Cute and tasty roast beef tea sandwiches that are easy to make, perfect for tea time. Made with layers of thinly sliced roast beef and topped off with watercress.

About This Recipe
- Finger sandwiches made of roast beef, white bread, watercress, and horseradish mayo.
- Perfectly bite-sized sandwiches (gone in 2-3 bites) great for afternoon teas and for parties as appetizers.
- No cooking in involved, just prepping and assembling.
- Everything is cut using one round cookie cutter — no need for knives!
- Crusts on the bread are cut off, giving it a clean, delicate appearance and making it easier to bite into.
Looking for more tasty tea sandwich recipes? Check out my popular BLT Tea Sandwich, the classic Cucumber Tea Sandwich, and 24 Delicious Tea Sandwiches Perfect for Tea Parties.
Ingredient Notes

- White sandwich bread or very thin white bread
I’m using white bread but feel free to swap it out with soft whole wheat bread. - Roast beef, sliced thin
To make it easier to bite into, get it thinly sliced. - Watercress
If you can’t find watercress, any baby greens would work. - Horseradish
It’s what gives the sandwich a little kick. - Mayonnaise
I like using Kewpie Mayo, a tangy Japanese brand. - Pepper
I like using freshly ground pepper.
How to Make Roast Beef Tea Sandwiches


Here’s a quick overview of the steps to make this tea sandwich. For full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom.
1. Make Horseradish Mayo
Mix horseradish, mayo, and pepper together in a small bowl.


2. Cut out circles from the bread and roast beef
Use a round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the bread and roast beef slices. Avoid cutting the crust on the bread.
RELATED: Radish Rose Tea Sandwiches


3. Assemble Tea Sandwiches
From the bottom up: bread, horseradish mayo, roast beef, horseradish mayo, bread, horseradish mayo, roast beef, bread, and watercress skewered on with a cocktail fork.


Make sure to spread a thin layer of horseradish mayo between each layer. The mayo helps to bind each layer together.


Skewer a cocktail fork through the tea sandwich, using it to hold the watercress in place.
RELATED: Ham & Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Serving Suggestions
Use a cocktail fork to keep the sandwich together while holding the watercress in place.

If you want to skip the cocktail fork, lay a watercress on top of the sandwich, holding it place with a dab of horseradish mayo under it.
Tea sandwiches are the first course of an afternoon tea service and go beautifully with scones and bite-sized sweets.
Tea Sommelier’s Tip: The best tea to serve with tea sandwiches is black tea. Earl Grey, English breakfast tea are both great choices.
Notes & Tips
- Frozen bread cuts cleaner than room temperature bread.
- The horseradish mayo keeps to hold all the layers together.
- To get a smaller (less tall) tea sandwich, use Very Thin white bread.
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
The best tea sandwiches are made within a couple of hours before serving but since that’s not always possible, follow these tips to make them ahead of time.
- Sandwich filings can be prepped a day or two before but wait until the night before or the morning of to assemble.
- Sandwiches can be made the night before and covered with wax paper then damp paper towels in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will keep the sandwiches from drying out.
- Tea sandwiches shouldn’t be served cold so make sure to take them out of the refrigerator (but kept in the airtight container) about 15 minutes before serving.
Questions You May Have
Soft, fluffy bread is the best for tea sandwiches since they’re easy to bite into.
Serve 3-4 tea sandwiches per person if there’s other courses (scones, mini sweets). Allot 4-6 tea sandwiches per person if no other food is served.
You can use a different shaped cookie cutter but make sure not to use one with a lot of details since it’ll be harder to get clean cuts.
More Tea Sandwich Recipes
- Mini BLT Tea Sandwiches
- Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Tea Sandwiches
- Ham & Cheese Tea Sandwiches
- Cucumber Sandwiches for Tea Time
- 24 Tea Sandwiches Perfect for Tea Parties

Roast Beef and Watercress Tea Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
- 6 slices white bread
- 12 slices roast beef
- 8 watercress leaves
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon horseradish
- pinch of pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix together horseradish, mayo, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cut circles out of the roast beef.Use the same cookie cutter to cut out 24 roast beef circles.
- Cut circles out of the bread.Use the cookie cutter to cut out 12 bread circles out of the white bread. Cut 2 circles out of each slice of bread, avoiding the crust.
- Assemble tea sandwiches.From the bottom up: bread, horseradish mayo, roast beef, horseradish mayo, bread, horseradish mayo, roast beef, horseradish mayo, bread, and watercress skewered on with a cocktail fork.Start with a bread circle, then spread on a thin layer of horseradish mayo, and top with 3 roast beef circles. Spread on a thin layer of horseradish layer, top with bread and repeat with the horseradish mayo, 3 roast beef circles, horseradish mayo, then bread. Place the watercress on top and keep it in place with a cocktail fork
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- 12 bread circles
- 24 roast beef circles
Hi Kelli, I'm waiting on that Amai cookbook!
Great idea to put the greens on the outside! These recipes look so great. One of these days I'll actually be cooking again and your recipe section will be a first stop.
Hi Pam/Mercantile Muse, happy you found my blog! Where did you go to school in the Bronx? Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Hi Michele, thanks! The best part about putting these posts together is that I get to eat all of it at the end.
Hi Jennie, it was delicious! I think the Japanese mayo added that extra kick.
WOWSA! That looks delicious.
Simply WANT!
Jennie xox xox
AKA Hooting Miss Owl
I really love these step-by-step photo-based recipes!
Hi Jee, so happy to come across your blog (I followed you in comments on sfgbb).
sandwich looks divine.
but i'm off to read more and get a bigger fix of one of my home away from homes, NYC. went to school in the bronx, met my dubliner husband there and we get back as often as possible to visit family and friends. just saw a post with mulberry and broome…..my gramps was born on mulberry.
thanks for the fix!
btw, i am a tea lover and am having my second cuppa irish breakfast tea right now. couldn't start the day without it.