Best Homemade Deli-style Roast Beef Recipe

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This deli roast beef recipe is seriously easy, and seriously delicious! With just 4 ingredients and about 90 minutes of time, you'll have enough food for multiple lunches, dinners and snacks. Perfect for the best roast beef sandwiches ever!

The beauty of this recipe, aside from the fact that it’s so delicious is that it takes very little time to prep and put together. Eye of Round is my preferred cut for this as it’s usually cut pretty clean coming from the butcher or the grocery store, and it’s a fairly lean cut.

Normally, we are looking for lots of marbling and fat running through the meat if we’re cooking a steak, or a large cut like a brisket for low and slow cooking.

The beauty of this being lean is that when you slice and eat it, you’re not having large pieces of cold fat in your mouth as you bite into the sandwich. This is really something special.

Pro Tip - there are many ways to season this - however I choose Al Frugoni's Asado All Purpose Rub. It’s easy and has HUGE flavor that carries through from the smoker to the fridge to the sandwich and your mouth

If you love bold, beefy flavors, try the best Reverse Seared Tri Tip or my favorite Loaded French Fries with Steak.

Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card to save it for later!

Equipment

You do need some basic equipment for this. It makes a big difference to have the right equipment, so take the time to get what you need first.

• Sharp knife 
• Electric knife (optional) or a very sharp knife
• Butcher's twine
• Meat thermometer
• Aluminum foil

I like to use an instant read thermometer to track my cooks. It makes cooking way easier and not only tells me the temperature inside the meat, but also how long until my food will be ready. This helps with tracking of side dishes and letting the family know when to be ready for dinner. Simply insert the thermometer, put the meat on the grill and close the lid. That’s it. Just open it up again when the app on your phone tells you that the meat is ready. 

Ingredients

• Eye of Round Roast - This is the best cut of roast beef for roasting because it is naturally lean without too much excess fat. Don't get me wrong, fat usually means flavor, but too much can cause your deli-style roast beef to be chewy and gristly instead of moist and juicy. You can also use a top round roast, if you prefer.
• Avocado oil - To help bind the seasonings to the side of the roast. Olive oil will work, too.
• Al Frugoni Asado All Purpose Rub - This is just one option, but I love this Argentinian seasoning blend. Pro Tip: Season generously! The roast is large and you need a lot of seasonings to flavor the center of the roast. 

How to Make Deli Roast Beef

Before you get started, the main thing is to make sure the meat is well-trimmed first. There shouldn't be any large or fatty pieces, like a fat cap. Trim any excess fat off the roast as well as any thick silver skin. A little is okay, but you don't want too much. 

• Preheat smoker to 250F.
• Trim your eye of round roast of any hard or tough fat left on by the butcher. 
• Rub a thin layer of oil all over the roast to allow seasoning to adhere.
• Rub liberally with the rub cover the entire piece of meat without any gaps.
• Tie roast with 3 or 4 pieces of butcher twine to keep it's shape.
• Leave meat on the counter at room temperature until the smoker comes up to temp.
• Place meat on the smoker until hits internal temp of 105.
• Increase temperature to 450 and cook until the meat hits an internal temperature of 120F.
• Remove roast from smoker and allow to rest on a cutting board for 15-20 minutes until it's no longer hot on the outside.
• Wrap in foil and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight to firm up.
• Cut into thin slices with the electric knife, and make your favorite sandwiches.

When the meat is done on the smoker - remove it and let it rest enough to cool down to the touch. After that, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and put in the fridge for a few hours to overnight.

This is an essential part into turning this into deli meat. It will harden on the inside and slice easily.

If you have an electric meat slicer, this is the perfect time to get it out. Otherwise a sharp knife will do the trick for you.

Storing Suggestions

Store any leftover roast beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Tips & Variations

• Use your favorite seasoning. You can either keep it simple with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, or dig through your spice cupboard to find your favorite dry rub.
• Dry brine it. If you aren't in a rush, you can season the meat and then refrigerate overnight before roasting. This will help infuse flavor deep into the roast and make it more tender.
• Pat it dry. Use paper towels to pat the beef roast dry before adding the oil and seasonings.

How to Serve

 You can either eat it cold, as in classic cold roast beef sandwiches, or warm it up and serve with au jus for the best French dip. I like to keep it simple. Mayo, a layer of fresh lettuce, and the roast beef on a toasted bun will hit the spot every time! 

FAQs

Related Recipes

• How Long to Smoke a 15 lb Whole Packer Beef Brisket
• Best Chimichurri Steak Sandwich Recipe with Beef Tenderloin
• Smoked Beef and Cheddar Sliders
• Loaded French Fries with Steak and Caramelized Onions

Want to make this roast beef later? Print the recipe card!