A flavorful seasoning mix and special cooking technique create this perfectly Tender Eye of Round Roast Beef with Gravy. A meal special enough for a holiday but economical enough to serve any day of the week!
I’m really excited about this recipe, friends. If you’ve tried some of my recipes in the past and trust me, even just a little bit, I hope you will get this perfectly tender roast beef with gravy on your menu very soon. It has been a weird year and I know we’re all changing up our holiday traditions a bit. It is my hope that this delicious but less expensive roast beef recipe comes to you at a good time.
We most often think of beef tenderloin or prime rib when it comes to tender roasted beef. But, you’ve really got something special when you can create a juicy, tender roast with an inexpensive cut like the eye of round! There is no need to reserve this meal for a special occasion. This recipe allows you to enjoy a roast beef dinner anytime the craving strikes.
Table of contents
What is an Eye of Round Roast?
An eye of round is a lean but flavorful cut that comes from the “round” or hindquarters of the cow. This area gets a lot of movement so the beef is leaner and less tender than more expensive cuts of beef. The eye of round is an excellent choice for cooking on a budget and can be roasted to juicy, tender perfection if you know how to cook it properly.
The budget-friendly eye of round roast is my favorite cut for roast beef but other cuts will work. More cuts from the round area include top or bottom round, rump, or sirloin tip. This cut is also the best choice for my family’s favorite Deli Style Roast Beef.
Ingredients
- Eye of round roasts are typically easy to find at most grocery store chains. I buy mine at Costco. They sell prime eye of round roasts in a 2-pack at a very competitive price.
- Like my Instant Pot Pot Roast and Classic Stovetop Beef Stew, the key to the flavor in this recipe comes from a special seasoning mix for roast beef. It is made up of aromatic, flavorful dry spices – rosemary, thyme, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- A little red wine goes a long way in adding great flavor to the luscious roast beef gravy. Most red wine will work just fine but I recommend going with a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon or a flavorful pinot noir or merlot. If you don’t cook with wine, you can sub an equal amount of beef broth.
- Browning sauce, like Kitchen Bouquet, is a great way to richen up the color and enhance the flavor of the gravies, stews, and meaty dishes. It has been a kitchen staple for home cooks since the 1800’s!
How to Cook an Eye of Round Roast
- Remove your roast from the refrigerator and allow it to rest on the counter for 45 minutes to take the chill off. Combine all the Roast Beef Seasoning Mix ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pat your roast with paper towels to dry the surface.
- Drizzle the roast with olive oil and use your hands to rub the olive oil, coating all sides.
- Sprinkle all sides, including ends, with the seasoning mix.
- Place your roast on a rack in a roasting pan with the fat cap side facing up. Transfer it to your preheated to 500 degrees F oven. Roast for 15 minutes until nicely browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and continue to roast for another 40 to 50 minutes. I don’t recommend cooking this roast beyond 130 to 135 degrees F (medium rare) for the most tender, delicious result. Watch it closely because the temperature can rise quickly towards the end of the cooking time. An instant read thermometer is a must have kitchen item for roasting meats to perfection.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board to rest for about 20 minutes before slicing it against the grain.
How to Make Perfect Roast Beef Gravy
- After slicing the roast, pour those precious juices that have accumulated on your cutting board into the roasting pan with the rest of the drippings. Drippings equal a more flavorful gravy! Place the roasting pan over medium heat and add the red wine. Whisk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, for several minutes to cook off some of the wine.
- Add the low sodium beef broth.
- Add a paste mixture of softened butter and flour. Whisk the gravy vigorously until the butter mixture is completely melted into the sauce.
- Add a little browning sauce (a little goes a long way!). Bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat as needed to keep the gravy at a low simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally. Transfer to a gravy boat for serving.
What to Serve with Roast Beef and Gravy
In my opinion, mashed potatoes are absolutely required as a base for this luscious gravy. My Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes are the perfect choice.
Delicious veggie side dish choices include my Broccoli Pearl Onion Casserole, Bourbon Glazed Carrots, Honey Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts, or Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon.
How Much Roast Beef Per Person?
When roast beef is the star of the meal and is served with a few sides, I recommend planning for 1/2 pound per person. Leftovers of this Tender Eye of Round Roast Beef are delicious served cold on sandwiches!
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Tender Eye of Round Roast Beef with Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 ½ pound eye of round roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to generously coat all sides
Roast Beef Seasoning Mix
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Roast Beef Gravy
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup red wine, like cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, or merlot
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon browning sauce, like Kitchen Bouquet
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove your roast from the refrigerator and allow it to rest on the counter for 45 minutes to 1 hour to take the chill off.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.
