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Yes, you CAN have an amazingly flavorful and tender holiday roast on a budget: our Eye of Round Roast recipe proves it!
Seasoned with the most delicious brown sugar rub, this tender, juicy roast cooks over a bed of sweet potatoes and pairs beautifully with roasted corn and tomatoes. The combination of flavors is out of this world!
🥩 Poor Man’s Prime Rib
I am the type of person who loves to plan for the holidays. I love trying new recipes and really look forward to making every holiday meal stand out and feel special.
But, I also think it’s important to keep the holidays stress-free and relaxed. No running around in the kitchen last-minute and worrying about the meal! The holidays shouldn’t be stressful, even though we all know they can be.
So I look for dishes I can prepare ahead of time, using fresh and easy ingredients. This Beef Eye Round Roast recipe is just that. It’s even budget-friendly – that’s why some call it the poor man’s prime rib!
If you’re like me and you want a low-key, relaxed holiday that will still impress your family and guests, this is the perfect roast recipe for you.
This recipe is so simple but so tender and flavorful. Not to mention, it is gorgeous. It makes a beautiful centerpiece at any holiday table. I couldn’t wait to share one of my favorite recipes and show you how to cook an eye round roast perfectly!
🧂 Dry Rub for Roast Beef
One of my favorite things about this recipe is the brown sugar rub. This is the best roast beef rub you will ever try – and believe me, I have tested a lot of different kinds!
This easy dry rub for roast beef comes together with simple ingredients and gives any roast the most amazing crust and so much flavor. I love it for our holiday beef eye of round, beef tenderloin, and even prime rib.
Try it here: Sweet and Salty Roast Beef Rub
⌚ Eye of Round Roast Cooking Time
As with any cut of beef, your eye of round roast cooking time will depend on how large it is. I use a 3 pound trimmed roast for this dish and it takes a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes from start to finish. This is for a medium-rare roast.
The best way to check when your roast is done is to use a meat thermometer. I never cook roast beef without using a thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Here are the temperatures to look for:
- 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.
Between the rub and slow roasting, this will make the most tender cut of roast beef ever. It works every time!
⭐ Family Foodie 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!
- 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!
Start off at 425°F for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 325°F. You won’t believe how tender this makes your roast! And it gives it the perfect sear, too.
🥣 Sauces for Roast Beef
I love pairing my roast beef recipes with sauces. This is a great way to make sure everyone has a cut of beef they’ll enjoy, even if you have a family like mine where everyone prefers a different doneness. 😉
My favorite sauce recipes for roast beef are:
📖 Roast Beef Recipes
Roast beef recipes are my specialty! If you enjoyed this eye of round roast recipe with roasted corn salad and sweet potatoes, I guarantee you will love these dishes. Give them a try sometime and let me know your favorite!
- Best Whole Beef Tenderloin
- Reverse Sear Instant Pot Prime Rib
- Slow Roasted Prime Rib Roast
- Boneless Prime Rib Roast
- Grilled Beef Tenderloin
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Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating below to let us know what you think! We love to hear from you!
Holiday Eye of Round Roast with Roasted Corn Salad
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 lb. eye of round roast trimmed – leave fat on one side
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 recipe sweet and salty beef rub
- 4 large sweet potatoes sliced thinly
- 4 fresh ears of corn
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 2 green onions sliced thinly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush eye of round roast with olive oil on all sides, then season with sweet and salty beef rub. Pat the rub down into the beef to give it a nice coating, but save some of the seasoning to season your veggies with!
- Slice 4 large sweet potatoes and arrange the slices in a circular pattern on a baking pan or sheet. Brush with olive oil.
- Place your seasoned roast on top of the sweet potatoes in the center. Roast for 20 minutes at 425°F and make your roasted corn salad in the meantime.
- Combine corn and tomatoes in a baking pan and add the remaining seasoning plus 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well and add to the oven after the initial 20 minutes is up.Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Roast for an additional 50 minutes. Remove both from oven when done and tent the roast with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.Spoon roasted corn salad over eye of round roast, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
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.