The Best-Ever Roast Beef (2024)

March 25, 2021 By Stephanie 28 Comments

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If you’ve ever been intimidated by making your own roast, fear no more. I am not lying when I say this is the best-ever roast beef. A lean cut of eye round is stuffed with garlic cloves and then marinated in red wine, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, and honey. The roast is then seasoned and seared before roasting with onions to perfection. The residual marinade makes for the best stove-top gravy for serving.

Where this recipe originated from

This recipe is a modified version of the roast beef recipe my mom makes. I grew up with my mom making this dish for lots of special occasions, and sometimes even just as a nice weeknight meal. I am so glad my mom instilled in me the importance of marinating meat (haha!), it seriously makes all the difference. The marinade is really what makes this the best-ever roast beef recipe.

This recipe is a great one to make for a holiday, because even though it is deliciously flavorful, beautiful, and impressive to serve, but it’s so easy to make. There are a few steps and some planning involved here, but nothing difficult at all.

What you’ll need to make this recipe

eye round (see below)
onions
garlic
red wine (dry)
Worcestershire
balsamic vinegar
honey
salt and pepper
McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
light butter
flour
beef broth

What is an eye round? What if I can’t find one?

This recipe calls for an eye round. So, what exactly is an eye round? I know cuts of beef can be confusing sometime. It can be especially challenging since certain stores do not carry certain cuts of beef.

My mom always made this recipe using an eye round, so that’s what I use here. I know for a fact that Costco sells excellent quality ones, and my mom typically buys hers from there. Eye round is a very, very lean cut of beef, from the rear leg of the cow. It is not as tender as some other cuts (think: tenderloin) and because of that, tends to be more budget-friendly. Eye round also does really well when you roast it to a medium temperature and serve it thin-sliced, like I do here. It makes an otherwise tough cut of beef tender.

If you can’t find an eye round, you can use top round instead.

How to marinate the meat

Marinating the beef is a really important step for this recipe. It’s what gets the beef as tender and flavorful as possible. I advise marinating the meat about 8 hours before you are ready to cook it. You can also do this overnight for even more flavor. I typically get the meat marinating first thing in the morning, so that it can go all day.

To prep the meat for the marinade, make sure all of the fat is trimmed from the beef. Then, mince up the garlic cloves. Poke holes all around the beef using a small paring knife, and then stick those minced garlic cloves into those holes.

Next, combine all of the marinade ingredients together, and then thinly slice the onion. Add the marinade, the beef, and the onions together in either a large covered bowl or freezer bag, and pop it in the fridge.

How to cook the roast

Before you cook the meat, take the meat out of the fridge and set it on the counter to come to room temperature, about an hour or so before hand. It’s really important for meat to be room temperature before it is cooked, so that it cooks evenly.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the meat from the marinade, and place the onions and marinade to the side for later. Separate the onions from the marinade, using a strainer. But save them both.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Then, sprinkle the McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning all over the meat.

Preheat a frying pan over medium high heat, and then spray some cooking spray (I use avocado oil because of its high smoke point). Then, sear the meat on all sides for 1-2 minutes per side.

Once that’s done, place the meat in a baking dish, and surround it with the onions. Roast for about 45 minutes for medium-rare to medium (this will vary based on the size of your roast, and your oven). Make sure you use your meat thermometer to determine when the roast is done to your liking. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

How to make the gravy

To make the gravy, we are going to use that reserved marinade. It makes for the most delicious gravy, which echoes all the flavors of the roast.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and then sprinkle the flour in. Whisk together to form a roux (if you don’t know what a roux is, it’s a mixture of butter and flour which is used to thicken sauces).

Next, pour in the marinade and the beef broth, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the gravy is reduced to your desired consistency.

If you are concerned with using the marinade as your gravy, don’t worry. Boiling it helps kill any bacteria from the raw meat. I promise, it’s fine, and delicious!

How to serve the best-ever roast beef

I love to thinly slice this roast once it has rested for 10 minutes, which allows all the juices to redistribute into the meat.

This roast is perfect with potatoes and a vegetable, for the ultimate comfort meal; but it’s also delicious on sandwiches, especially the next day!

