This is a sponsored post on behalf of Ontario Corn Fed Beef. Thanks for supporting the brands that help to keep the Crumb test kitchen running! All opinions are entirely my own, as always.
Once upon a time, long long ago, there was a girl who had no idea that not all steaks are created the same.
So she decided to buy a package of cheap eye of round steaks (half the price of ribeye = twice as much beef... perfect for a hungry yet impoverished student!) and proudly cooked them up to a perfect medium-rare... only to have to spend a good 5 minutes chewing a very tough first bite.
That girl has since learned that ribeye and strip loin are best for quick grilling, while eye of round requires a little more TLC.
That said, it's a cut of beef that's well worth making friends with, because it's both lean and flavourful. Not to mention it's conveniently easy on the budget, too!
In fact, eye of round has become one of my favourite cuts for preparing roast beef, mostly thanks to this slightly oddball (and yet totally foolproof) technique I first read about on AllRecipes many years ago.
Basically, you sear the roast in a very very hot oven, and then turn the oven off and let it coast on the residual heat for a couple of hours.
Yes, I said turn the oven off. Just trust me on this one. (Unless you have a gas oven or an old oven that doesn't hold heat very well... in that case, drop your oven as low as it'll go.)
It's literally the easiest recipe on the planet, and it results in the juiciest, tastiest piece of beautifully medium-rare roast beef you've ever had. Every time. Totally foolproof.
The hardest part is resisting the urge to crack open the oven door to peek at the beefy goodness that's filling your house with its delicious aroma, but your patience will be well rewarded.
The only change I've made to the original recipe is to rub the roast beef with a mixture of butter and dry mustard powder, which is a trick I picked up from my mother (who in turn picked it up from her trusty Mme Benoit cookbook back in the 70s).
The butter is an essential part of this recipe, because eye of round is naturally quite lean, and that extra bit of fat helps to baste the outside of the roast as it cooks. It also creates a lovely flavourful crust on the outside of the roast that makes it extra-tasty.
Yes, it will look like lots of butter when you're rubbing it on, but you absolutely should use it all. Go ahead. Treat yo'self.
To serve, carve the roast into thin slices and go with old-school accompaniments like roasted or mashed potatoes, a simple pan gravy and some steamed veggies.
By the end of the meal, you and eye of round will be best friends for life, regardless of your past experiences. Just trust me on this.
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Never-Fail Eye of Round Roast
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Eye of round can be tough and lean, which doesn't make it the ideal candidate for roast beef, but a short sear in super-hot heat followed by a long rest in a closed oven is guaranteed to get you a tender, juicy roast every single time. Make sure to slice very thinly across the grain for best results.
Ingredients
- 3 lb Ontario Corn Fed Beef eye of round roast
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500F. Once the oven comes up to temp, wait at least 15 minutes to make sure it gets good and hot before you move to the next step.
- While the oven is heating up, pat the roast dry, and place on a rack in a small roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix the butter, dry mustard, salt and pepper into a paste. Rub the butter paste all over the roast, covering evenly.
- Place the roast in the very hot oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 475F. Roast for 21 minutes (or 7 minutes per pound of beef), then turn the oven off and leave the roast in the hot oven for another 2 ½ hours. If you are using a gas oven or your oven does not hold heat very well, drop the temperature to 150F or as low as your oven allows you to go. (Do not open the oven door. I repeat, whatever you do, do not open the oven door!)
- After 2 ½ hours, your roast should be a perfect medium-rare (145F). To serve, slice very thinly across the grain.
Notes
If you're feeling ambitious, you can use the pan drippings to make an easy gravy. Simply measure out 4 tbsp of fat from the pan, adding some butter to make the difference if you don't have quite enough. Then, add ½ cup of red wine to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release as much of the browned drippings as you can.
In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir together the drippings with ¼ cup flour, and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups of beef stock, plus the wine and drippings from the pan. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main
Anna Marion says
Do I put the lid on the roaring pan while it cooks? I’m guessing no.
Isabelle Boucher says
No need to cover... it'll prevent the outside from getting nicely browned and crisped up.
Chris says
This method won't work on most new ovens, simply because the oven will always self-cool upon turning it off. The roast will never reach the desired temp. Karen is right.
