The Dinner Bell

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About / Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • About / Contact
×
Home » Main Dishes

Holiday Roast Beef on a Budget

Published: Feb 23, 2020 · Modified: Dec 2, 2024 by Joanie Simon · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

↓ Jump to Recipe

They say beef tenderloin is the best for making a holiday roast beef. Yes, it's tender and lean, but at $25 per pound it's also freakin' expensive!

Good news is that there's a lesser known cut of beef that's a fraction of the price and can make for an amazing holiday beef roast.

White platter with a sliced beef roast and oranges
A simple orange and rosemary garnish completes the presentation

Eye of Round Roast for Tender Roast Beef

Eye of round roast goes for $5 to $7 per pound and if you follow my recipe (which includes turning the oven off!) you'll end up with a beautiful, tender and flavorful holiday beef roast that your family will rave about.

A Four Steps to Make Holiday Roast Beef

This recipe includes a 4 step process: Rub, Sear, Roast, Rest.

The first step is to make a quick rub with salt, pepper and brown sugar and then rub it all over your eye of round roast. The roast pictured here is 3 pounds, feeding approximately 6 people. I estimate ½ pound per person.

overhead image of a dish with brown sugar, salt and pepper
3 ingredients for the beef rub
overhead image of a baking dish with an eye of round roast rubbed with spice blend, ready to be seared
The roast is rubbed with the salt, pepper and sugar and ready to be seared

Next, get a cast iron pan or heavy steel pan and heat it over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbs of oil and sear the meat on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per side.

overhead view of a seared piece of beef in a baking pan
After the roast is seared, it's ready for the oven

From there, place the seared beef into your oven heated to 500F. Close the door to your oven and then turn off the oven completely. Keep the door of the oven closed and let the beef cook in there for at least an hour.

Then after an hour, check the temp on the beef with an instant-read thermometer. Once you hit 125F it's time to take the beef out of the oven. A 3lb roast will take approximately 1 hour to get to 125F. Larger cuts will take longer, up to three hours.

the beef out of the oven and showing a meat thermometer with 125F as the temperature
When the beef is at 125F, it's time to pull it out of the oven and let it rest on a cutting board.

At the 125F mark, take the beef out of the oven and place it on a carving board or other meat safe cutting board. You'll notice the meat will continue to rise in temperature. This is what we call "carry over cooking", where the thermal energy continues to build for a bit after the meat is removed from the oven. This is totally normal.

After 45 minutes of resting, it's time to serve your beef. Once it's sliced, it's time to serve immediately. I can't wait for you to taste how good this recipe is!

Overhead view of a slice beef roast on a platter with citrus and rosemary.
Eye of Round Roast with a quick gravy made from drippings for a festive holiday dinner entree

Make A Quick Gravy

There's also info on the recipe card for an optional quick gravy. It's got a little bit of a tangy flair to it and it goes great with the beef as well as with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. I love gravy <3.

overhead shot of a plate of beef, mashed potatoes and green beans
the gravy is super simple and a perfect pairing with the beef

Meat Price Comparison

  • Standing Rib Roast: $12 to $15 per pound
  • Beef Tenderloin: $25 per pound
  • Rack of Lamb: $13 to $15 per pound
  • Eye of Round Roast: $5 per pound
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Roast beef for Christmas made with eye of round roast on a platter

Christmas Beef Roast on a Budget


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

  • Author: Joanie Simon
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

An easy to follow recipe for an affordable holiday roast beef made with eye of round roast and a quick gravy made from the drippings.


Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 3 pound eye of round beef roast
  • 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
  • ½ white onion, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup beef broth


Instructions

  • Combine the rub ingredients: 1 Tablespoon salt, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper. Then rub the mixture all over a 3 pound eye of round roast.
  • Let the roast sit out for 30 minutes to become room temperature and allow the rub to soak in.
  • Preheat your oven to 500F.
  • Heat a cast iron pot or heavy skillet over medium high heat with 2 Tbs oil. Once it's heated up, sear the meat 2 minutes per side until all sides are seared and browned.
  • Place the roast in an oven safe dish and place it uncovered in the preheated oven. Or, if you prefer, you can leave the roast in the pan it was seared in, if it's oven-safe.
  • Once you close the oven door with the roast inside, turn off the heat completely, leaving the roast in there with the oven door closed until the meat comes to 125F. This might take an hour or up to three, depending on the size of roast you select. A 3 pound roast generally takes one hour. I check the roast temperature after an hour.
  • Once the roast has reached an internal temp of 125F, remove the roast from the oven, place it on a meat-safe carving board, and allow it to rest at least 20 minutes up to 45 minutes.
  • While the meat is resting, heat the skillet that you used to sear the beef over a medium-high heat and add in ½ chopped onion and 2 Tablespoons butter, stirring to scrape up the beef drippings. If you didn't cook the meat in the pan that you used for searing, be sure to collect the drippings from the beef and add them to the pan you used for searing the meat and use that to saute the onions in the butter.
  • Once the onions are soft, add in 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth. Allow this mixture to come to a simmer and allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and is slightly thickened. Once it's reduced, use a hand blender or a regular blender to blend the mixture until smooth. At this point, the sauce is ready to serve. You can continue to simmer on the stove it to further reduce it, or serve it right away. Or, if you aren't eating right away, you can put the sauce on low heat on the stove and keep it covered.
  • Finally, once your roast has fully rested, slice up your roast into ½ in thick slices and serve with the sauce.
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 65
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Roast
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ⅙
  • Calories: 394
  • Sugar: 2.7 g
  • Sodium: 1513.9 mg
  • Fat: 21.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.3 g
  • Protein: 47.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 177.9 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me @joanieraysimon on Instagram. I'd love to see!

More Holiday Recipes

  • Ice Cream Yule Log Cake
  • Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Frosting
  • Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars

More Main Dishes

  • salmon piccata with capers and garnished with fresh lemon
    Salmon Piccata (Low Carb)
  • One pan Mediterranean chicken quinoa bake with golden brown chicken thighs, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs in a white ceramic baking dish, with a serving spoon and side salad visible
    One-Pan Mediterranean Chicken Quinoa Bake (Diabetes Friendly)
  • Overhead view of a plate filled with chicken lettuce wraps with extra peanut sauce on the side
    Peanut Sauce Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • a sliced pizza with cottage cheese crust and a hand grabbing a slice
    Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust (High-Protein Recipe)

Comments

  1. Lisa says

    December 12, 2022 at 8:59 pm

    I will be cooking for 16 people. I am hoping to find a 10 lb roast. How long would I leave the roast sitting in the oven for that size roast?

    Reply
    • Shelley says

      December 15, 2024 at 3:36 pm

      How long did you leave it in the oven?

      Reply
      • Joanie Simon says

        December 17, 2024 at 6:25 am

        A 3lb roast will take approximately 1 hour to get to 125F. Larger cuts will take longer, up to three hours. The other commenter mentioned a 10lb roast, but I'm not sure you'll be able to find this cut in that size, so I'd recommend doing two or three roasts if you need that much meat. As far as timing, I've never tested larger than 3lb so I couldn't say for certain, but eye of round roast generally takes 25 minutes per pound at 300F to come to 125F.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

photo of Joanie Simon, author of thedinnerbell.recipes

Hi, I'm Joanie

Sharing everyday eats, from blood sugar-friendly meals to special occasion favorites. Ring The Dinner Bell with food that makes you feel good!

More about me

Popular

  • chocolate peanut butter protein ice cream with a spoonful removed
    Chocolate Peanut Butter Ninja Creami (High Protein)
  • sourdough discard garlic knot rolls in a baking pan with marinara and parmesan
    Sourdough Discard Garlic Knot Rolls
  • green chutney in a glass jar with naan bread
    Cilantro Mint Chutney
  • bagels with golden brown crust and topped with everything bagel seasoning
    Cottage Cheese Bagels (30 Minute Recipe)

Footer

Subscribe for new recipes!

Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • The Bite Shot
  • ↑ back to top

Copyright © 2025 The Dinner Bell • As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

overhead view of a beef roast, sliced and surrounded by citrus and rosemary