The Best-Ever Roast Beef

If you've ever been intimidated by making your own roast, fear no more. I am not lying when I say this is the best-ever roast beef. A lean cut of eye round is stuffed with garlic cloves and then marinated in red wine, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, and honey. The roast is then seasoned and seared before roasting with onions to perfection. The residual marinade makes for the best stove-top gravy for serving.

4.97 from 33 votes

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course: dinner,main course

cuisine: American

keyword: eye round roast,roast beef

prep time: 5 minutes minutes

cook time: 1 hour hour

total time: 8 hours hours

servings: 6

calories: 319kcal

author: Steph

Equipment

frying pan
baking dish
sauce pan

Ingredients

Roast Marinade

2.5 lb eye round, all fat trimmed
2 onions, thinly sliced
5 oz red wine, dry
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced
McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning

Stove Top Gravy

1 tablespoon light butter
1 tablespoon flour
reserved marinade
14.5 oz beef broth, one can

Instructions

To Prep the Beef and Marinade

Eight hours prior to cooking, prepare the meat and marinade.
To prepare the roast, trim any excess fat off of the top and bottom.
Poke holes all around the roast, using a paring knife.
Mince the garlic cloves, and then stick the minced garlic into the holes you created in the roast.
To make the marinade, combine the wine, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, honey, the kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper.
Place in a bag or covered dish in the fridge for 8 hours, or up to overnight.

To Cook the Beef

One hour prior to cooking, remove the beef from the fridge and set on the counter (in the bowl or bag, with the marinade) to come to room temperature.
When ready to cook, remove the beef from the marinade.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Separate the onions from the marinade, using a strainer. Reserve both to the side.
Pat the beef dry using paper towels.
Season the beef by sprinkling the Montreal Steak Seasoning all around the outside of the beef.
Add a high smoke point cooking spray to a frying pan over medium high heat.
Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes on all sides to brown.
Place the beef in a baking dish, surrounded by the onions.
Roast for 45 minutes for a medium-rare to medium internal temperature. Roasting time will vary based on size of the roast; use a meat theremometer to determine when it's done to your liking.

To Make the Gravy

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Sprinkle flour and whisk together to form a roux (paste).
Add the reserved marinade and beef broth. Whisk together.
Bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes or until reduced to desired consistency.
Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper as needed.
Makes approximately 1 cup of gravy.

Notes

WW Points:

Roast:
- 4 WW points (all plans) for up to 6 oz
Gravy:
- 1 WW point (all plans) per tablespoon

WW PersonalPoints™: Click here to track this recipe in the WW app.

Nutrition

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Tamie L. says
December 1, 2020 at 1:21 pm

Loved this recipe. Easy to make and delicious. My entire family loved it.
Reply
Holli says
December 1, 2020 at 8:29 pm

Loved this recipe!!
Reply
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Helen says
December 2, 2020 at 10:30 am
I will never make roast beef any other way. Everyone enjoyed it. In fact , I have made this recipe a few times already. With leftovers, they even tasted better as the meat sat in the sauce. So flavorful. Definitely a keeper 👍
Reply
Lisa says
December 3, 2020 at 11:58 am

This is a fantastic meal! The marinade makes a delicious gravy and really takes the meal to another level. Leftovers are just as good (if you have any left).
Reply
Sarah says
December 14, 2020 at 1:19 am

Made this for my fiancé tonight. At first, I wasn’t sure if he liked it because he didn’t say anything during our meal, but afterward he told me he wasn’t talking because it was so good! He also ate the rest of the leftovers later that night, lol. Needless to say, this was a hit. Made it exactly according to recipe. Served it with mashed potato, sautéed spinach and maple roasted carrots. Highly recommend!! This would be a good recipe for company-it is a simple recipe but tastes great and looks impressive.
Reply
Shelby says
January 13, 2021 at 11:51 pm

This recipe was absolutely delicious. It was my first time making roast beef and Steph’s recipe was easy and fool proof. I think marinading the beef over night made a huge difference. The meat was so flavorful and tender.
Reply
Toniann says
March 29, 2021 at 12:28 pm

By far my favorite roast beef recipe ever. Whole family raves about it and it’s my go to.
Reply
- Zoya says
  October 13, 2021 at 3:18 pm
  Can I use a beef bottom round roast for this recipe?
  Reply
Felicia says
March 29, 2021 at 5:12 pm

