Beef on Weck Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/18/23
Two Beef on Wecks resting on a marble platter

The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Beef on weck is a classic Buffalo sandwich. It’s thinly sliced roast beef served on a caraway and coarse salt coated roll. It’s salty, meaty, and very satisfying.

The “on weck” part comes from the name of the roll, Kummelweck. These rolls can be hard to find outside of the Buffalo region, but you can easily make them at home with only four ingredients. Pick your favorite bakery-style Kaiser roll or hamburger roll, brush on a little egg wash, dip in coarse salt and caraway seeds, and bake at 350 F for 5 minutes. The blend of flavors is hard to forget, and you may find yourself making this sandwich over and over.

Serve with horseradish sauce and a side of warm beef jus for the most authentic experience.

Ingredients

For the Roast Beef:

  • 2 1/2 pounds top round roast

  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

  • 1 cup beef broth

For the Rolls:

  • 4 kaiser or hamburger rolls

  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 large egg, beaten

For the Horseradish Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the roast beef ingredients.

    Ingredients for Beef on Weck gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F and grab a roasting pan.

    Overhead of a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Cut 1/2-inch slits all around the roast. Insert the garlic slices into the slits. 

    Garlic slices inserted into the beef roast

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Coat the roast with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. 

    A seasoned beef roast on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Place the roast fat-side up in roasting pan and place it in preheated oven. Pour the beef broth in the bottom of the roasting pan. Do not pour it over the roast. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 250 F. Cook until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 135 F. This will take 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size and shape of roast. 

    A seasoned beef roast in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Remove the roast from the oven and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Place the beef drippings from the bottom of the pan into a small saucepan and keep them warm. 

    A cooked beef roast in a roasting pan

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

Prepare the Weck Rolls

  1. Gather the roll ingredients. 

    Ingredients for weck rolls gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Brush the top of each roll with the egg wash. Whisk together the caraway seeds and the salt. Dip the top of the roll into the salt mixture. 

    Seasoned rolls being brushed with a egg wash

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 2 to 5 minutes or until the egg wash is set and the rolls are just slightly browned. 

    Fur seasoned rolls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. 

    Cooked buns on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

Prepare the Horseradish Sauce and Assemble

  1. Gather the sauce ingredients. 

    Ingredients for sauce gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.

    Sauce ingredients in a bowl whisked together

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Thinly slice the roast beef. 

    Thinly slice the roast beef on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Dip the roast beef into the jus and remove it quickly. 

    Dip the roast beef into the jus and remove it quickly

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Cut the rolls in half and dip the top into the warm jus. Top the bottom of the rolls with roast beef. Spread the horseradish sauce on top of the roast beef and then top with the dipped roll. 

    Sliced beef and sauce on top of a bun

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Serve with extra jus and dig in immediately.

    Beef on Weck resting on a marble platter

    The Spruce Eats / Nyssa Tanner

Variations

You can use deli roast beef instead of making homemade roast beef, which will save a bunch of steps and lots of time.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
980 Calories
50g Fat
36g Carbs
96g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 980
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g 64%
Saturated Fat 14g 69%
Cholesterol 309mg 103%
Sodium 4035mg 175%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 96g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 118mg 9%
Iron 10mg 55%
Potassium 909mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)