Arby’s roast beef sandwiches are an iconic menu item for the fast food chain. With its thinly sliced, piled high roast beef Arby’s has built their brand around these signature sandwiches. But there has been a lot of speculation and myths over the years about what exactly is in Arby’s roast beef. Is it real beef or some weird meat paste? Let’s separate fact from fiction and find out what gives Arby’s roast beef its distinct taste and texture.
The Infamous “Meat Paste” Myth
One of the most common urban legends about Arby’s roast beef is that it’s not actually real beef but rather a meat paste gel or liquid that is shaped to look like roast beef. This myth has circulated for years, likely because the raw roast beef arriving at restaurants does have an unnatural grayish color and mushy texture.
However, this is completely false according to Arby’s employees, food scientists, and extensive research. Arby’s has repeatedly confirmed that their roast beef is 100% real beef, not any kind of substitute or paste. The meat just looks odd when raw due to how it is vacuum-packed during shipping.
It’s Real Beef with Some Added Ingredients
While it does start with real cuts of beef, Arby’s roast beef isn’t just plain meat. There are some additional ingredients blended in to enhance flavor and moisture:
- Beef brisket, roast beef, round: The core meats
- Water and salt: For juiciness and flavor
- Corn syrup solids: To retain moisture
- Natural smoke flavor: For smoky taste
- Spices and seasonings: For Arby’s signature flavor
So the base is beef, with some extras like corn syrup solids to achieve the ideal roast beef profile that Arby’s is known for The added ingredients complement the real beef rather than taking away from it
Why the Raw Meat Looks So Unusual
The odd grayish, mushy appearance of raw Arby’s roast beef can be explained by:
- Vacuum-sealed packing: Leaves meat soggy and compressed
- Corn syrup solids in broth: Thick, gel-like consistency
- Lack of oxygen: Causes grayish color
Once cooked, it transforms into the proper roast beef texture and color. The strange look of the uncooked product is temporary and not indicative of the actual composition.
The Complex Journey from Raw to Ready
Here is the step-by-step process the roast beef goes through before landing on your sandwich:
- Vacuum-packed bags of raw beef and broth arrive at the store
- Bags are cooked for 4+ hours until 130°F internal temperature
- Cooked roast beef is held in a hot holding unit
- Slices are cut fresh when a customer orders
- Sliced roast beef is assembled into a sandwich
- Sandwich is served hot and fresh
As you can see, it gets fully cooked and sliced to order, not prepared from any weird pastes.
Why the Process is So Involved
Arby’s takes a more complex approach to preparing their roast beef in order to:
- Ensure consistency across locations
- Optimize food safety
- Control flavor and texture
- Maximize convenience for stores
By handling much of the process at their facilities first, they can achieve the distinct Arby’s roast beef profile customers expect while making operations easier for individual restaurants.
The Takeaway: It’s Real Beef After All
After getting the facts straight from Arby’s, employees, and looking at the cooking methods, it’s clear Arby’s roast beef is 100% real beef contrary to myths. The unique process results in tender, tasty roast beef that has made Arby’s famous.
So you can feel good about enjoying Arby’s roast beef sandwiches, knowing they are made from quality whole muscle meats rather than mystery meats. No weird meat pastes are used, just real roast beef crafted perfectly for stacking between those famous Arby’s buns.
No, it’s not liquid meat
Snopes says one of the most disgusting fast food urban legends about Arbys dates back to at least 1997, and its the story that their roast beef isnt beef at all. The claim basically says their roast beef is actually imitation meat, made from gels, liquids, or pastes, formed into a vaguely meat-shaped lump then roasted, cooled, and turned into sandwich filler. Nothing about it sounds good, and its a weirdly enduring story.
They did some digging, and went straight to the source: Arbys Quality Assurance. They confirmed theres absolutely no truth the story, and said that their roast beef is, in fact, completely beef. Theyre well aware of the rumors, and Arbys Jim Lowder wrote Snopes, “Thank you for doing your part to curb the urban legend about Arbys Roast Beef. Im sure Im not the first to express frustration about this type of story. The answer to your question is no. Our product does not arrive as a paste, gel, or liquid.”
Of course theyll say that, the cynics think. But it was confirmed again and again independently, from Arbys employees that worked both behind the counter and in the kitchen.
It’s cooked in the bag and sliced to order
In 2015, Arbys invested in redesigning their restaurants and their kitchens. Business Insider took the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes in one of the new locations before it opened, and got a peek at the processes that goes into serving up Americas favorite fast food roast beef. They found that while some of their meats — like the brisket — get to the store ready to slice and serve, the roast beef is slow-roasted in its strange bag for around four hours. Its only after that its put on the slicer and — surprisingly — is sliced to order only as customers are standing at the counter or sitting in the drive-thru.
Sounds unlikely, right? But its confirmed by numerous employees and former employees on Reddit, like this cook and cashier who replied to an IAmA thread by saying, “All of the roast beef is cooked daily and sliced to order just moments before it gets on the sandwich and into your hands. I know this sounds like Arbys propaganda, but its the absolute truth and one of the reasons why I was proud to work there compared to other fast-food.”
This Is Why Arby’s Roast Beef Is So Delicious
FAQ
Is arby roast beef real roast beef?
“Arby’s classic Roast Beef is 100 percent beef, marinated with no vegetable or grain fillers. Our Roast Beef is slow roasted for about 3 hours in our restaurants every day, and then thinly sliced to order.”
What are the ingredients in Arby’s roast beef?
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Arby’shttps://www.arbysmodesto.comArby’s® Menu Items and IngredientsRoast Beef: Beef, Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphates. Roast Ham: Ham Cured With: Water, Salt, Dextrose, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Smoke Flavoring, Sodiu…
What part of the cow is Arby’s roast beef?
Although the sandwich chain doesn’t cut their meat off the bone at each store, Arby’s roast beef comes from real beef round roast.
Is arby roast beef healthy?
- Lean Protein: Roast beef is generally considered a lean cut of meat, providing a good source of protein.
- Nutrients: Roast beef is rich in nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
- Lower Calorie Options: The classic roast beef sandwich is a lower-calorie option compared to some other Arby’s sandwiches.