Tender Eye of Round Roast Beef, crusted with garlic herb seasoning, makes the perfect main dish for your weekly Sunday dinner but also great for special occasions or holidays. This fool proof off-oven cooking method results in perfectly medium rare, juicy roast beef every time.
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I know making a whole roast anything can be intimidating. I promise you, making this tender eye round roast is an easy way to get a show stopping meal on the table with minimal fuss. The trick to this recipe is following the cooking and serving instructions exactly for perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth slices of well seasoned roast beef.
This roast is great for a Sunday dinner with all of the fixings or for a holiday when you need to feed a crowd like Christmas or Easter. It works great with all types of dishes but we love this sauteed baby broccoli and red skin mashed potatoes, and this old fashioned pound cake for dessert.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Amazing Flavor: Like slow roasted beef tenderloin, this cut of meat can stand up to a generous amount of seasoning. Whole cloves of fresh garlic, dried herbs and a little bit of salt and oil get mashed together to coat the entire piece of meat and create a delicious crust while it roasts.
- Budget-friendly Cut of Beef: This cut is a bit cheaper than other types of beef, mainly because it tends to be a bit tougher, but I promise you it will still taste great and you will love the savings!
- Simple Cooking Method: My recipe uses the off-oven cooking method. Who knew you could cook meat in an oven turned off. Sounds crazy, I know. But trust me, if you follow these exact steps I give you, you’ll be amazed at yourself and the amazing roast you prepare.
What is Eye of Round Roast?
Eye of round is a boneless roast that looks like a tenderloin, but it’s much tougher. It’s an economical cut of beef from the hindquarter of the animal best enjoyed medium rare and sliced thinly against the grain.
Ingredients
All you need is a few simple ingredients to make a stunning roast beef for dinner.
- Eye of Round Roast: You’re going to need about a 2-3 pound roast. I do not recommend trying this cooking method with another cut of meat.
- Homemade Seasoning Blend: You will need dried basil and oregano, fresh minced garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes to rub on the round eye roast before cooking. You can definitely experiment with your favorite dried herbs and use Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary or any other combination of your choice. Leave the red pepper flakes out if you prefer a milder flavor.
- Avocado Oil: You can also use any other high heat neutral-flavored oil. We will be rubbing this into the beef before adding the seasoning. It aids in cooking but also acts as the glue to keep the seasonings in place.
How to Cook the Perfect Eye Round Roast Beef
The off-oven cooking method is the best way to cook an eye round roast without any guesswork.
⭐️ PRO TIP: To be successful with this recipe, the most important thing is to follow the instructions exactly. Do not deviate from the plan! You’ll roast for five minutes per pound and then turn the oven off and let it finish in the residual heat. After about 90 minutes, your roast will come out at a temperature between 125 and 130 degrees for perfectly cooked medium rare roast beef.
Step 1: Prep the roast. Remove the roast from the fridge, pat dry the outside with paper towels and rub down the whole thing with one teaspoon of kosher salt. Let it sit on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour. This will give the salt time to penetrate and tenderize the meat as well as the roast to warm up a bit.
Step 2: Preheat and make the seasoning blend. Set your oven to 500° F. Be sure to give your lenty of time to come to temperature. We want it hot before adding the roast. At this time you also want to mix together the garlic, herbs, and spices with your oil in a bowl.
Step 3: Add the seasoning. Coat the roast in the seasonings and place it on a baking sheet fitted with a rack.
Step 4: Cook and Serve. Roast for EXACTLY five minutes per pound. If your eye of round is 2.5 pounds, you roast for 12 minutes and 30 seconds. Be precise. Turn the oven off and do not open it for EXACTLY 90 minutes. Remove the roast from the oven and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. It should be between 125 and 130 degrees. Tent the roast with foil and let it rest for 10-20 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain with a serrated knife.
Jessica’s Cooking Tips
Here are the critical steps for getting a perfect beef roast. I promise — if you follow them you will have a well-cooked roast.
- Know the exact weight. We will cook the roast for EXACTLY 5 minutes per pound. No more, no less. If you buy from the grocery store, the weight should be on the packaging sticker. Using a kitchen scale to double check is absolutely worth the trouble. Do not estimate here. If your roast is 2 pounds, you roast for 10 minutes. If your roast is 2.5 pounds, you roast for 12 minutes and 30 seconds. Be exact.
