Making Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich at home is more than just the beef and bun. Let me take you through how to replicate this classic in your own kitchen.
"Oh great, the Fox Valley Foodie is going to tell me how to make a sandwich consisting solely of roast beef and a hamburger bun. What ancient cipher did he discover to crack that code?" Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't roll your eyes at me! However, the secret to this Arby's Roast Beef copycat recipe is not the two ingredients needed, but rather how it is prepared.
File this recipe under "because I can." Though I would argue the great thing about learning how to make food at home is that you don't have to eat so much fast food, sometimes it is fun to replicate your favorite fast food flavors just because you can. Plus, it is always a great way to impress your kids. You do want your kids to love you, don't you???
How to Make Fast Food at Home
I'm not going to lie. I get a certain sense of satisfaction from being able to demystify fast food in my own kitchen. The Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich copycat recipe was inspired by my attempt to create Arby's Sauce the other day. However, I have also previously tackled How to Make a Fast Food Burger and Panda Express Chow Mein.
Arby's Roast Beef Copycat Ingredients
Arby's Roast Beef Copycat IngredientsIt is no secret, the two ingredients needed for this Arby's Roast Beef copycat recipe are roast beef and hamburger buns. However, the type of roast beef you select will make a big difference. Skip the deli counter and head to the refrigerated meat section. You are looking for pre-packaged ultra thinly sliced roast beef. I found Hillshire Farm and Land 'O Frost were two brands that sold ultra thin roast beef with reasonably close flavor to the classic Arby's Roast Beef. Don't bother with the Buddig brand. Along with its curiously pink color, it doesn't taste anything like Arby's... or beef... or meat.
After purchasing a couple sandwiches from Arby's to compare, I weighed the beef prior to eating. Each sandwich has exactly 2.2 ounces of meat (UPDATE: I have been informed by readers who work at Arbys that I should have been given 3 ounces of meat), however, feel free to add more if you desire a bigger sandwich.
The best bun to replicate an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich is a sesame seed hamburger bun. I found Pepperidge Farm even sold one that has the wavy top, just like Arby's. However, in reality, any sesame seed bun should suffice.
How to Make Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich
Once you have the right ingredients, you can't just throw it together and call it a day. The taste and texture will be completely off. The true Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich is homogeneously warm and tender and to replicate the true experience your sandwich needs to mimic that texture.
The roast beef needs to be heated, just as it is in the fast food joint. To do this in your kitchen, using your microwave or skillet on the stovetop would be the obvious choices. However, the microwave cooks unevenly and will quickly turn portions of your beef rubbery, and you don't want to risk searing or crisping the beef in a hot fry pan. Instead, heat an inch or two of water in a saucepan and dunk the slices of roast beef in the hot liquid for approximately 10 seconds. The meat will be fully cooked through, yet still perfectly tender.
After lightly toasting the buns, the whole sandwich can be assembled and then thrown in the microwave for 11 seconds. This warms the bun and modifies the sandwich's texture to perfectly resemble what you would expect to be served in a fast food joint.
All that is left to do is to act like you hate your life as you serve your family the wrong order.
How to Make Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 hamburger bun with sesame seeds
- 3 ounces ultra thinly sliced roast beef (Hillshire Farms or Land O' Frost are good options)
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of water to a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Heat separate skillet on a different burner over medium-high heat.
- Lightly toast inside of hamburger bun in the skillet until it is just starting to brown, then remove bun from skillet.
- Separating each slice of roast beef, so they are not sticking together, briefly dunk meat in hot water until cooked through and warmed. Approximately 10 seconds.
- Assemble your sandwich by placing the warmed beef on the bun and place in the microwave on high for 11 seconds.
- Serve at your leisure.
Notes
Nutritional Information
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Jackie
Thank you for this! I've had to be gluten free since 2008, so it's been a long time since I've had an Arby's sandwich. Used a gluten free sesame seed bun from Trader Joe's, and it worked. They're as horribly wonderful as I remember!
