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My Beef Eye of Round Roast recipe is flavorful, tender, and budget-friendly! Complete with a brown sugar rub and served with sweet potatoes, roasted corn, and tomatoes, this is the perfect sliced roast recipe for the holidays or a comforting weekend meal with plenty of leftovers to enjoy.
Jump to:
- Eye of the Round Roast in Oven
- What is eye of round roast?
- Eye of the Round Roast Ingredients
- How to Cook Eye of Round Roast
- Beef Eye Round Roast Cooking Time
- How do I make an eye of round roast tender?
- Eye of Round Roast Recipes Expert Tips
- What to Serve with Beef Round Eye Roast
- Eye Round Roast Recipes FAQ
- Recipe
- Reviews
Eye of the Round Roast in Oven
If you know me, you know what a big fan of roasts I am. In fact, my most popular recipe is my fall-apart tender chuck roast! (Definitely try this next if you haven't already.)
Besides chuck roast, one of my favorite budget-friendly roasts is the eye of round roast, and my eye round roast recipe is a wonderful way to make the most of this lean cut.
Some people call the eye of round roast the poor man's prime rib, and once you try it, you will know why. It's flavorful and tender when cooked slowly in the oven or braised and makes a beautiful centerpiece for the holidays, too!
What is eye of round roast?
Eye round roast is a boneless, lean cut of roast beef that is generally more affordable than other roasts. Eye round roast is best known for being the cut used to make deli roast beef! Roasted eye of round makes a great everyday dinner, but is also a great choice for the holidays.
Eye of the Round Roast Ingredients
Eye Round Roast Recipe
- Eye of Round Roast: Trim the roast, but leave fat on one side.
- Olive Oil: Light olive oil or extra virgin olive oil work best. I recommend olive oil for the flavor, but you could also use avocado oil.
- Sweet Potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes thinly. I peeled mine, but you don't have to. If you don't peel them, make sure to scrub them to remove any dirt or debris.
- Corn: I'm using fresh ears of corn for this recipe. This gives the best flavor.
- Grape Tomatoes: Cut the tomatoes in half.
- Green Onion: Slice thinly.
Brown Sugar Rub
- Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar, but definitely use brown sugar and not another type!
- Spanish Paprika: Don't use smoked paprika - this will completely change the flavor of the roast.
- Ground Black Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper works best, but you can also use pre-ground black pepper.
- Garlic Powder: For adding a nice garlicky flavor without the need for fresh garlic!
- Sea Salt: Either sea salt or kosher salt will give you the best flavor and texture for the rub. Avoid using fine table salt!
How to Cook Eye of Round Roast
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 425°F. While it preheats, mix together brown sugar, Spanish paprika, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside about a fourth of the seasoning to use for the vegetables later.
Step 2
Brush your eye of round roast on all sides with olive oil, then season to coat completely. Pat the rub down to ensure the seasoning sticks to the roast.
Step 3
Use a sharp knife to cut sweet potatoes into slices. Arrange the slices in a circular pattern on a baking pan or sheet, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle the sweet potato slices evenly with about a third of your reserved seasoning after brushing with oil.
Step 4
Place seasoned roast on top of the sweet potatoes in the center. Roast for 20 minutes.
Step 5
While your roast is in the oven, combine corn and tomatoes in a baking pan. Add the remaining seasoning, plus olive oil. Mix well.
Step 6
After 20 minutes, add the corn and tomatoes to the oven with the roast. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
Final Step
Roast for an additional 50 minutes. Carefully remove the roast and vegetables once done, and tent the roast with foil. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving. Cut against the grain for best results.
Beef Eye Round Roast Cooking Time
Your eye of round roast cooking time will vary based on how large your roast is. I'm using a three pound trimmed roast for my recipe, and it takes a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes for a medium-rare roast.
The only reliable way to check when your roast is done is to use a meat thermometer. Never cook a roast without using a thermometer to check the internal temperature. Insert it into the thickest part of the roast to get an accurate reading and use the chart below for proper beef temperatures.
| Desired Doneness | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Rare | 125°F |
| Medium-rare | 135°F |
| Medium | 145°F |
| Medium-well | 150°F |
| Well done | 160°F |
How do I make an eye of round roast tender?
The key to cooking a tender eye of round roast is to focus on using high heat for the first 15 to 20 minutes to sear the roast, then to cook low and slow. After letting the roast rest for 15 minutes once out of the oven, be sure to slice it thinly against the grain. This will give you the most tender cuts of eye round roast.
Eye of Round Roast Recipes Expert Tips
- Season everything, from the beef to the sweet potatoes and roasted corn salad, with the brown sugar rub. This gives the dish so much flavor and ties everything together!
- Always start off at 425°F for 20 minutes to sear the roast, then lower the heat to 325°F to ensure it cooks through without burning.
- Let your roast rest for 15 minutes before carving it. This locks in the juices and helps keep it tender.
- Slice against the grain, always!
What to Serve with Beef Round Eye Roast
The roasted corn and tomato salad with sweet potatoes makes the perfect side dish for this eye of round roast. But, if you want to try switching things up, these are my recommendations for serving with eye round roast:
- Roast Asparagus
- Green Beans and Almonds
- Broccoli Salad
- Buttery Mashed Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Soup
Eye Round Roast Recipes FAQ
For a lean cut, look for top sirloin roast. You can also make one of my chuck roast recipes!
Eye of round roast is best slow-cooked, either in the oven or by braising. Unlike other pot roast recipes, eye round roast isn't shredded, but sliced thinly, so it's great for making your own roast beef sandwiches.
Recipe
Beef Eye of Round Roast
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 pound eye of round roast trimmed - leave fat on one side
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 large sweet potatoes sliced thinly
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 2 green onions sliced thinly
Brown Sugar Rub
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Spanish paprika do not use smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. While it preheats, mix together brown sugar, Spanish paprika, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and sea salt in a bowl. Set aside about a fourth of the seasoning to use for the vegetables later.1 cup brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons Spanish paprika, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- Brush your eye of round roast on all sides with about two Tablespoons of olive oil, then season to coat completely. Pat the rub down to ensure the seasoning sticks to the roast.3 pound eye of round roast, 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Use a sharp knife to cut sweet potatoes into slices. Arrange the slices in a circular pattern on a baking pan or sheet, and brush with a Tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle the sweet potato slices evenly with about a third of your reserved seasoning after brushing with oil.4 large sweet potatoes, 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Place seasoned roast on top of the sweet potatoes in the center. Roast for 20 minutes.
- While your roast is in the oven, combine corn and tomatoes in a baking pan. Add the remaining seasoning, plus olive oil. Mix well.4 ears fresh corn, 1 pint grape tomatoes, 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- After 20 minutes, add the corn and tomatoes to the oven with the roast. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Roast for an additional 50 minutes. Carefully remove the roast and vegetables once done, and tent the roast with foil. Let it rest 15 minutes before carving. Cut against the grain for best results. Serve with sliced green onions.2 green onions
Video
Notes
- Season everything from the beef to the sweet potatoes and roasted corn salad with the brown sugar rub. This gives the dish so much flavor and ties everything together!
- Let your roast rest for 15 minutes before carving it. This locks in the juices and helps keep it tender.
- Slice against the grain, always!
David says
Looks good! I just made eye of round for the first time recently, came in our local meat share. I agree, it can be a good option for a special meal without spending a lot.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, David! Totally agree - eye of round is great for a budget meal that can taste truly amazing. This is one of our favorite recipes using it.