This pepper crusted roast beef is coated in a flavorful garlic and pepper seasoning then slow roasted and finished with a reverse sear. It's tender and juicy and packed with flavor in every bite!
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Why this recipe works
This easy eye of round roast beef recipe is perfect for a small Christmas dinner for 6 to 8 people. Serve it with a horseradish cream sauce and your favorite potatoes for a holiday meal on a budget.
What cut of meat to use for roast beef
For this roast beef recipe I used an eye of round roast. This economical cut of meat comes from the hind quarter, or round, and is very lean yet flavorful. Like many lean cuts it can be tough, so it's best slow cooked to medium rare and sliced thin, against the grain.
You can use other similar lean cuts such as a top sirloin roast or bottom round roast as well. I typically buy whichever is on sale at the time.
If you want to take it up a notch this garlic and peppercorn crust is also amazing on other roasts like beef tenderloin or rib roast too! This reverse sear cooking method will work on these cuts as well.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound eye of round roast
- 2-3 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
How to make the pepper crust
Roughly crush the peppercorns by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a kitchen mallet or heavy skillet. Then combine with the other ingredients in a small bowl.
Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly coat the meat with olive oil, then liberally apply the seasoning on all sides.
Reverse seared eye of round roast
This reverse seared roast beef recipe starts in a low temperature oven and slowly cooks until about 15 degrees shy of the final cooked temperature. Then we will raise the oven temperature to high heat to brown the exterior of the meat to finish it off.
Preheat your oven to 275°F. Set the seasoned meat on a rack in a roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer (Affiliate Link) in the center of the roast. Cook the roast to 115°F, around 1½ hours, then remove the roast from the oven.
Set the oven temperature to 450°F. Once preheated add the meat back to the oven and cook to 125°F. Remove the beef roast from the oven and tent with foil.
Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute. The temp will continue to rise while the meat rests to reach a finished temperature of 130-135°F for medium rare.
Slice the meat against the grain in thin slices around ¼ on an inch thick and serve.
Meat temperature guide
For the best results I recommend cooking the roast to medium rare. If you prefer your roast beef more well done, use the roast beef temperature guide below.
- Rare: 120-125°F
- Medium Rare: 130-135°F
- Medium: 140-145°F
- Medium Well: 150-155°F
- Well: 160-165°F
Remember for the reverse sear method you will remove the roast 15 degrees prior to the finished temp and then return the to a hot oven to sear. You then will remove it at 5 degrees below the finished temp and allow it to reach the final temp while resting.
What to serve with roast beef
This roast beef is pretty lean so I like to serve it with a horseradish cream sauce for some additional richness. For side dishes, you can't go wrong with potatoes. Herb roasted potatoes are a great option or rich and creamy scalloped potatoes are a great choice if you're serving the roast beef for Christmas dinner. Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon are a great choice for a green vegetable on the side.
📖 Recipe
Pepper Crusted Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 4 pound eye of round roast
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons whole black peppercorns, crushed
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Place the peppercorns in a plastic bag then smash them with a kitchen mallet or heavy skillet. Combine with the minced garlic, chopped rosemary, and salt.
- Rinse the meat and pat dry with paper towels, then lightly coat the meat with olive oil. Liberally apply the seasoning to coat all sides of the meat and set on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Roast the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 115°F (for medium rare) then remove from the oven. Set the oven to 450°F. Once preheated, return the meat to the oven and cook for around 10 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of around 125°F.
- Remove from the oven and tent with foil then let rest for 15-20 minutes. Slice in thin cuts against the grain and serve.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Margie McGee
How long would I cook a 3 pound eye if round? That's the biggest I could find.
Scott
Hi Margie,
It should be around 20 minutes per pound for the initial low-temp phase, so 1 hour for a 3-pound roast. For best results use a leave-in thermometer to track the internal temperature and cook to temp and not time. For medium rare I aim for 115°F for the first phase and 130-135°F after searing.
Jax
My father always loved a 'peppercorn roast' growing up, but I could never find a good roast recipe that didn't eventually turn into a potroast. This one is perfect! I trussed the roast and bought a rosemary plant for his birthday (he loves plants so the beauty is pulling double duty). It turned out absolutely gorgeous and delicious. I'm keeping this for special occasions from now on!
Scott
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
D. Linde
This is without a doubt, the best roast beef recipe have I have ever tried.
Thank you Scott
Scott
Thanks so much!
Paul
This turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Scott
Thanks so much Paul!