- Know your oven temperature. All ovens are different. I keep an oven thermometer hanging on my rack in the oven so I always know the exact temperature of my oven. They can vary a lot which can really throw off your recipe.
- DO NOT open the oven! Under any circumstances! You will be so tempted to do it. DON’T!
- Slice thinly against the grain. This part matters. If you slice it any other way, you will still have a tough roast! Use a good serrated knife. If you have an electric knife, this is the time to bust it out!
Serving Suggestions
You can’t really go wrong when choosing dishes to pair with your eye round roast beef but here are some ideas for a bit of inspiration.
- Stick to the classics with a serving of mashed potatoes or kick things up a notch with chipotle mashed sweet potatoes or mashed potato squash. These crispy smashed potatoes go great too!
- For special occasions offer up these olive and cheddar jalapeno poppers to whet their appetite! A steakhouse wedge salad makes a nice addition for the meal.
- This roast beef packs plenty of flavor on its own but you can also serve it with a homemade brown gravy or red wine sauce if you want! This cut is very lean and doesn’t produce much dripping to make a gravy, so I’d recommend using broth or a gravy mix instead.
Storing Directions
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to three months. Be sure it’s wrapped well or in an airtight container.
- Using Leftovers: Leftovers are best used for cold, deli style roast beef sandwiches.
- Reheat: Heat thinly sliced leftovers in a skillet with some beef broth and serve it like a French dip.
Recipe FAQs
In my experience, the best way to cook it is to use the off-oven method where it cooks at very high heat for an amount of time based on the weight of the roast. Then, the oven is turned off and the roast finishes cooking using the residual heat of the oven. When followed 100% the results is a tender roast that’s sure to impress.
Do not deviate from the recipe! If your roast turned out tough, it may be because you didn’t have the accurate weight, oven temperature or did not slice against the grain. This cut of meat is naturally pretty tough but when cooked and sliced correctly, you can have perfectly tender, juicy slices of roast beef. Eye of round has a thin fat cap but it doesn’t have much marbling or connective tissue which is how you get that fall apart, melt in your mouth texture. If you’re looking for that kind of experience, chuck roast is your best bet.
For a holiday meal or Sunday supper, plan for about a half a pound per person. This will be plenty for everyone with some leftovers for the best roast beef sandwiches to enjoy for a few days after.
You can but it’s not recommended. For a more cooked roast, use a probe and roast for an additional 5 minutes at 500 degrees if you like it medium well to well done. It will not be as tender as this cut is best served medium rare.
More Showstopper Main Dish Recipes
Garlic Herb Crusted Eye of Round Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 pound eye of round roast
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other high heat neutral oil
Instructions
- Take the roast out of the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub 1 teaspoon of kosher salt all over the roast, massaging it into the meat.
- Let the roast sit on the counter for 45 minutes to an hour and preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
- Make the garlic herb seasoning by mashing together pressed garlic, dried herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes, remaining salt and avocado oil into a paste.
- Using your hands, rub the seasoning paste all over the roast.
- Place the roast on a baking sheet fitted with a rack.
- Roast at 500 degrees for exactly 5 minutes per pound.
- Turn the oven off and let the roast continue to cook in a closed oven for exactly 90 minutes. Do not open the oven.
- After 90 minutes, remove the roast from the oven and check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer in the thickest part. It should be between 125-130 degrees.
- Tent with foil and let stand for 10-20 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain with a serrated knife.
Equipment
Notes
- For optimal results make sure to accurately weigh your roast and calculate on oven roast time.
- Do not open the oven under any circumstances while the roast is cooking.
- Be sure to slice the meat against the grain after it’s rested.
Nutrition
Amanda C.
Okay, so I never ever leave comments on recipes generally but this is a first, I have never found such a good roast recipe! I followed this recipe to the letter and have just made the best roast I have ever eaten. I am beside myself! Thank you so so much for sharing! Will make again 🙂
Jessica
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you so much, Amanda.
Richard Cameron
I tried your recipe out tonight. The roast came out wonderful. I used half a whole eye of round roast that I had bought. The other half is in the freezer.
The only changes I made were, I marinated the roast in Italian dressing overnight before I followed your recipe. I also used a cooking probe inserted into the middle of the roast and cooked the roast to 120 degrees instead of 125 degrees like you said. The roast came out perfectly rare.
