How to Cook Eye of Round Roast?

Eye of round roast is an easy weeknight dinner to prepare and, when cooked properly, can even shine as a Christmas dinner.

While it may not be as tender as ribeye or filet, it’s definitely easier on the wallet. My eye of round roast recipe turns this budget-friendly cut into a juicy, tender roast that’s every bit as good as the steak you’d get at a restaurant.

It’s a solid choice that won’t break the bank but still packs plenty of flavor, and you can prepare it in just a few minutes. So, let’s see how to cook eye of round roast.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds eye of round roast
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, thyme, or oregano
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Equipment:

• Cast iron skillet
• Roasting pan
• Meat thermometer
• Kitchen twine
• Aluminum foil

What is Eye of Round?

The eye of round roast is a lean, muscular cut of beef from the round, or rear leg of a cow, which is also budget-friendly. Since it doesn’t have that much fat, it can be tough if not cooked properly. So it’s best roasted or braised and cooked only to medium rare. In this recipe, we’ll also share how to marinate it to make it more tender.

How to Prepare Eye of Round Roast?

If there’s too much fat or silvery skin on the eye of round roast, trim it off with a sharp knife, but leave a thin layer of fat to add flavor while cooking.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub the entire surface with olive oil. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic, and herbs, then immerse the roast in the mixture. To prevent odor transfer, cover it with plastic wrap or a freezer bag and place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. If you use a vacuum sealer to seal it, the marinating time can be shortened to 6-8 hours.

Eye of Round Roast Instructions

Here are the detailed steps on how to bake eye of round roast. Just follow my instructions and you can make a delicious meal too!

Step 1: Thaw the roast. Take your marinated eye of round roast out of refrigerator and let it sit uncovered for 1-2 hours before you want to cook it, which helps it thaw and ensures it cooks evenly.

Step 2: Pan sear for a nice crust. Heat your skillet on medium-high and add a little olive oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides until it’s nicely browned, which should take about 2-3 minutes for each side. Then, move the roast to a baking sheet.

Step 3: Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 225°F (107°C) for a low and slow roast. If you’re short on time, you can bake it at 325°F (163°C), but the lower temperature yields a more tender and juicy results.

Step 4: Insert a meat thermometer. Pour a cup of beef broth into the baking sheet to keep the beef moist. Then, insert a wireless meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. I prefer a wireless one since it lets me monitor the meat temperature on my phone remotely, and the companion app will send an alert when the temperature is approaching, so I can avoid overcooking.

Step 5: Roast the eye of round. Place the roasting pan into the preheated oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 125°F. If you don't have a wireless meat thermometer, start taking it out and checking the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer after 90 minutes at 225°F or 40 minutes at 325°F.

Step 6: Rest and slice. Once the roast reaches 125°F, take it out of the oven and loosely cover it with aluminum foil. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute through the meat. After that, slice the roast against the grain into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

Step 7: Make the pan sauce and serve. While the roast is resting, you can make the special sauce for this eye of round roast. Heat some wine, leftover gravy, and softened butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring until it starts to boil. Let it simmer until it thickens, then add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over it and pair it with a side dish like roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, or a fresh salad.

Can I Cook Eye of Round Roast Sous Vide?

As mentioned earlier, eye of round is a lean beef cut that can easily dry out or toughen up if not cooked right. Sous vide is perfect for this because it breaks down the muscle fibers and tenderizes tougher cuts of meat.

Just vacuum seal the seasoned eye of round into a bag and cook it in a 134°F water bath for 18 hours. With sous vide cookers having timers, you don’t need to supervise on it. Once done, remove it from the bag and sear it for 2-3 minutes on each side to create a beautifully brown crust. Then, slice and serve.

Cooking eye of round this way is just as delicious and juicy, and you can save time marinating since the vacuum sealing locks in all the moisture and juices.