base was genius. It came out amazing. My family loved it. Thank you!!
Cheyanne
Hi DK,
I’m honored you decided to try this Round Roast recipe (especially since you were nervous), and absolutely thrilled both you and your family loved it! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review. Cheers and warm wishes for a wonderful week! 🙂
Liz TD
This was an amazing preparation for a usually iffy cut of meat. I skipped the vegetable base and used a rack instead. And because I made a small roast for two (1.5 lbs) the slow cook time after ths initial high temp roast was really short to reach rare (digital pen thermometer is a must). I also made a wonderful Yorkshire pudding (gluten free due to Celiac) that was better than the ones from my wheat flour days using duck fat since there is not enough fat from a roast of this type.
Beck
This is very similar to my pot roast recipe, except I use a 26 oz. can of diced tomatoes, in place of the tomato paste & wine. I usually cook green beans as a side dish.
M. RB.
Eye of the round is fantastic cooked on the grill on a rotisserie. Cook over med heat for a little over an hour for a perfect rare cook. Remove, plate, tent w foil until ready to slice. Try to keep slices no thicker than 1/8”, and slice as necessary to keep juices from running. I find no seasoning besides the salt are necessary because the meat has a slight “bark” from heat singe of outside. This gives you perfect bark-pink interior. Fabulous!
Lynn
Turned out absolutely perfect. The whole family couldn’t get enough. So flavorful and tender.
Cynthia
Outstanding, tender succulent roast and the gravy is insanely good!
Kelly
I made this exactly as written, temped to medium and sliced thin, and it was fantastic!! My husband is a chef and he said it was “better than restaurant quality.” This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Kristine
Thank you for detailed and clear directions! It did turned out better than prime rib I made couple weeks ago, believe it or not. Needed 70 min in low heat for med rare. It is foolproof. Printing out recipe, search is over 🙂
angiesrecipes
Love this budget cut! Your roast looks so tender and yummy. And thanks for all the helpful tips, Chey.