Easy, moist-tender and flavor-packed EYE OF ROUND ROAST makes a great crowd-pleasing dinner for regular nights or the holidays. Every slice of this beefy roast packs a huge amount of flavor without the hefty price tag. Go add this to your menu and impress everyone at the table!

If there’s one dish that gives you the aesthetic pleasure, beefy tenderness, and flavor-filled goodness, it’s this Eye of Round Roast.

Whether you serve it thinly sliced or in chunks, the tender sensation is all the same. Frankly, this is easily an Instagramable meal you can prepare for everyone to enjoy whether for Sunday roast or the holidays. It’s as good as your favorite beef steak WITHOUT the hefty price tag. Isn’t that good news?

What is Eye of Round Roast?

The great thing about this beef recipe is that that it’s inexpensive. The beef cut for this is located between the sirloin and the shank. We’ll use the center of the round cut thus giving us the name eye of round roast. This beef cut is often hard because it’s a well-exercised muscle.

Cooking eye of round roast is fairly easy. You can even customize the flavor you want depending on how you prepare the meat. You can smother the meat with different herbs and spices, baste it with rich butter, or roast this bad boy up. This dish is often served with greens and mashed potatoes or as a sandwich.

Eye of Round Roast Recipe

There is a whole world of herbs, spices, and flavors out there to put into your beef cut. If prepared the right way, these flavors sip right into the core of the meat. But I personally find these ingredients below as the best for this beef cut.

Butter or olive oil
Garlic cloves
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper
Rosemary
Beef eye of round roast cut
Dry red wine
Beef broth
Salt and pepper

How to Make this Beef Cut Tender?

Remember that this cut of meat isn’t that tender since it’s in the well-exercised part of the animal. However, tenderizing this beef cut is not as daunting as it seems. There are a lot of ways you can soften up your eye of round roast. The most common way is pounding it with a tenderizing hammer. This will totally tenderize the meat effectively.

Salt will also do this without all the elbow grease. The process of osmosis regulates the water content in the meat which often means drying it out a bit. This makes it easier to cut.

You can also use acidic liquids such as wine or brine through marinating. This process gives you a bit of velvety texture with an added hint of fruity sweet flavor.

What to Serve with Eye of Round Roast?

This eye of round roast recipe isn’t seasonal because you can totally serve it any time of the year. It matches the different seasons perfectly. During this cold holiday season, serve it on a bed of Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes with warm Homemade Gravy.

In the springtime, you’ll want to serve it with these Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus or this easy Green Beans and Bacon. The fresh flavors of the greens will definitely complement the smoky roast taste of the meat.

Summer boasts strong tangy flavors such as this Chimichurri Sauce which is also a great pair for this dish. Although the eye of the round roast is already smothered with herbs, a little garden freshness wouldn’t hurt.

More Easy Roast Beef Recipes

How to Cook Eye of Round Roast

Rinse roast and pat dry beef. Then season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix, olive oil or butter, paprika, rosemary, red wine, and cayenne pepper. Rub all over beef covering every inch of the beef with marinade. Place in a zip lock or seal in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, drain the marinade and set aside. Remove any bits of herbs or spice from the beef. Use a sharp paring knife to cut deep slits all over the roast. Stuff the slits with garlic cloves. Set aside until ready to brown. Melt butter or add oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until slightly brown- about 3-4 minutes per side. This helps hold the juices and sets the crust. Place in the desired oven-safe pot.

I use the same cast-iron skillet that I used to brown the roast. Cook the roast in a preheated oven at 250 degrees F. Cook the roast in a preheated oven at 250 degrees F for about 1-2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reaches 130-140 degrees. Please take note that cooking times will vary depending on the shape and size of the beef and desired doneness.

Eye of Round Roast Sauce

Meanwhile, while the beef is roasting, place the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and add the beef broth. Place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook until reduced and thickens slightly. Add butter, adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the roast, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the roast before slicing into thin slices.