Dustbunny
Switch the bread out to French, & the cheese swiss. Heat a can of Campbells Beef consomme. French Onion, or Beef Buillon. Remember those brand name fries are in the freezer section. & they match up with your knockoff French Dip! Yum:)
Poris
I like food because I need it to live. I hate the AFTER part, though
Mobey
So this is just a "Hillshire Farms" roast beef sandwich. OK, got it.
Food Scientist
I know with absolute certainty that Arby's "roast beef" is a chopped, processed(comminuted) product. It IS ABSOLUTELY NOT a real roast. I have access to the actual production recipe and technique. That which gives it the shape of a roast is the plastic cooking bag. If you get to know a manager well enough, have them sell you a "roast." Thaw it out completely and cut open the bag. It will be the consistency of a very soft dough. Ingredients right off of the production line: Beef strips and an emulsified beef, beef fat, salt, and phosphate mixture. This emulsified mixture suspends the beef strips. The entire mixture is placed into giant vacuum tumblers. When finished, this mixture is pumped into "roast-shaped" high-heat plastic oven bags, sealed, and flash frozen. If you know what chipped/chopped ham is, Arby's "roast beef" is an uncured, non-spiced beef version of chipped-chopped ham. Technically, in the industry, this is called a shaped loaf product.
John Doe
Long post, but not showing proof...chopped ham? whatever idiot. I think you got fired from Arby's and you are retaliating against the company. What a shame.
Paul Priest
I worked for Arby’s when we use Top Sirloin Beef, they were cut to shape of a heart. Oven roast with beef Fat towel covering it. You are right on the beef they use today.
Tamara
Wow...I always had my doubts about the meat. You described exactly what it is ...processed meat with perservatives added.
Jennifer Antrim
Awesome! I love Arby's Roast Beef and crave it often. My husband thinks I'm crazy. I also think Steak Ums, potted meat, fried balogna and spamburgers are delicious, so maybe I don't have the most refined tastes. Strangely enough, I also host weekly summer dinner parties for 30- 50 people, and I think a redneck dinner is in order next summer with some tater salad and watermelon.
Sadie
Would warming the meat in a crockpot of water work?
Fox Valley Foodie
Yeah that should be fine, the thinly sliced beef won't take long to heat through though.
Missy
I would use a beef broth instead of water
David
I actually use a tip roast and created a paste using garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. Rubbed the paste both sides of the roast and cooked it in a slow cooker on low until the internal temperature reached 135.
Lindsay
I had been craving Arby's for close to a week, but I never feel well after eating fast food. The only changes I made were warming the meat in beef broth instead of water and buttering and toasting the buns. Your Arby's sauce was spot on and will definitely make this again!
Kevin
This is good, but I had to upgrade. We have a toaster oven, which makes everything easier. First I cut a thicc slice of cabot seriously sharp cheddar. I placed the cheese onto a slice of normal wheat bread, and stuck it into the toaster oven along with a blank piece of bread. Toast until the cheese begins to melt, then pull the blank slice out of the toaster. Spread a thin layer of mayo onto the bread, then a packet of arbys horsey sauce. You could just mix horseradish and mayo. Stack on the roast beef. Next pull the fully melty slice out of the toaster oven, and stick the loaded roast beef slice back into the toaster and toast another cycle. When happy, join both slices together and enjoy. I think I forgot bacon 🙁
Melissa
Actually I work at arby's actually it gets exactly 3 ounces of roast beed
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks for letting me know. I guess they just shortchanged me. I'll update the recipe!
Fitz
If you weighed only 2.2 ounces of meat then of the following is happening.
1.) Your Arbys scale is off
2.) Your scale is off.
3.) Your Arbys is short changing you on the beef
Arbys classic RB are suppose to weigh in at 3 ounces.
Kelli
Of course they are short-changing..how else do the CEO's and Big-wigs get their million plus dollar bonuses each qtr/yr.
Andy
Arby’s roast beef sandwich is on an onion bun not sesame seed bun
Fox Valley Foodie
That would be the Roast Beef and Cheddar you are thinking of. The classic roast beef is a toasted sesame seed bun as seen here: https://arbys.com/our-menu/beef/roast-beef
Patty
Hahahahhaha! The last part! Serve your family the wrong order Hahahahha thabks for the recipe and laughs
Sandy
Haha, I worked there in college...we legit had to measure out the meat perfectly!
