Better than Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich with toasted sesame seed buns, a stack of thinly sliced succulent roast beef, melty pepper jack cheese, and a rich and velvety beef gravy. It makes a comforting and beyond-delish meal that you can make with leftovers!
How about some quick and easy dinner meal you can make with leftovers?
Why you’ll love this roast beef sandwich recipe
- Easy: After preparing the roast beef and then the gravy with the beef drippings, all you have to do is toast the burger buns and assemble the sandwiches.
- Make-ahead: You can make your roast beef and gravy ahead and store them in the fridge in separate containers until you are ready to serve your sandwiches. Or you can prepare these roast beef sandwiches with roast beef leftovers.
- Comforting and satisfying!
- It costs less than Arby's!
- Crowd-friendly: This roast beef sandwich recipe is perfect for large lunch or dinner parties, family events, and other special occasions and can be more affordable than buying a bunch of them at Arby's.
- It is high-protein and can be low-carb and gluten-free if you use low-carb or gluten-free bread.
Roast Beef Sandwich Recipe
Compared to other cuts of beef, roast beef is much less expensive. It also makes great leftovers the next day for sandwiches, roast beef sliders, tacos, and beef hash.
Our beef is seasoned with a savory rub that calls for garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, and herbs before roasting. Once seared and then slow-cooked in the oven, it turns out juicy and tender with a deep, rich color that always has people asking for seconds and thirds.
The slow-roasting technique allows the meat to retain its moisture and prevents the meat from becoming tough, delivering a tender slice every time.
With the dripping, we prepare a rich and velvety gravy -- which is used in our sandwiches along with melty Pepper Jack cheese and of course, toasted sesame seed buns.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Roast beef, thinly sliced (as many slices as you want to make a stack) -- For a quick version of this recipe or to make a cold roast beef sandwich, use deli roast beef lunch meat)
- 4 sesame seed burger buns (but you can use potato buns or brioche burger buns if you prefer, or for a low-carb version, use low-car/keto burger buns)
- 4 slices of pepper Jack cheese (If you are not a fan of spicy foods, use provolone, Havarti, smoked gouda, cheddar, or Swiss cheese)
- Beef gravy, optional (but recommended) --- The gravy recipe is found with the roast beef recipe. Or you can use any sauce of your choice. Chimichurri is another good option!
How to make Roast Beef Sandwich
1. After making and slicing your roast beef and beef gravy, stack several folded slices of the roast beef onto the bottom bun of each burger.
2. Place a slice of cheese on top and then stack several other slices of roast beef on top of the cheese.
3. Pour a generous amount of the beef gravy over and gently press bun tops onto each sandwich.
4. Serve immediately!
TIP: If you made your roast beef ahead and refrigerated it in an airtight container, you can heat your sliced roast beef leftovers on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat just until hot, topped with a slice of the cheese so it can melt easily. Meanwhile, you can toast your burger buns!
Variations for Better than Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich
- BURGER BUNS: Like Arby's, we used sesame seed buns for our sandwich recipe, but you can go fancier and use brioche burger buns or potato burger buns.
- ADD-ONS: If you'd like to add something fresh to your hot roast beef sandwich, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and pickled red onions, among other fixings make great options.
- CHEESE: We used a spicy cheese such as Pepper Jack, but you may prefer smoked cheddar, provolone, Havarti, smoked gouda, a cheddar sauce like Arby's, or Swiss cheese instead. Any melting cheese of your choice would go well in this sandwich!
- SAUCE: We went with a homemade beef gravy made with our roast beef drippings (so yummy!), but if you love Arby's zesty red ranch sauce you can make it at home or this tangier version with ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, or steak sauce.
- MEAT: Arby's roast beef cut, cooking process, and seasonings are different from ours. What both have in common is they are cooked to medium-rare and are quite delish. Also, both are thinly sliced and stacked hot between toasted sesame seed buns. However, if you prefer a cold or much faster version, buy a good-quality deli roast beef.
What to serve with roast beef sandwiches
For a complete meal, pair your roast beef sandwich with side dishes like these:
- Potato chips
- Crispy potato wedges in air fryer
- Zucchini sticks in air fryer
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Yuca fries
- Roasted carrot fries
Frequently Asked Questions
Are roast beef sandwiches served hot or cold?
Roast beef sandwiches can be enjoyed either hot or cold depending on your preference. Because we are using homemade roast beef that is thinly sliced, we serve our sandwiches hot. But you can buy deli roast beef and serve your cold if you prefer or are in a hurry.
What kind of bun should I use for a roast beef sandwich?
