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Everyone loves a tender, deliciously messy French Dip Sandwich!
Chuck roast is slow-cooked in beef broth and onions until perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender. It’s set on a crusty roll and dipped in the juices for the perfect sandwich!
Ingredients Tips for French Dip
- BREAD French Dip is best with a baguette-style French roll. I love a crusty roll with a bit of chew, plus it softens when dipped without falling apart. Any dense bread what can hold up to dipping in au jus will do.
- BEEF For this French dip recipe, the best meat is chuck or rump roast. Cook the beef low and slow and then pull it into big chunks instead of cutting. As long as it is braised (browned and cooked in liquid)‚ it will be extra tender and perfect for French dips!
- AU JUS This is the juice in the slow cooker and it is used for dipping. Add plenty of onions plus a sprig of rosemary for flavor.
- CHEESE I do not usually add cheese to this sandwich. If you want to add cheese, provolone is a great choice!
How To Make French Dip
This slow cooker recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
- Season roast and brown in a large pan on all sides.
- Add all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, until the roast is tender. If your beef is not tender, it likely needs more time.
- Remove the beef and let it rest 15 minutes before slicing or shredding.
Serve with toasted hoagie rolls or bread of your choice and dip in the juices.
How To Make Au Jus For French Dip
Technically, the ‘au jus’ is simply the liquid in the slow cooker that the chuck roast and other ingredients were cooked in.
I like to add the tiniest bit of cornstarch mixed with water to the slow cooker while the meat rests. The jus shouldn’t be thickened like gravy but a little bit of cornstarch adds a bit of body to the jus.
You should have lots of flavorful juice in the slow cooker. Once shredded or cut, you can add the beef back to the juices to keep it warm. This is a great way to serve a crowd.
Don’t forget to serve with a side of savory coleslaw or some oven baked french fries to round out this meal.
More Delicious Beef Sandwiches
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches – easy to make & serve!
- My Favorite Reuben Sandwich – classic Irish recipe
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beef Sandwiches – always a crowd pleaser!
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef – great in a taco, enchilada or sandwich!
- Reuben Sandwich Sliders – great party food
French Dip Sandwich
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast or rump roast
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 10.5 ounces condensed beef broth 1 can, low sodium
- 10.5 ounces condensed French onion soup or condensed onion soup, 1 can
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 12 ounces light beer
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary optional
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 French rolls or 2 baguettes cut into 6-inch rolls
- ½ cup butter
Instructions
- Season roast with salt & pepper. Brown each side in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Place condensed beef broth, condensed French onion soup, onions, light beer, garlic, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce in a slow cooker. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours or until beef is tender.
- Once roast is tender, remove from the juices and let rest 15 minutes. Shred or slice beef.
- Butter rolls and heat under a broiler until lightly toasted. Top rolls with beef and serve with jus from the slow cooker for dipping.
Video
Notes
Cheese can be added to the broiled rolls. If you don’t want to use beer, you can replace it with extra beef broth. Option: Combine 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Add the the juices in the slow cooker while the meat is resting. You do not want to thicken the jus but this just adds a bit of body.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Lunch, Main Course, Slow Cooker
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Does the alcohol from the beer cook off? I have some family that doesn’t drink alcohol.
Most of it does cook off but the flavor is still there. You can use additional beef broth in place of the beer if you prefer.
I made this last night and it was a huge hit! Unusually, I followed the recipe completely. It definitely goes into my regular menu rotation!
Thanks!
This sounds great, I cannot wait to give it a try.
So very happy that the sodium level is not off the chart.
Bonus points for that.
I really like your recipes and some have become all time favorites. And the people I feed seem to enjoy them as well.
Keep up the fantastic work.
John
I want to try this! Do you think that dried onion soup mix would work in place of the canned onion soup? Sodium isn’t an issue here, as mine is always low.
Hi Kathleen, you could use onion soup mix with 1 cup of water instead of the soup.
Is it possible to use beef broth from a carton rather than canned condensed beef broth? Maybe that would be too much liquid.
You can use broth from a carton but the flavor will be a bit lighter since the condensed soup is more concentrated. I’d suggest 10.5oz (about 1 ⅓ cups) and add a beef bouillon cube.
Absolutely delicious!! On another note, where can I get that small pitcher with the strainer top shown in the above pictures?
Thank you
Karen Quaschnick
The small pitcher is a gravy separator, I have a couple of them, this one is my favorite. It separates the fat from juices, I use it for gravy and homemade broth—so handy!
Has anyone tried this recipe with instant pot? Would it be about an hour with the same ingredients?
I would recommend following the cook time/method in my Instant Pot Pot Roast. Let us know how it goes!
Is that sodium content correct? If so, 3700mg is almost 2 days worth of sodium in one sandwich!
Hi Zac, you are correct, there was a calculation issue. This has been fixed!
Hi Holly,
This recipe looks delicious! What can I use instead of beer?
Thanks, Krystal
You can replace the beer with additional beef broth is you prefer.
in the video it looks like a lot of liquid for the beef broth. do i need to add water to the condensed beef broth or is the 1 can by it self ok?
You do not need to add water to the broth, the roast itself will add juices.
Hello, could I freeze this then reheat it ? And freeze the au jus?
Yes, the beef and the jus both will freeze well.
can’t wait to try
Turned out great. I made my own onion soup mix by getting an easy recipe online; uses flour and seasonings.
I made this and it was excellent. I subbed beef broth for the beer but did everything else as written in recipe. I love your recipes.
Thank you!
Can I make this the day before, slice it, and refrigerate in the jus? Then, heat up in the slow cooker the next day for dinner?
Absolutely, it reheats well.
This recipe looks delicious and I would like to try it, but am making it for a crowd so need to triple it (if not a bit more). Will I need to divide and conquer in 2 slow cookers? Make in a roaster pan? Can it be made in the oven?
For that volume I would definitely split it into two slow cookers. While I have never made this recipe in the oven, I think it should work well. But I would use a dutch oven and cook in the oven for 2-3hrs at 325°F. You will want to use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Hi! I want to make this for a lunch party on Sunday but won’t have time to slow roast it that day. Would I be able to cook it all the way through on Saturday and then put everything in the fridge to reheat the next day?
Yes, this will reheat beautifully.