Name: Arby's Beef & Cheddar
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound deli roast beef; 1/2 cup water; 4 onion buns; 8 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 cup ketchup; 2 Tablespoons water; 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon onion powder; pinch of salt

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Arby’s Beef & Cheddar – a copycat recipe of the famous Arby’s Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich. So easy to make at home and so tasty!

I have always been a big fan of Arby’s. If I am going out to fast food, it is usually my first choice. There is just something about a roast beef sandwich that I love. Plus they have curly fries, which are always best!

This copycat recipe is super easy to make and you will love how quickly you can get dinner on the table. Complete with the traditional onion bun they are known for!

holding beef & cheddar sandwich over a plate of curly fries

Table of Contents show

What Makes This Copycat Recipe Delicious

Arby’s Beef & Cheddars are known for 2 things. The sauces! It has their famous Red Ranch Sauce, which is not the same as their Arby’s Sauce. And then of course the cheddar cheese sauce. These are what make the sandwich special. It isn’t just adding a slice of cheese to their traditional roast beef sandwich!

These sauces are so easy to make and really make the sandwich shine. So don’t skip making them, trust me, they are so much better than any store bought versions you will pick up. Store bought Catalina or French Dressing will work if you are short on time or just have them on hand.

Roast Beef

Don’t worry, this recipe doesn’t call for making a full beef roast and then getting it perfectly sliced. When I was a kid we had an actual meat slicer, and it made for the best lunch meat! But unless you have one, you just can’t get the meat sliced thin enough, that you really just want to use store bought roast beef. Similar to these French Dip Sliders.

Arby’s roast beef is still pink, it isn’t fully cooked. Just like when you cook steak, their roast is cooked more to medium rare. So when you are buying your roast beef you have the option to buy Rare Roast Beef from the deli. It is perfectly safe to eat and is cooked. It is just still pink, so it will match Arby’s a little better. Sometimes that can be hard to find, so whatever your store has works great!

copycat arby's roast beef & cheddar sandwich on a white plate

What You’ll Need

Deli Roast Beef
Onion Buns
Water
Cheddar Cheese
Whole Milk
Paprika
Ketchup
Apple Cider Vinegar
Sugar
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt

How To Make Arby’s Beef & Cheddar

Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions.

The roast beef just needs to be heated in a large skillet with water over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, until it is warmed through.
To make the cheese sauce, you mix everything together in a small saucepan until it is melted and smooth. Make sure to stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
The Red Ranch Sauce is made by just mixing together all of the ingredients and warming in a small saucepan for 4-5 minutes until it is warm.
Then you just need to assemble the sandwiches by putting some of the red sauce on the bun, piling on the roast beef, and then covering it with cheese.

plate with roast beef sandwich and curly fries

Can You Make Ahead Of Time

You can definitely make the sauces ahead of time. They can be in the fridge waiting for you. Then when you are ready to serve, you can reheat the sauce and assemble the sandwiches. You don’t want to actually make the sandwiches until you are ready to serve though. The sauces will cause the bun to get soggy if you make too much ahead of time.

Reheating Cheese Sauce

The best thing to do if you are reheating just about any cheese sauce or Queso is to add just a tiny bit of milk and then heat over low heat to warm it though. The milk helps thin it out and gets it back to the original consistency. It takes just a few minutes to get it warm, and in that time you can get everything else ready to go.

roast beef 7 cheddar sandwich on a white plate

What Goes With Beef & Cheddars

Copycat recipes are some of my favorite to make. They are always fun to make at home! Not only are they usually cheaper, but more often than not they are also healthier. Or you can make them that way. So you can have them more often!

And getting to have your favorites more often is always a win. These sandwiches are super easy, you are going to have them on repeat before you know it!

More Fun Copycat Dinner Recipes

Yield: 4

Arby's Beef & Cheddar

Arby's Beef & Cheddar - a copycat recipe of the famous Arby's Roast Beef and Cheddar Sandwich. So easy to make at home and so tasty!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound deli roast beef
1/2 cup water
4 onion buns

Cheese Sauce

8 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Red Ranch Sauce

1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of salt

Instructions

To Make The Roast Beef

In a large skillet heat roast beef and water over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, just until it is warmed through.

To Make Cheese Sauce

Add cheese, milk, and paprika to a small saucepan. Heat over low heat.
Cover and cook until the cheese has melted, stirring occasionally until it is smooth.

To Make Red Ranch Sauce

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and cook for 4-5 minutes, until it is warmed through.

To Assemble Sandwiches

Split the buns in half. Spread some of the red ranch sauce over the bottom of each bun.
Drain off any water from the roast beef, and divide equally across all of the sandwiches.
Top with cheese sauce. Cover with the top bun and serve.

Notes

You can use your favorite cheese sauce or French/Catalina Dressing for a shortcut

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 533Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 115mgSodium 1881mgCarbohydrates 36gFiber 1gSugar 12gProtein 39g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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Tiffany

Saturday 22nd of April 2023

Is there a gluten free version of this?

You can use gluten free ingredients and follow the recipe as a guide. But no, this is not a gluten free site

Michael Griffin

Monday 17th of April 2023

I am going to the store today to get what I don't already have. I can't wait to try it and I'll leave a comment when I do. Thank you this is my favorite fast food and Arby's just closed by me.

Ingrid Parker

Sunday 16th of April 2023

I would like to make this for 16 people! Would I need to quadrupole the ingredient? Especially the sauces? Your picture looks like an oblong bun? Is it a hero type onion roll?

The buns are regular circle onion buns that you find in most grocery stores. If you can't find them, you can use sesame seed buns. If your store sells oblong buns that is good too, doesn't really matter. To make sure you have enough, yes I would quadrupole the sauces. You may end up with some extra, because how much people put on will vary. But I personally always prefer extra than people holding back thinking I will run out.

Donna

Saturday 17th of December 2022

I don;t know what Arbys you go to made these followed recipe exactly, the roast beef was so tough could not bite through it.The cheese sauce had no flavor what so ever.

I am sorry you didn't enjoy this recipe. The cheese sauce doesn't have a ton of flavor, just cheese. But the roast beef should have been basically just reheated, so it should not have gotten tough at all. You are just reheating it in water to gently steam it, it is already cooked from the delic, so you aren't cooking it.

Kenny

Thursday 3rd of November 2022

Thanks for your take on this classic. Might I ask what app or program you use to get Nutrition? My wife is on a bit of a restrictive diet and not all of the folks posting recipes are as kind as you to include Nutrition information Thanks.

It is a computer generated number, with the recipe card company that I use. I will say, some ingredients are very generic that it uses, so if you need accurate numbers, it is always best to calculate on your own with the products and brands that you use.