Arby’s is well known for its mouthwatering roast beef sandwiches, and one of these sandwiches’ essential ingredients is red sauce. So what exactly is this tasty sauce?.
Actually, Arby’s beef and cheddar sandwiches’ red sauce is just a straightforward concoction of ketchup, BBQ sauce, and seasonings. This mixture produces a sweet and tangy sauce that harmonizes beautifully with the roast beef.
Take a moment to appreciate the red sauce the next time you’re eating an Arby’s sandwich because it’s a crucial component of what makes these sandwiches so special.
Arby’s Sauce (Red Ranch)
Getting the Arbys sauce right is key. It’s crucial to cook the spices and let the flavors meld together.
In a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, spices, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
Remove from heat, stir in mayonnaise, and set aside.
Note: Dorothy Lynch or Catalina dressing can be used in place of the Arby’s red ranch sauce if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
For instructions on how to microwave the Arby’s sauce, see the recipe notes.
If the oven hasn’t been heated already, preheat it to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (the roast beef was heated in the oven first)
Arrange the buns on a baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the buns with whipped egg white (or butter, although egg white will make things stick much better).
The buns should be heated through and the poppy seeds and minced dried onion should be sticking after 5-7 minutes in the oven.
Set aside and wrap the buns in foil to keep them warm.
Remove the warm buns from the foil and assemble the sandwich.
Spoon on some of the red ranch sauce.
Then, pile with shaved roast beef.
Put some Arby’s cheese sauce on top of the roast beef with a spoon. The top bun should then be topped with another dab of Arby’s red ranch sauce.
Attempt these fast-food-inspired or rip-off recipes as well.
Leave a rating for this recipe using the stars on the recipe card, or write a comment for other readers.
Copycat Arby’s Beef and Cheddar with Arby’s Red Ranch Sauce
- 1 12 lbs. of thinly sliced or shaved roast beef
- ▢ 6 hamburger buns
- ▢ 1 egg white beaten, or whole egg; for buns
- ▢ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds for topping buns
- ▢ tablespoon dehydrated minced onion for topping buns
- 4 ounces of shredded, block-style sharp cheddar cheese; mild or medium cheese may be used instead.
- 4 ounces of deli American cheese that has been shredded.
- ▢ ¼ cup half and half can substitute milk
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon paprika regular sweet, not smoked
- ▢ 1 cup ketchup
- ▢ ⅛ cup apple cider vinegar can substitute white vinegar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon sugar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon paprika
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ ¼ cup water
- ▢ 2 teaspoon mayonnaise
Prepare Roast Beef and Buns
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roast beef that has been sliced should be “packeted” in foil and heated all the way through in the oven.
- Arrange buns on a baking sheet.
- Brush beaten egg white (or whole egg, or butter) over the tops of the buns before sprinkling poppy seeds and minced onion on top.
- Bake for 5-6 minutes.
For the Arby’s Cheese Sauce
- Cheddar cheese (4 ounces, shredded or cut into cubes), American cheese (4 ounces, shredded or cut into cubes), half and half (1/4 cup), and paprika (1/4 teaspoon) should all be combined in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Cover, and stir occasionally until melted, smooth and combined. While preparing the remaining ingredients, turn off the heat or leave it on the lowest setting.
Arby’s Red Ranch Sauce
- Bring the ketchup (1 cup), apple cider vinegar (1/8 cup), sugar (1/2 tsp), paprika (1/2 tsp), garlic and onion powders (1/4 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), and water (1/4 cup) to a boil in a small saucepan.
- For 3-5 minutes, simmer the ingredients in the pan on medium-high heat.
- After removing the pan from the heat, combine it with the mayonnaise (2 tsp).
- Roast beef should be piled high on the bottom bun, followed by cheddar cheese sauce, more homemade Arbys sauce, and more roast beef. Top with top onion and poppy seed bun.
- Until you’re ready to eat, the prepared sandwiches can be kept warm in the oven at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for up to an hour.
- You can use Catalina or Dorothy Lynch dressing as a substitute for the Arby’s red ranch sauce if you don’t want to make it from scratch.
- Use premade, canned cheddar cheese sauce instead of making it from scratch; reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.
- The thinner the roast beef is sliced the better. The butcher can frequently shave the roast beef off on the thinnest setting if you go to the deli. This will provide you with the most accurate representation of what an Arby’s sandwich signature looks like: a mound of incredibly thin meat on a bun.
- Use your favorite homemade or store-bought bun recipe; just be sure to mince the onion very finely, like what is on top of the Beef n’ Cheddar bun.
- The finished onion poppy seed buns must be tightly wrapped in foil right away after baking to prevent drying out. The steam will also help to keep them soft.
- For a month, extra Arby’s sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in a container.
- When making the cheese sauce, don’t set the heat source higher than medium.
ARBY’S BEEF N CHEDDARS~FOODIE FRIDAYS!
FAQ
What is Arbys red sauce called?
Arby’s Sauce (Red Ranch) It’s important to get the Arby’s sauce right. The spices must be cooked so that the flavors can meld. In a small saucepan, combine the ketchup, apple cider vinegar, spices, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
What is Arbys red sauce made of?
More good news: Making Arby’s Sauce is incredibly simple. It only requires mixing a few ingredients and simmering them until they come together as one. Ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, a tiny bit of tabasco, some onion powder, and garlic powder are the ingredients in this mixture.
What is Arbys special sauce made of?
For instance, according to a number of recipes, Arby’s Sauce typically consists of ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce or steak sauce. Although the ingredient list may vary slightly from recipe to recipe, the process for making the sauce is essentially the same.
What does Arbys beef and Cheddar have on it?
About the Sandwich We used our famous roast beef and served it on a toasted onion roll with Cheddar cheese sauce and zesty Red Ranch.