Instant Pot Beef Eye of Round Roast for Deli Style Roast Beef

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Instant Pot Eye of Round Roast shares all the cooking secrets to make roast beef that’s tender, juicy, and medium-rare.

Cooking Eye of Round Roast in the Instant Pot

Yep. I’ll admit it right up front – we eat A LOT of beef. This is twofold – we love it, but we also raise it, so there’s that.

Eye of Round Roast is rich, satisfying, and pretty darn versatile for making easy family meals.

I love cooking a couple of beef roasts over the weekend so that when the work week begins, I already have cooked meat in my fridge that’s ready to use for lunch and dinner.

What to do with Eye of Round Roast

Eye of Round Roast can make French Dip Sandwiches, Eye of Round Ceasar Salad, a simple roast, homemade beef jerky, and more!

What to love about this easy deli roast beef recipe

1. It’s ready in minutes…..literally.
2. The Instant Pot cooking method works perfectly for this lean cut of roast beef.
3. You can have deli-style roast beef that’s absolutely perfect for making sandwiches and sliders….just like what you get at the deli counter….but CHEAPER!!

What you need to know about eye of round roast and deli roast beef

An eye of round roast is a beef roast that is super lean and comes from the hindquarters of the cow.

Because this muscle gets a lot of movement, it is very flavorful. But if it’s not cooked properly, it can be a tough beef cut.

Eye of Round roast is a cut of beef best cooked to medium rare in temperature. It is not like a chuck roast that is delicious until it’s very fallin’-apart fork tender.

One of the best attributes of a beef eye of round roast is that it is a great dinner choice for cooking on a budget.

It is tender and succulent, as long as it’s only cooked to rare or medium-rare doneness.

Eye of round roast beef is the type of beef that you get when purchasing lunch meat at the deli counter. It is delicious and thinly sliced for sandwiches and subs.

Ingredients to make Instant Pot Eye of Round

• Eye of round roast
• Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and pepper
• Beef broth
• Red wine vinegar, optional
• Olive oil, for browning the roast (may substitute canola or vegetable oil, if preferred)

Here’s what you’ll learn in Instant Pot Eye or Round Roast

• How to cook an eye of round roast in minutes
• Why beauty rest for all meat is so important, both before and after cooking
• Which tools are helpful for making eye of round roast in your electric pressure cooker
• The best way to thinly slice a cooked eye of round roast
• How much beef roast to buy
• What to serve with eye of round roast beef
• Other beef roasts you can substitute for eye of round roast

How to make beef eye of round roast in your Instant Pot

Two hours before you want to cook the roast, remove it from refrigeration and take it out of it’s packaging. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning with the salt and pepper.

Using your fingertips, season the roast on all sides. Rub the spices liberally into all the nooks and crannies of the meat.

Let the seasoned roast rest, uncovered, on the counter for two hours so the meat can rest, relax, and season. **DON’T SKIP THIS STEP!!

Add a good swish of oil using the saute setting on the Instant Pot. As soon as the oil is hot, add the seasoned roast. Let it brown on the first side for a couple of minutes.

Turn the roast to brown the remaining sides, adding a bit more oil as you go, if needed. Once the roast is fully browned on all sides, turn off the saute setting on the Instant Pot. Remove the roast to a platter.

Use a paper towel to remove any oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Then pour in the beef broth and vinegar.

Return the roast to the Instant Pot; lock the lid securely into place. Choose the high pressure setting for 5 minutes (Yes! Just 5 minutes), bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure.

When the timer sounds at the end of the 5-minute pressure cooking time walk away from the Instant Pot.

Leave the roast inside the Instant Pot on the “Keep Warm” setting for 30 minutes. (The “Keep Warm” feature is automatic once the Instant Pot’s timer sounds at the end of the pressure cooking time, fyi.)

Remove the Instant Pot lid after 30 minutes on the “Keep Warm” setting. Use an instant-read meat thermometer probe to test the roast’s internal temperature.

The ideal internal temperature for an eye of round roast is 115 degrees F. (rare) to 125 degrees F. (medium rare).

If the roast hasn’t yet reached 115-125 degrees F. internal temperature (because it may be larger than 2 lbs., for instance) just put the Instant Pot lid back on and let the roast sit inside on the “Keep Warm” setting for a bit longer.

After ten more minutes, check the internal temperature again. Odds are, it will be at the perfect temperature!

What are other roasts called that are similar to eye of round roast?

Cuts of beef similar to the beef eye of round roast are top round, bottom round, or rump roast.

These roasts are also very lean and can be cooked like an eye of round beef roast.

How much roast beef should I purchase per person?

I think it’s good to plan for one-half pound of roast beef per person when buying a raw beef roast.

How should I slice the eye of round roast beef?

Eye of round roast is primarily a deli meat roast, meaning it’s most delicious when sliced into very, very thin slices.

To slice the roast into nice, thin slices, be sure your carving knife is very sharp. Also be sure to slice the meat ACROSS the grain, not WITH the grain.

Slice the meat into shorter pieces so it’s easier to chew and enjoy.

How do I identify the grain of the meat and which way it’s running?

To figure this out, look for the parallel lines of muscle fiber running down the cut of meat. Then slice them perpendicularly.

Sometimes, you will have to turn certain cuts of meat and adjust the slicing direction to always cut across the muscle (meat) fibers.

Why is the recipe so specific that the roast should be left out to rest for 2 hours before cooking it?

This is called beauty rest. It’s the best step (not to mention a secret!) when preparing to cook ANY meat, including poultry.

Meat that’s been allowed to rest and de-chill before the cooking process will cook completely differently than meat that is still chilled since the protein fibers have had time to relax.

When the protein fibers are relaxed, the meat can receive the heat better. It also cooks much more evenly, providing a GREAT eating experience.

So does that mean the meat needs beauty rest AFTER it cooks as well?

Yep. As meat cooks, especially under pressure, it contracts a bit. Allowing it beauty rest following the cooking process gives the meat time to relax .

It also pulls it’s juices back to the center so that when you slice it, it’s tender and juicy.

What can I do with eye of round roast leftovers?

Eye of round roast beef is delicious for grilled sandwiches, subs, and sliders. We love French Dip Eye of Round Sandwiches!

Eye of round roast leftovers are also delicious in Eye of Round Caesar Salad.

What should I serve with eye of round roast beef?

We enjoy creamy potato and pasta dishes alongside roast beef. Baked Yum Yum Potato Wedges and Creamy Mashed Potatoes Supreme with Bacon are great options, or Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish is darn good, too.

Nice corn side dishes and salads would include Ricotta Creamed Corn Casserole and Delta Cornbread Salad – a couple of our very favs.

More Favorite Meat Recipes to Enjoy

• How to Make Braised Beef Short Ribs
• Tender and Juicy Smoked Tri Tip
• Smoked Pot Roast Burnt Ends
• Killer Hamburger Steak in a Skillet
• How to Cook Eye of Round Roast Beef
• Fool-Proof Oven Prime Rib
• Marinated Steak Bites (Air Fryer, Skillet, or Oven)