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An Eye of Round Roast is a economical cut of beef that, with careful preparation, makes a delicious dinner. Learn how to cook eye of round successfully in the crock pot or oven.

Sliced eye of round roast on a platter with carrots and potatoes

While eye of round may not be the most glamorous cut, it's very flavorful and costs about half as much as a rib roast! Plus, the lean meat has far fewer calories that many other cuts of beef.

While it's a notoriously tough cut, this dump-and-go recipe in the crock pot breaks down the connective tissue to make it nice and tender!

Beef Eye of Round Roast

The eye of round comes from the round primal on the backside of the cow, along with the top round, bottom round and sirloin tip. The muscles get lots of exercise, producing a very lean yet flavorful cut of beef.

An 3 pound eye of round roast ready for seasoning and cooking

Eye of round roast is the meat most commonly used for roast beef sold at deli counters. It's also used for steak cuts such as cube steak , minute steak and eye of round steak.

How to Cook Eye of Round Roast

Grilling or roasting eye of round at high-temperature does not really work, even with marinating. Dry roasting at a lower temperature like 325°F produces at best borderline tender meat even when you do everything right.

The best way to cook eye of round is low and slow in the crock pot. The steam circulation creates moist heat that braises the meat while slowly breaking down the tough connective tissue. Plus, you get juices to serve with the roast or make into gravy.

An eye of round roast in a crock pot after being fully cooked

Crock Pot: Place the roast into the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Cook on High for 6-7 hours (recommended) or on Low for 8-10 hours. For additional flavor, try browning the roast on all sides in a skillet on high heat for 4-5 minutes before slow cooking.

Oven: If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook it as a pot roast in the oven using a Dutch oven. Start it off at 350°F for 20 minutes, then reduce to 225°F for 6-7 hours more until tender. Check the liquid level halfway through and add more if needed.

Closeup of roast beef with gravy on top

What to Serve with Eye of Round

Classic pairings for an eye of round roast include potatoes, mashed potatoes or rice, plus a vegetable such as carrots, broccoli or green beans. Another option is simply a green salad.

More beef round recipes:

  • London Broil(Opens in a new browser tab)
  • Beef Stew

More beef recipes

Closeup of thick slices of roast beef with gravy on top and vegetables on the side

Eye of Round Roast Crock Pot

A budget-friendly cut of meat that makes a delicious dinner when braised in a crock pot or Dutch oven.

  • 3 pound eye of round roast
  • ½ cup beef broth, or water
  • ¼ cup soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water

  • Optional for extra flavor: Place a cast iron skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the roast. Fry for 5 minutes, turning regularly using kitchen tongs for even browning.

  • Place the roast and other ingredients into the crock pot.

  • Set the crock pot to cook on High for 6-7 hours or Low for 8-10 hours until tender (see note).

  • Optional gravy: Pour the juices from the crock pot into a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch-water slurry and let it bubble for several minutes stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.

  • Slice the roast crosswise against the grain and serve with the juices or gravy drizzled on top.

  • You can add vegetables to the crock pot for the final hour or so. Chopped potatoes and carrots will need 60 minutes, while green beans need about 30 minutes.
  • Make Ahead: This cut it not suitable for making ahead of time, as it risks toughening up during reheating.
  • Use leftovers to make roast beef sandwiches or beef vegetable soup.

Nutrition Facts

Eye of Round Roast Crock Pot

Amount Per Serving (6 oz)

Calories 352 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g 17%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 141mg 47%

Sodium 574mg 24%

Potassium 884mg 25%

Carbohydrates 8g 3%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 4g 4%

Protein 51g 102%

Vitamin C 1mg 1%

Calcium 54mg 5%

Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Recipe tools:

Dutch Oven

Crock Pot

Kitchen tongs

An Eye of Round Roast is a economical cut of beef that, with careful preparation, makes a delicious dinner. Learn how to cook eye of round successfully in the crock pot or oven. #EyeofRoundRoast #EyeOfRound