Sarah says
I followed the roasting directions exactly and it turned out perfect! It got to 145 at the end of the 2.5 hours of sitting time in the oven. I roasted my 4.6lb roast for 32.5 minutes and had no issues. I was concerned my electric oven (which isn't expensive) wouldn't hold the heat, but it worked perfectly. I also substituted the mustard powder for a grainy mustard and it worked well. I added minced garlic, but those burnt in the initial roast (whoops!). The rue turned out wonderfully, but I had to cook the rue for 3-5 minutes to get it brown enough for a dark gravy.
★★★★★
Irene says
I grew up eating eye of round. My mother and father were born and raised in the French region of Belgium and both very good cooks. My Mom didnt use this recipe making her roasts but they were always tender and juicy. However. when I tried to make it, I wasn't as lucky. Some were great, others not so much.
About 6 years ago we moved to S.C.. About a month after we arrived, hurricane Irma came through and dropped a tree in our home. Our good friends and contractor from Pennsylvania cancelled their vacation plans to come rescue us. We had 4 grown men 2 women to feed daily. My friend suggested she make an eye of round. It would be 2 meals, day one roast day two sandwiches for all of us. I was all for it. I didn't have to cook and if it was tough, it was all on her.( some friend I am, huh?) Needless to say, she used a high heat recipe. It was perfectly cooked and I was hooked. Fast forward to a few years later I'm looking online to refresh my memory on how to make this roast and I came across your recipe with the butter and mustard. This was not great, it was melt in your mouth delicious. I was not expecting it to be bad, but I never imagined it would be that good. A roast that would normally last 4 days for the 2 of us, lasted 2. Thank you, thank you and thank you! FYI, I had a brand new self cleaning oven and it still came out perfectly. If people feel the need to adjust the recipe, I would suggest reducing the cooking time from 7 to 5 minutes a pound.
★★★★
Eleni says
Ok so no rating yet as it’s still in the oven however I have to say I’m a bit skeptical. After reading all of the reviews I did make a slight adjustment but only in so far as the time that I started this roast with regards to what I wanted to serve it. The reason being my oven is self cleaning very well insulated and holds heat amazingly. That being said the roast has now been in for an hour and a half and it’s still only at 66°. Guess it really does need the 2 1/2 hours in my oven. In the essence of time I have turned the heat back on at a low temperature to try and speed it along without compromising the low and slow method. Will let you all know how it turns out
Minette Satterwhite says
This is my go-to for eye of round. This is the first time putting the butter mustard paste on it though. For added insurance, I always use a meat thermometer. It’s perfect every time. Leftovers make the best sandwiches! Reminds me of my mom making this roast. It was the first thing I learned to cook in college for a real meal.
★★★★
Kim Pitton says
I am amazed! I was totally bummed when I realized that I had purchased the toughest roast on the planet! Luckily I found this recipe! It smelled amazing while cooking! I let it cool completely and then chilled overnight in refrigerator! I thinly sliced it and of course tasted a little piece. It is absolutely delicious! I’m now making a pot of gravy and am going to freeze containers of meat and gravy for hot beef sandwiches! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Sandy Willott says
Having purchased an eye of round roast raised at my favorite farm, because it was available close to home, I was dismayed to find out that it is often found to be a very tough cut. Then I found your recipe ... amazing ... the best roast beef I’ve ever made!!! This is a keeper for sure.
★★★★★
Jim says
I like your concept.
However, all ovens are different. Self-cleaning ovens have more insulation in them and will hold the heat in. I'm going to try this next time: Sear at 475F for 7 min/lb then open the door to reduce the temperature.
I will then cook at a super low temp until the meat is done (using an external-type meat thermometer)
★★★★
Julie says
Oh my goodness, my eye round came out perfect! I have been trying different methods of cooking eye round for years and just gave up buying it because it was just either too tough (regular roasting) or lacked texture (crock pot). Using this method produced a tender and flavorful roast. The slices had just the right texture. I was not sure if my electric oven would hold temperature so I put it on the lowest setting after the initial sear and it was just slightly pink stage but sill very good. Thank you!
★★★★★
Mari says
I followed this recipe exactly, however I used a probe thermometer at the same time to be safe and thank goodness I did. My roast was completely cooked to medium-well temperature after 1 hour in my OFF oven. It definitely was not slow cooked and thank goodness I had a thermometer in or it would have been an over cooked disaster.
★
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm sorry it didn't quite work out for you, Mari. I suspect some of the newer ovens hold their heat much better than older models, but it's hard to say since I can only test using my own oven.