Thank you very much!
Jessica
Sounds WONDERFUL! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kat
I don’t have a cooking probe. But do you remember the time difference? Instead of the 90 minutes, how long did you leave yours for rare?
Joanne O'Ryan
This was my first time cooking roast beef and this roasting method was so simple and spot on. My eye of round turned out just as expected medium rare, tender, just yum! I slathered it with a garlic herb butter before roasting and that did not disappoint.
Jessica
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Joanne! Thank you.
Mikki
This was terribly tough. My roast was exactly 3 pds, I followed the directions, my oven heats perfectly even. Only thing I can imagine that could be different is our beef is grass fed.
Jessica
I’m sorry this didn’t end up working out for you. I too use grassfed meat from the farmer’s market. Did you slice it against the grain?
leyteboyz
From hard meat to tender! Wow I can’t believed what I did to my eye round, I haven’t try roasting this kind of meat, usually just stew. But I followed your recipe what a surprise result, very tender after all. I really love the roast, I really love your recipe thank you very much!
Jessica
This made my day. So glad you enjoyed it!
Katey
Perfectly cooked, tender and seasoned well. This is going to be a regular in my rotation.
babs nesto
I was very pleased with this recipe. I have a new oven so the temperature was perfect. I TIMED every step. I used fresh garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper and canola oil. I will buy an electric knife for next time!
Jessica
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for trying the recipe.
Jacqueline
This roast method was so easy! The seasoning mix has the perfect blend of garlic and spice. Letting it rest is really important. I could barely stop myself from eating a pound of meat as I was slicing !
Lynda
Jessica,
What about adding veges to the pot? I like carrots and potatoes with my roasts, but your recipe does not mention adding them. Do you ever add in veges, and if so, when in the process should they be added? Or, should I just roast the veges separately and add in after the roast is cooked?
Jessica
Hi Lynda! I haven’t tried adding veggies to the pot. I would cook them separately as this cooking method is really specific for this cut of meat. Let me know if you end up trying it!
Jessica
Lynda
Will do. Thanks Jessica!
Nicole
Do you sear the roast to brown the sides before putting it in the oven?
Jessica
Hi Nicole! I have found that I do not need to sear the roast at all. Especially with the fresh garlic in the seasoning. If you want more of a crust, you could try briefly searing it after cooking.
Alyson
Covered or uncovered?
Jessica
Uncovered!
Donna
I have a 2 lb roast. Do I still keep it the oven for 90 minutes after I turn it off?
Jessica
Hi Donna! For a 2lb roast I would follow the exact same instructions. What matters most is the minutes roasted at a high temp. Let me know how it works for you!
Heidi Diener
In the recipe, it never tells you exactly when and how to put on the seasoning… Of course, I assume it before I put it into the oven lol but I just wanted to point out that the step was missed.
Jessica
Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for your feedback. I updated the recipe and added the extra step. Hope you enjoyed it!
Heidi Diener
It was amazing!
I wish I could share a picture!
Jessica
Oh I’m SO SO happy to hear that. Thank you for trying the recipe!
Sherry
What if the roast isn’t at 125-130* when you check it?
Jessica
Hi Sherry,
I’ve never had this happen before. Did you check for accurate weight and roast for the exact amount of time suggested?
Tamara Johnson
This was one of the best roasts I’ve ever made. I got so many compliments on it too. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Jen
This roast was the perfect main to accompany my roast potatoes. It was tender, juicy, moist and filled with flavour!
Robin
This roast was as flavorful as it was juicy. The sandwiches we made the next day were even better!
Stephanie
This was a delightful surprise for my husband as he doesn’t get to eat much red meat. He loved the flavors and said the meat was so tender it practically melted in his mouth.
Marta
Sweet, baby Jesus, this had to be the best and most perfectly cooked roast beef I’ve made and tasted. I made sure to hide some away because roast beef sandwiches are my jam. Such a great plan because my roast beef on rye was on point at lunchtime.
Kate
Oh my goodness! This was so tender and delicious, we had no leftovers. The herb crusting is perfection. Thank you!
Cindy and Ron
By far the best, most tender roast I’ve ever made. And it was 90 degrees here today so shutting off the oven to finish cooking was great. It came out a perfect medium to medium rare all the way through, even the skinny end of the roast.