Made this over the weekend. It came out better than any other recipe I’ve tried before
Reply
Lindsay says
March 30, 2021 at 9:23 pm

Made this tonight and it was loved by my husband and children! Easy prep!
Reply
Angela Michaelidis says
March 31, 2021 at 8:24 pm

The name says it all! It really is the best ever roast beef! I’ll never make it any other way. My family loved it!
Reply
Bebe says
April 1, 2021 at 11:13 pm

So delicious! Best roast and gravy all the flavor. My husband and I loved it! I’ll definitely make this again. Great recipe Steph and easy to follow.
Reply
Kerri says
April 13, 2021 at 11:26 am

This recipe was fantastic – so much flavor with such little effort. It’s a great option for when you’re hosting because the prep is done the night before and once it goes in the oven, there’s not much left to do!
Reply
Ashley says
May 2, 2021 at 6:45 pm

Steph did it again! Another amazing recipe!
Reply
Terri says
May 3, 2021 at 7:46 am
Delicious and my son told me that this was a recipe he needs when he moves out to his own place.
Reply
Sarah says
October 12, 2021 at 3:17 pm

When Steph calls this the best Roast Beef ever, believe it! My husband almost never asks for specific things for dinner, but asks for this one at least twice a month. Super easy and amazingly flavorful. Thank you for sharing this lightened up family recipe with us, Steph!
Reply
Nicole says
October 25, 2021 at 6:59 pm

So good and flavorful. The wine gave the gravy good flavor. Not sure why but half my onions burned, think it was my oven issue?
Reply
Kristin says
October 26, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Any advice on what I could sub in for the wine? We are all out and I have everything else!
Reply
Jessica says
October 26, 2021 at 7:14 pm
Sooo yummy!!! And super easy!!! My father in law loved it!!! (That’s huge) 🤣
Will def be making this again!
Reply
Michelle says
October 27, 2021 at 7:43 pm

Delicious! Easy to follow instructions. I did have to look up what temperature to cook to and found sites that said 135 for Med rare and 145 for medium but to take out 5-10 degrees shy of your desired doneness. I took mine out at 135 and after 10 min of resting it was at 144 and a beautiful pink in the middle. I think I might like this as sandwiches the next day even better! Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply
Katie says
November 19, 2021 at 3:11 pm

Oh yeah, this was delicious. And perfect served with some mashed potatoes for a hearty, warming meal on a cold dreary night…who knew you could enjoy meat and potatoes and still lose weight!? I followed the recipe exactly and it was pure perfection. What a winner!
Reply
Michelle says
January 19, 2022 at 6:29 pm

Amazing flavor! Steph is a genius.
Reply
Grace says
March 25, 2022 at 10:13 pm

When she calls this the “Best-Ever Roast Beef”, she’s not joking! We’ve made this 3-4 times, including for company, and it earned a permanent spot as Holy Thursday meal! The red wine marinade becoming the base for the gravy is brilliant, and the whole garlic cloves inside the meat is a delectable touch. Also this cut of meat is pretty affordable! It comes as a 2-pack at Costco which is perfect!
Reply
Michele says
November 5, 2022 at 8:43 pm

My husband is losing his mind over this recipe and particularly the gravy! (Me too) but harder to impress him. Steph, your the bomb!
Reply
Melanie says
November 6, 2022 at 9:42 pm

This was amazing! Easy to prep and cook. Definitely will make again. My husband complimented the recipe greatly. Thanks for an amazing dish!
Reply
Michele says
January 1, 2023 at 7:57 pm

Tried this for the first time – excellent!
Reply
Meghan says
March 7, 2023 at 1:00 pm

Another 5* review! This was fantastic! I tried to do a nice dinner for my husband. Due to unexpected work obligations he got home late and was the only one who ate (I had one slice). It was amazing then and again next night reheated slightly with a roll as a sub.
Reply
Steph S. says
December 17, 2023 at 3:16 pm

Delicious-made for Sunday dinner and the entire crowd enjoyed this tasty recipe!
Reply

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Hi, I’m Steph! I am married and a mom of three young children, a boy and two girls.

Here you’ll find healthy recipes by category, lots of lightened up comfort foods (burgers and pasta anyone?). But you’ll also find a lot of European influence in my cooking, as I often take our families’ recipes and rework them.
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