Kim M says
Hi, there, Izz! I wanted to say Hello and tell you that (1) I like your style; and (2) I'm so glad you're still blogging! I say that because the "recipe" that brought me to you was this oldie-but-goodie from 2016. I ended up with an eye of round roast (not a typical purchase) that I wasn't quite sure what to do with, on an extraordinarily busy day, so I turned to the internet, as one does as such times. Your recipe caught my eye with the dry mustard, as it reminded me of a similar method of Elise Bauer's: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_pan_fried_london_broil_steak/
Actually, I was so busy on the day I tried your eye of round method, that I printed it out and handed it to my boyfriend and said, "Have at it," as I sped out the door. And...it came out PERFECT. I really enjoyed it, so much so that I bought another one just a couple of weeks later, and I am currently spending the evening at home, screwing it all up. Didn't hear the 20minute timer so I left it in too long without turning off the heat. Next, my meat thermometer broke and I didn't realize it, and it was giving me a 150-degree internal temp already and I panicked and opened the door before my instant-read gave me the accurate reading...so I'm trying your trick about setting the oven on low and cracking the door. And keeping a close eye on it. Pray for me?
★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
Oh no! Sorry to hear you had such a rough start of it, Kim... hopefully everything turned out okay despite it all.
Kathy says
The concept of this is awesome and I would never have considered eye of round as a delicious roast beef meal. My input is as follows: the rub on top can be really anything you want. Add mustard, worcestershire, garlic, lots of pepper....whatever strikes you.
However...I highly recommend you have a leave-in thermometer that has a cable out that you can monitor because this doesnt always take this amount of time. In fact mine was ready an hour earlier and only my thermometer saved me. I like mine around 135 and it was 138 by the time I hurried the potatoes gravy and green beans. It was still Delicious but next time I'll take it out earlier. I didn't have enough pan juices really...I made packaged gravy and dumped juices in it. The hubby loved it and the leftovers make the most awesome sandwiches ever. It's better the next day + I swear.
★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
Great feedback, Kathy. Thanks for sharing!
Cheryl says
2 lb roast was perfect! Pink & juicy. Delicious with mashed potatoes & gravy!!
Kate Salter says
I followed this exactly, per the 7 minutes per LB and ended up with 3kilos of well-done eye of round... still useable but not what we were hoping for. I would like to try again - any tips?
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm so sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, Kate. I'd be happy to help you troubleshoot, though I have to admit I've never tried with such a big roast - was this one big roast, or was it cut into two? Also, did you use the regular instructions, or the variation for a gas oven?
Teva says
Tried this for first time last. Ight following recipe exactly, except I was working with a 2.22 lb of meat. Adjusted cooking time accordingly.
The only comment I would make on instructions is to soften butter rather than melt it. Otherwise you don't end up with a paste.
All in all, the meat came out perfectly cooked to between medium and medium rare, and it was not touch at all. Flavor was great too, which I was a bit surprised about since this recipe didn't calm for a marinade mike some others do for this cut of beef.
I recommend you give it a try. Having an electronic thermometer that you can read outside the oven will help you get a perfect medium rare. Also, having a roast that is even thickness throught helps as well. Some of my family likes it a bit more done so they got the end of my roast which tapered off to a thinner width.
Used pan juices but will try recipe for red wine sauce and serve up with some sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onion next time.
★★★★★
Teresa Melnick says
I never believed this would work., but I just had to try it. I'm SO glad I did. This was perfectly pink and moist and was truly delicious. I also tried the pan gravy with red wine--loved it! My husband loved it too. I will definitely be using this method from now on.
★★★★★
Whitney says
if gas oven and want it cooked medium....do I set it to 200 for 21/2 hours?
Julie says
Do you trim the fat off the roast? There is about a 1/2" thick piece of fat on one side of the roast.
Isabelle Boucher says
Please keep the fat! I find that eye of round has usually been trimmed of all fat, which is why I use the butter-and-mustard coating to compensate, but the roast will be extra-delicious if there's a layer of fat still attached. :)
Mary Phaneuf says
Leave the fat on and roast with the fat side up..
Dan says
NO! MOM USED TO ROAST FAT SIDE UP. OFTEN THE ROAST IS TRIMMED AND THERE ISN'T MUCH FAT ON THE ROAST.
Marilyn says
How can I roast my vegetables with this recipe. I typically add onion potatoes and carrots to my roasts. Also can I make hours ahead , what is the best way to reheat?