- Combine all the Roast Beef Seasoning Mix ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pat your roast with paper towels to dry the surface and then drizzle with olive oil and use your hands to rub the olive oil, coating all sides of the roast.
- Sprinkle all sides, including the ends, with the seasoning mix. Place your roast on a rack in a roasting pan with the fat cap side facing up.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes until nicely browned. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F and continue to roast for another 40 to 50 minutes or until internal temperature reads 130 and no more than 135 degrees F. (medium rare). Begin checking temperature after 35 minutes by inserting an instant read thermometer through the center of the roast from the side. Watch it closely because the temperature can rise quickly towards the end of the cooking time. I don't recommend cooking this roast beyond 135 degrees for the most tender, delicious result.
- Remove from the oven and loosely tent a piece of foil over the meat while still on the rack in the roasting pan. Allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board and set the roasting pan aside (you will need the pan and drippings to make the gravy later). Use a sharp knife to slice it against the grain about ¼-inch thick slices. Transfer the sliced beef to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour all of the juices that have accumulated on the cutting board into the roasting pan with the drippings.
For the Gravy
- Combine the softened butter and flour in a small bowl and set aside.
- Place the roasting pan with the beef drippings and accumulated juices over MEDIUM heat and add the red wine. Whisk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, for several minutes to cook off some of the wine. Add the beef broth and the butter and flour mixture. Whisk vigorously until the butter mixture is completely melted into the sauce Add the browning sauce (a little goes a long way) and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat as needed to keep the gravy at a low simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened, whisking occasionally. Taste and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, only if needed (there is so much flavor in this gravy you might not need to add any additional seasoning).
- Transfer to a gravy boat and serve with the roast beef.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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It was very tasty but weird how it turned out for us cooking wise. I checked temp after 30 minutes at 300 degrees and it was 94°f in the middle so I placed a timer for 14 minutes and checked it again and it had jumped to 154°f internal making it well done. At least it was still juicy I guess that’s a plus. So 500°f for 30 minutes then dropped to 300°f for a total of 45 minutes. Next time I’ll take it out after 30 minutes @ 300°f and let the tenting finish it. I like my meat rare to medium rare and medium if I must – guests pleasure sort of thing.
Hi Peter. The temp can rise quickly towards the end of the cooking time so you do need to be vigilant. It’s definitely best to cook the roast to more than medium for the best result.
Thank you! I followed this recipe to cook my first Eye of round and it was perfection! I would have destroyed it without this recipe to follow. Glad I found you.
So happy to hear this! Thanks, Lori. 🙂
It came out great! I am so glad I read this recipe first, as I had never cooked “eye roast” before, and would have probably wound up with shoe leather.
Excellent! You taught this old dog new tricks!
Cooked it on the grill following the recipe!! Major hit…going to happen again this summer for sure
I loved this recipe-simple and super tasty. Pleased everyone at the table, grumpy old people and picky young people alike.
Fantastic! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, Carol. 🙂
I had never cooked an eye round roast before and I always thought these cuts were best for pot roasts or stews. But I made this last night and it was awesome! I took the roast out when it hit 125 degrees because we like our meat medium rare and it was perfect. My roast was 3.0lb, and it fed two of us with leftovers, so I would plan for 1.0 lb. per person, particularly if you plan on feeding hungry men. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
could I modify this for instapot?
I would recommend pressure cooking for this cut and recipe.
I made this for my family of six tonight and it was fantastic! I’ve been making roast beef for years but this recipe gave it some extra kick! Delicious! Thank you.
Costco mechanically tenderizes its beef, which means stabbing it with dozens or more of unsterilized needles. On the label it says for safety to cook to 165 F. This is not a recipe I’ll try because I don’t know if the tenderness is only from the recipe or from Costco’s barbarism. I like costco, but not for its beef. I’ll look for another recipe.
Hi Eric. Eye of round roasts are widely available so you don’t need to shop at Costco. I’ve had a good result with this method regardless of where I’ve purchased the roast. As far as the temperature, you may be be confusing beef with poultry which should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F for food safety concerns. The recommended temperature for beef is 145 degrees F but remember, you should remove the roast from the oven when it is 5 to 15 degrees below the desired temperature because the temperature will continue to rise as it rests (also known as carry over cooking). Hope this helps.
Turned out perfect!!! Thank you
This was incredible!!!!!! Especially the gravy. Bought Kitchen Bouquet for it and it added a wonderful depths.
Love Kitchen Bouquet. 🙂 Thanks, Amber!