Whether you’re making French dip sandwiches, American-style deli heroes, or enjoying it by the slice, there’s nothing quite like homemade Deli-style Roast Beef. Perfectly cooked, thinly sliced, and loaded with rich beefy flavor, this is the budget-friendly way to stock up on roast beef cold cuts!
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As much as I love Boar’s Head cold cuts, I can’t justify springing for the high prices we’re seeing lately.
For much less money, and a little bit of time, you can make your own deli roast beef in the comfort of your own home.
It’s easier than you might think, and the best part is you can use the pan drippings to make a jus which is the perfect complement to the beef itself and any sandwich you choose to pile it on!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Beef. I’m using an eye of round roast for this recipe. They’re typically sold as 3-4 lb roasts. You can also use top round or rump roast with great results.
- Salt. This ingredient is key to dry brine the roast beef. I prefer to use Diamond Crystal kosher salt because it’s easier to grab and distribute over the beef. That being said, you can use any salt, as long as it’s 15 grams worth. The 1 1/2 tablespoons listed in the ingredients is specific to the volume of Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Seasoning. In addition to the salt, I’m using a combination of garlic power, onion powder, and black pepper. I’ve found this blend works best when trying to replicate the type of roast beef you’d buy from your local deli.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Place a ~3-pound eye of round roast on wire rack set on top of a baking sheet. Season the roast evenly on all sides with 1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Allow the roast to sit at room temperature with the dry brine for at least 90 minutes before roasting. Note: I’m using a roughly 1.25% salt to meat ratio. 3 pounds of eye round is 1362 grams. 1% would be 13.6g and 1.25% would be 17g. If using a larger roast just multiple the gram amounts by .0125 and you will be good to go.
- Preheat the oven to 500f and place the roast on the rack so the fat cap is facing up. Insert an oven-safe digital thermometer into the exact center of the roast. Pat the roast dry to remove any water that may have wicked to the top and place the roast in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature to 300f and continue cooking.
- Once the roast reaches 110-115f for rare, 125f for medium-rare, or 135f for medium, remove it from the oven and place it on a different wire rack (one that is not warm) to cool for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour of cooling, wrap the roast with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. Note: If you want to eat it fast, you can throw it in the freezer for 1 hour, but it better absorbs the juices back into the meat when placed in the fridge overnight.
- Optional: In the meantime, you can use the drippings in the pan to make a simple jus (beef juice like Arbys). Place the pan on a burner over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of flour and whisk until white spots no longer appear (about 1-2 minutes). Add 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium beef stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and dislodge any brown bits. Simmer the jus for a few minutes and taste test. You most likely won’t need any salt. For more details on making it, see my prime rib au jus recipe.
- After the roast beef has cooled in the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, place the roast on a cutting board, and slice using a very sharp knife or meat slicer. Be sure to slice the beef against the grain. Use the roast beef to make your favorite sandwiches such as a hot roast beef sandwich with onion jam, French dip, or a roast beef with horseradish sauce sandwich. Enjoy!
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Top tips
- Refrigerate the roast beef! For the best deli roast beef, the roast really needs to be wrapped with plastic and refrigerated for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. The roast will reabsorb all of its delicious juices and be much easier to slice when cold.
- Use a slicing knife. A very sharp Chef’s knife works well, but I prefer to use a slicing knife because it is much easier to work with and yields super thin slices.
- Fat cap. Before slicing, you can cut off the top fat cap if you like. Depending on the type of roast and the place it was purchased from, it might not have much of a fat cap to begin with.
- Costco is your friend. I am not sponsored by Costco in any way. I simply find that they have the best deals for meat, such as this eye of round or any other roast you plan to use for roast beef. You can even find a vacuum-sealing machine there that will help keep your roast beef fresher for longer.
More deli recipes
If you’re looking to recreate the deli experience with your roast beef round out the meal with one of these tried and true classic deli sides.
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Deli Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 1 3-pound eye of round roast or top round or rump roast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
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Instructions
- Remove the roast from the fridge and place it on a wire rack and baking sheet or roasting pan with baking sheet. Season equally on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Leave the roast out for at least 90 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 500f. Make sure the fat cap is facing up. Insert an oven-safe digital thermometer into the center of the roast.
- Pat the roast dry of any water that has wicked to the top of the roast. Place the roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes then drop the heat to 300f and continue cooking until the center of the roast reaches 110-115f for rare, 125f for medium rare, or 135f for medium. The roast will take another 30-50 more minutes to cook (depending on doneness) after dropping the heat to 300f. Be aware that the roast's internal temp will increase from carry over heat after coming out of the oven.
- Once the roast has finished cooking, move it to another wire rack (that is not warm) to cool for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour of cooling, I recommend wrapping the roast with plastic wrap and refrigerating for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight before slicing. The roast will be far easier to slice when cold and will be perfect for sandwiches. Make sure to slice the roast beef angainst the grain. Enjoy!
Notes
- Eye of round is recommended but top and bottom round (rump roast) all work well.
- For perfect roast beef it’s essential to refrigerate the whole roast after cooking so that it can be more easily sliced. A 12″ slicing knife works well if you take your time.
- Before slicing, you can cut off the top fat cap if you like. Depending on the beef cut and the place it was purchased from, it might not have much of a fat cap to begin with.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Jim, thank you very much for this recipe. I am making it for the third time today. It is so much better than store bought because you can keep it pink on the inside and the deli meat co can not. I own a meat slicer and my wife and I eat a lot of it as soon as it comes out of the slicer. Keep up the great work. Thank you!
We’re so happy to hear that and appreciate the comment, Kevin!
Could I do this recipe on the grill? I have a temp control and could use the meat thermometer. It’s too hot for the oven.
Yes, you can.