Isabelle Boucher says
I've never tried roasting vegetables with this recipe, but it's certainly worth a try. The only catch is that they won't get that nice crispy browned outside like they would at high heat - so if that's what you're after, you might be better off roasting them on the stovetop instead (here's a recipe you can use as a starting point).
In terms of making ahead, my favourite trick is to slice the cold roast into thin slices, and then ladle bubbling-hot gravy overtop. The hot gravy will warm up the roast without overcooking it. Tah-dah!
Ophelia Hinton says
When the time with the oven off was over I opened the oven and it was barely warm. The roast tested at 120 degrees. Can I assume it's cooked or should I leave it in at 175 (the lowest my oven goes) and continue to test?
Isabelle Boucher says
Oh no! It's hard to say for sure, but it sounds like your oven may have cooled off sooner than the 3 hours, which can happen with gas ovens or older models that aren't as well insulated. If you have a gas oven, try cooking at 175F the whole time. If you have an older oven, I would suggest following a previous commenter's suggestion to pull the roast out as soon as your oven door doesn't feel warm any more.
Kim says
I’m cooking for a crowd.. how long would you cook 3 2.5# roasts together?
Isabelle Boucher says
Sorry, Kim, I've never tried this trick with multiple roasts. I suspect you can treat them the same way you'd treat a single roast as long as you leave plenty of room between the roasts for the hot air to circulate, but I can't say for sure.
Pam says
Will this work on a very small eye roast. About 1.65 lbs?
★★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
I haven't tested it on such a small roast, so it's hard to say for sure.
If you want to give it a try, I would definitely need to cut down on the initial high-temperature roasting - rule of thumb is 7 mins per pound, so for this size you'd roast for around 11-12 minutes. And then plan to check for doneness after 2 hours, rather than going the full 2.5 hours. Let me know how it goes!
Geri Chappelle says
Thanks for the recipe. I have a hard time cooking meat successfully. I usually crock pot my roasts, but knew this was a special cut. Found it on sale and didn't want to ruin it. It worked well for me.
.
★★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm so glad this worked well for you, Geri! It can be so stressful to try a new cut of meat and not be sure how to prepare it.
Diane says
My oven only goes down to 170 is that gonna work?
Isabelle Boucher says
I can't say for sure without testing it out for myself, but I would say that that you should be just fine. I'd just suggest you check the roast at the 2-hour mark, just to be on the safe side - since you're still running the oven, you don't need to worry about opening the door and letting all the heat out! :)
Marge says
I just made this recipe. I had a 4 pound roast so baked for 28 minutes before shutting off the (electric) oven. The meat thermometer showed under 145 F but it was perfect! Also made the gravy and it is FANTASTIC! First eye of round I ever made...with this recipe, it will surely not be my last.
★★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed this one, Marge! The gravy really does make it extra-yummy.
Emiley says
This sounds great. I have a gas oven. Do you have any suggestions how to adjust for this? Thanks
Isabelle Boucher says
I haven't ever tested on a gas oven (mostly because I don't know anyone who has one that I can borrow!), but I've heard from a few sources that you can get the same results by dropping your oven as low as it will go instead of turning it off entirely.
Diana says
Every time perfect. Thank you. Just a question if I use different cuts of beef do I need to make any adjustments. By the way I have convention oven and works perfectly with this method
Isabelle Boucher says
Sorry, I haven't tried this trick with other cuts of beef, so not sure... but my guess is that it probably wouldn't get very good results with heavily marbled or bone-in cuts like prime rib. I would suggest doing those the more traditional way, in a really hot oven to help cook through and render off all that lovely fat.
Clayton says
I have used this method for a standing rib roast (recipe from Fresh Market).
4 rib roast
Room temp for roast
Preheat to 375 degrees
Rub roast with seasonings of choice.
Place in pan w/rack ribs down. Roast for 1 hour
Turn oven off and leave roast in for 3 hours. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR!!
About 30-40 mins before serving turn oven to 375 degrees just to re-heat.
Isabelle Boucher says
Thanks for sharing your technique, Clayton. Will have to try this out the next time I find a good deal on some prime rib!
Barbara says
A this is how I cook my prime rib.. but i start at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per lb., and don't open the oven for 2 hours. It's perfectly done.
Isabelle Boucher says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Barbara! Good to know this technique works well for fancier cuts, too.
