How To Make Copycat Arby's Roast Beef With Just One Seasoning Packet

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The '60s brought us Arby's, and the fast-food chain has ever since served up bites not typical of its competitors. Its roast beef sandwich remains a classic choice — it's Arby's best-selling menu item, after all. And while Arby's process of creating its roast beef is arguably a complicated one, you can replicate its flavor profile with a packet of au jus gravy mix. McCormick Au Jus Gravy Mix or the Knorr Au Jus Gravy Mix can do wonders here. Just follow the instructions on the back of the packet, which include simmering the contents of the packet in water. Give it a sip to see if you've achieved the ratio you fancy before you briefly dip the slices of cooked roast beef into the gravy mix. Since the meat comes ready to eat, it would be like you're just heating it up and coating it with gravy.

Arby's creation is concocted using its self-basting mixture, which maintains the meat's moisture, allowing it to survive even after the extensive roasting that takes three hours. Recreating the recipe with the gravy mix helps the homemade roast beef come close to the familiar Arby's flavor, without the long process. While the goal is to recreate the best seller, you can add a little more razzle dazzle to really make the dish yours, including swapping the buns for a rustic bread. 

To highlight the meaty taste in your gravy mix, you can add Worcestershire sauce, beef bouillon cubes, or miso paste. You could also swap the water for beef broth to really give it an extra savory beefy flavor. It might come out too salty for some — in which case you might need to add a splash of water — so a bit of trial and error might be needed here to achieve the perfect flavor for you.

Meanwhile, paying attention to the roast beef itself is just as important. A quick trip to the nearby deli is essential for a quality cut, though it wouldn't be impossible to find a similar one in the meat department of the grocery store. Each Arby's roast beef sandwich comes with three ounces of meat, but since it's your kitchen, your rules reign supreme; you can definitely squeeze in a bit more. This is especially possible if you're using something like sourdough, which can handle more toppings, making it one of the ideal components for the perfect roast beef sandwich. For a spinoff that's closer to the original, opt for thinly sliced meat. 

And speaking of bread, you can definitely do more with it. You can add a lick of butter to impart a satisfying caramelization when you heat it up. You can even swap the buns out for a different type of bread, like sourdough or rye.