Smoked Eye of Round - Hey Grill, Hey (2024)

This smoked eye of round roast is the ultimate roast for your holiday or sit-down Sunday meals. It’s cooked to a perfect medium-rare and served with a decadent whiskey cream sauce. Each bite is better than the last, with the ideal combo of smoke and beef.

What is Eye of Round?

Eye of round is a cut of beef that comes from the “round” portion of the cow (the very rear leg portion of the cow). It’s called the “eye” because this exact roast is located in the center of the round.

An eye of round roast is going to cost you a lot less than, say, a prime rib. If you’re ever on a budget but still want to enjoy a delicious roast for the holidays, eye of round is a great choice.

Smoked Eye of Round Roast

Eye of round roast is relatively lean and extremely flavorful. It can be a bit tough, so a slow smoke will do wonders with this cut of meat. Cooking to medium or under will help keep the meat plenty tender.

Sliced thin across the grain, this meat will fall apart and melt in your mouth. You can still enjoy delicious beef at a fraction of the cost.

How to Smoke Eye of Round Roast

Here’s how to make this delicious smoked eye of round roast.

1. Trim. Use a filet knife to remove any fat or silverskin from the roast. Don’t be shy here, go ahead and remove as much as you can to get down to the meat.
2. Season. Season the roast liberally on all sides. I used my Hey Grill Hey Beef Seasoning, but you can go as simple as using equal parts salt and fresh cracked black pepper. I’m not joking when I say liberally. This beef will shrink up when it cooks, so we want lots of seasoning on the outside.
3. Smoke. With the smoker preheated to 225 degrees F, place the roast directly on the grill grates. My favorite wood to use with this recipe is oak, but any wood will impart fantastic flavor. Close the lid, and smoke until the roast is 10-15 degrees from your target temperature (see the next section for temperatures).
4. Sear. Add 2 Tablespoons avocado oil to a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and sear for 2-4 minutes per side (don’t forget the ends). Sear until your roast reaches your final target temperature. Remove the roast from the skillet and rest while you prepare the sauce.
5. Get saucy. Combine all ingredients to make the whiskey cream sauce (see the full instructions and ingredients in the printable recipe card below).
6. Enjoy! Slice extremely thin against the grain. Serve and dig in!

How Long to Smoke Eye of Round

The time it takes to smoke your roast will depend greatly on the consistency of the temperature of your smoker and what doneness you are cooking the roast. As a rule of thumb, it will take around 3-3 1/2 hours to fully slow smoke this roast from start to finish.

Pay attention to temperature more than time while smoking (an instant-read thermometer can help you here!). Pull the eye of round off the smoker when it reaches the following temperatures:

• Rare. Smoke until 115 degrees F.
• Medium-rare. Smoke until 125 degrees F.
• Medium. Smoke until 135 degrees F.

I do not recommend cooking this roast above medium as the meat will be significantly tougher the higher in temp you go. Medium-rare is my preferred doneness for the smoked eye of round.

After you sear the meat, your final meat temperature should be the following:

• Rare. Done at 125 degrees F.
• Medium-rare. Done at 135 degrees F.
• Medium. Done at 145 degrees F.

More Smoked Roast Recipes

Looking for more flavorful, juicy roasts? These guys are slowly smoked for maximum flavor and tenderness. Check them out below!

• Smoked Prime Rib Roast
• Garlic Studded Smoked Rump Roast
• Smoked New York Strip Roast

Smoked Eye of Round Recipe

This smoked eye of round provides a great, classic roast beef flavor. It delivers on that “wow” factor that you want for special occasions.

Let us know what you thought of this recipe in the comments section below! Oh, and when you cook it, be sure to snap a pic and share it with us on social media using the hashtag #heygrillhey!