Like Arby's, we used sesame seed burger buns but you can use potato buns, brioche buns, hoagie rolls that are large and sturdy, French rolls, multigrain sandwich bread, artisan bread, or any other of your choice that can hold a stack of roast beef slices.
What condiments can I use on a cold roast beef sandwich?
Almost any condiment goes well with it. Here are a few options: Creamy horseradish sauce, mayonnaise, aioli, a zesty red ranch, blue cheese dressing, Dijon mustard, BBQ sauce, chipotle ketchup, hot sauce, or any other. All it comes down to what complimentary flavor (sweet and sour, tangy, garlicky, spicy, etc.) you would like to add to your sandwich.
What Toppings Should I Add To A Roast Beef Sandwich?
Lettuce, tomato, sliced red onions, and pickles are the most common toppings. But you may add some more unique ones such as fried onions, onion rings, hummus, a different type of cheese, or pickled peppers.
Can I Make A Roast Beef Sandwich Ahead Of Time?
You can prepare the roast beef and gravy ahead of time and keep them in separate containers in the fridge. When it is time to serve your hot roast beef sandwich, you toast the burger buns, heat the sliced roast beef and cheese as well as the gravy, and then assemble the sandwich. You may add fresh toppings if you want. This will prevent the bread from getting soggy and the fresh topping to get mushy while keeping the sandwich warm.
Can Other Types Of Cheese Be Used?
Yes, absolutely! Some of my favorites are Cheddar Cheese, Muenster, provolone, Havarti, smoked gouda, Swiss cheese, and Pepper Jack. You can use any melting cheese in a hot roast beef sandwich.
How to store
Store the ingredients for your roast beef sandwich as follows:
- FRIDGE: Once you prepare your roast beef and gravy and let them cool, store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Of course, the cheese must be refrigerated according to the instructions in the package.
- ROOM TEMPERATURE: Store your bread at room temperature in the bag you bought in a cool, dry place.
- REHEATING: Warm leftover roast beef slices in the oven at a low temperature or microwave until warmed throughout, or you can reheat them on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat just until hot, topped with a slice of the cheese so it can melt easily. Meanwhile, you can toast your burger buns! Reheat the gravy over low heat in a saucepan just until hot, stirring often.
Other sandwich recipes to enjoy
- Steak sandwich recipe
- brisket sandwich recipe
- Leftover turkey sandwich
- Tuna sandwich
- Monte Cristo sandwich
- Chicken salad sandwich recipe
PIN AND ENJOY!
Roast Beef Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 griddle to reheat roast beef slices and roast burger buns plus melt cheese
- 1 saucepan to reheat gravy
Ingredients
- 12 oz Roast beef thinly sliced (as many slices as you want to make a stack) -- For a quick version of this recipe or to make a cold roast beef sandwich, use deli roast beef lunch meat)
- 4 sesame seed burger buns but you can use potato buns, brioche buns, hoagie rolls, or another type of bun of your choice, or for a low-carb version, use low-car/keto burger buns.
- 4 slices Pepper Jack cheese If you are not a fan of spicy foods, use provolone, Havarti, smoked gouda, cheddar, or Swiss cheese.
- 8 tablespoon Beef gravy optional (but recommended) --- The gravy recipe is found with the roast beef recipe. Or you can use any sauce of your choice. Chimichurri is another good option!
Instructions
- You can make and slice your roast beef and beef gravy ahead. Keep them refrigerated until serving your sandwiches. Follow the tip below to reheat them! For assembling your sandwiches, stack several folded slices of roast beef (about 1.5 ounces per sandwich) onto the bottom bun of each burger.
- Place a slice of cheese on top and then stack several other slices of roast beef on top of the cheese (another 1.5 ounces per sandwich to come to a total of 3 ounces per sandwich). Pour a generous amount of the beef gravy over (about 2-3 tbsp) and gently press bun tops onto each sandwich. Serve immediately with potato chips, a fresh salad, or another side of choice!
- TIP: If you made your roast beef ahead and refrigerated it in an airtight container, you can heat your sliced roast beef leftovers on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat just until hot, topped with a slice of the cheese so it can melt easily. Meanwhile, you can toast your burger buns! Also, heat your gravy in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often., just until hot.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- FRIDGE: Once you prepare your roast beef and gravy and let them cool, store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Of course, the cheese must be refrigerated according to the instructions in the package.
- ROOM TEMPERATURE: Store your bread at room temperature in the bag you bought it in a cool, dry place.
- REHEATING: Warm leftover roast beef slices in the oven at a low temperature or microwave until warmed throughout, or you can reheat them on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat just until hot, topped with a slice of the cheese so it can melt easily. Meanwhile, you can toast your burger buns! Reheat the gravy over low heat in a saucepan just until hot, stirring often
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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