ABSTRACT.- Residual feed intake (RFI) has become in a widely spread index of feed efficiency. Although most of beef cattle systems in the world are pasture-based, RFI evaluation and research is usually performed in confinement conditions. In this context, residual heat production (RHP) estimated as the difference between actual and expected heat production (HP), could allow to identify efficient animals. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the relationship between paternal estimated breeding values (EBV) for RFI and beef heifer efficiency, measured as RHP, as well as its association with heifers' productive and reproductive performance on grazing conditions. © The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.