Mike
The last paragraph of your article was hilarious and accurately represents the reality of employee apathy at fast food joints. Great recipe as well!
Petah Hamm
I speak for so many people and families when I say, thank you so much. You are a beautiful, heavenly soul. May God bless you for all eternity and let the warm rays of sunshine forever shine upon you.
Also, I brushed the buns with olive oil.
Melissa
Making this tonight. But I'm going to add melty cheddar Mmmmm
Yvette Kerr
Mmm...THIS sounds soooo damn good especially since I have Been wanting this soo bad!! But can you please let me know what brands you used to make the yummy, melty cheddar cheese and exactly what you did please!??? I have been craving beef n cheddar since i can remember last year lol
Raina
Yummmmmmm....
Susan Ross
I have a deli slicer what i want to know is what type of roast
John Mauney
@Susan_Ross I don't think that's going to work. Arby's doesn't use a real beef roast; they use a processed roast that could be specially made for them. You can look in the deli to see if they make processed "roast" but I've never seen it before. The only other places that I am aware of are the lunch meat packages mentioned by this article (that's why it says to skip the deli).
Fox Valley Foodie
John is correct.
Gene
Arbys does use "Real" roast beef. Do you understand what "processed" means when referring to a food item. Look at the package of chicken legs or breasts in the grocery store. Almost all brands add "broth" as they call it. Is that now not "real" chicken? Of course it is real, it is also processed. Canned vegetables are obviously processed.
You make it sound like Arbys uses meat that has been minced and formed into a loaf using a binding agent. Absolutely not true.
Dana E
Where is the fat,I have never seen roast beef with out fat.
Petah Hamm
Thank you Gene for clearing this up. People can become fixated on demonizing certain terms. It's like when people say,
"Meth is so bad for you, it has brake fluid in it."
Ughh, they are such simpletons!!! It is merely one component in a chemical synthesis, and has no presence in the final product.
Carrie
You are The Best! Seriously! This is my son’s all time fave fast food but it is enough of a drive that we maybe go two times a year.
I have been searching for a recipe for this but all I kept finding was people calling something Arby’s or better than Arby’s and it is just a crockpot roast in bbq sauce.
This is exactly what we were looking for! Added a bit of beef broth to the boiling water and next time will add a bit of salt. Our options at the store close to home for deli type meats are very limited, and this one needed salt.
But we agreed it is going on the regular easy meal list and I could eat another right now!
Thanks again
Fox Valley Foodie
Yes! I totally know what you are talking about. I stumbled on those other recipes too when I was creating this one, and I agree it is really frustrating.
Charles Putzer
I found a top round roast at a local grocery store 4 pounder. seasoned it and baked. then sliced thin slices got me some hawian onion buns made your Arby's sauce and found horsey sauce recipe made both. slappen meat on bun with cheese microwaved it 1 minute added sauce and Bam. good stuff HighFive to you
Petah Hamm
That is so strange! I too added salt, but how smart you are to add beef broth. Keep it up!
Becca
This is soooo good. I also get satisfaction from copying items claimed to be one of a kind! Love this!
Petah Hamm
I totes agree. It is utterly delectable.
Albert Bevia
Living in Spain, we ain´t got no Arby´s, so I appreciate this recipe...thanks for the inspiration to make these beauties 🙂
D
"Ain't got no". That is a joke, right?
Klaus Schmidt
Spain Alabama?
ky
you know this person could be from the south and then moved to spain, right?
Petah Hamm
I do not understand why having no Arby's is funny to you. Maybe you have a cruel sense of humor or you love a different restaurant, but please don't ridicule others for their love of roasted beef sandwich. It is delightful.
Petah Hamm
Thank you so much for bringing this to light. I think I speak for so many when I say, you are a beautiful, sweet, precious, heavenly man.
So many families, including my own, are truly blessed by the divine work you have done. You forever hold a place within my heart.
Also, I brushed olive oil on the bun before toasting.
J. Juarez
Wow haha that's cool, finally something in my cooking-skill range. Thanks!