Mary says
I make this often and it's wonderful. I never wait 2 1/2 hours to open the door. If you do, you'll be serving cold meat and will have to heat it again, either in slices or whole which I don't want to do. As soon as your oven door feels cool, it's done. It isn't going to get any more done sitting in a cold oven :)
Isabelle Boucher says
Good tip, Mary! Checking the oven door to see if it's still hot is a great idea, since I find every oven is a little different... mine is a newer model that retains heat surprisingly well, so it's usually still warm (though definitely not piping hot) by the end of the cook time, but some older ovens will definitely not be the case.
Marsha says
I have a gas oven so I followed the recipe the 1st time and it was to well done for us.
We like it more rare.
So this last time I used a 6lb roast seared for 25 min then turned oven off for 1 hr then turned back on to lowest heat setting(170) and let cook for another 20 min.
It was so delicious the rub recipe I tripled since it was a bigger roast.
This is the best eye round recipe!
Thanks again
★★★★★
Tony says
What kind of pan do you place the roast in (Brand and Style)? And do you cook covered or uncovered?
Thanks!
★★★★★
Isabelle Boucher says
Hi Tony... the size and brand of the pan doesn't really matter overmuch. Basically, you're looking for a small roasting pan with a wire rack on the bottom that's long enough to accommodate your roast. Most stores that sell basic cookware will carry these, especially this time of year. If you're still not too sure what to look for, there's a picture of the roast in the pan about midway through the post.
As for covered vs. uncovered, you should always do roast beef uncovered. If you cover it, you will steam your roast and will not get that lovely crusty outside that is one of the features of a great roast beef. (Same goes for roast pork, roast chicken, or basically any other kind of roasted meat.)
Tony says
Thanks!
Jeannie says
We have a 24" electric free standing range 6 months old. Isabelle, should I adjust anything. Thank you.
Isabelle Boucher says
For an electric range, I don't think you'll need to make any adjustments. I haven't tried with a 24" range, but I have tried with a variety of different electric ranges and in-wall ovens, and it's worked reliably well for me. (It's different with gas ovens, as apparently they don't hold heat quite as well.)
Kristine says
A great and easy way to cook this cut of beef!! It worked perfectly!!! Thanks so much :)
★★★★★
Karen says
No good. Smoked up the house while searing it and never reached temperature despite the fact that our oven is new. Really disappointing.
★
Isabelle Boucher says
I'm sorry to hear this didn't work for you, Karen. I've been making roast using this technique for over 10 years and it's never been an issue for me, so I'm not sure what went wrong... out of curiosity, are you using a convection or gas oven? Also, is it a smaller-size countertop or in-wall oven? And was your rack in the middle of the oven?
The fact that it smoked while searing could mean the meat was too close to the heating element, which shouldn't be an issue with a standard-sized stove that heats from the bottom, but could be an issue with models that heat from the top or are smaller than an average-sized range. Convection ovens are also tricky, because they run hotter than regular ranges and the fan will blow all the hot air out, so there won't be enough residual heat to cook the roast all the way through.
Amy says
This sounds yummy, but we eat our meat medium well to well done. Will it still work?
Isabelle Boucher says
Good question! Because eye of round is such a lean cut of meat, I personally find that it's best not to cook it beyond medium-rare. I worry that cooking to medium-well would probably mean a very tough, dry roast.
What I'd suggest f you're looking for a medium-well eye of round is use a moist-heat cooking method for your eye of round (ie. prepare it as a pot roast). Or, if it's roast beef you're after, look for a cut that has enough fat marbled throughout to keep the meat moist even when well-done, such as sirloin tip or strip loin, and then roast it using this technique: https://www.canadabeef.ca/oven-roast-know-how/
Hope this helps!
Sean@Diversivore says
I'm always trying out new ways to do a roast. I generally sear in a pan and then roast in the oven, but I totally want to try this. I love techniques like this - I do a roast chicken in an ultra-low oven and I adore it, and turning the heat off was the best thing I ever did when it comes to boiling eggs. Love what you've done with this awesome cut of beef. Cheers!
★★★★★
Teresa says
Mme Benoit! I learned so much from my mother's copies of her books. And the roast trick sounds amazing. There's nothing better than tender, medium-rare roast.
Markus Mueller says
MMM this sounds good! Instead of using dry mustard in the rub though I usually use Dijon style mustard mixed with minced garlic and herbs to make a 'crust'. I'll have to try turning the oven off and letting it sit..I know low and slow is the way to go..This is new to me though!
★★★★
Hilary says
Your tip about turning the oven off and the dry mustard/butter combo both sound fantastic! I'm going to have to give this one a try! Thanks Isabelle :)