Classic French dip sandwiches were a staple in my house growing up. You slow-cook a beef roast all day long until it’s so tender that you can shred it with one hand and a fork. The real beauty is how simple the ingredients are and how easy it is; it comes together in a matter of minutes in the morning and then you don’t have to worry about it for the rest of the day. It’s also one that works great for a make-ahead meal in the freezer, perfect for times when you know you’re going to be busy. You can also make it in an electric pressure cooker, which is a total game changer.
Ingredient and Recipe Notes
- Beef roast – For best results, use a chuck roast. You could also use top or bottom round. The one roast to stay away from is eye of round; it is dry and flavorless.
- Onion soup mix –Â Regular or beefy onion flavor will work.
- Beef broth –Â You’ll notice the recipe calls for 4 cups of beef broth, which is 1 32-ounce box. 2 cans of beef broth will also work, even though they don’t equal a full 4 cups.
- Rolls or bread –Â How you serve these is totally up to personal preference. Crusty bakery rolls, baguette thirds, or ciabatta rolls all work great.
- Cheese – Take your pick when it comes to cheese! I like Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella, shredded or sliced.
How to Make French Dip Sandwiches
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. While the oil is heating, season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the roast on all sides, then transfer to the pot of a slow cooker.
- Â Sprinkle with onion soup mix, then add in water and beef broth.
- Cook for 8-10 hours on low or start it on high and cook for 2-3 hours on high (until it comes to a boil), then turn it to low and cook for another 4-5 hours on low. It’s hard to mess this part up, but you’ll know it’s done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When the meat is done cooking, shredded it with two forks.
- Place the meat on crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open face in the oven or for 1-2 minutes or until the bread is golden and the cheese is melty. And don’t even think about walking away–things can go from lightly toasted to on fire in a matter of seconds when it comes to bread and broilers. Ladle au jus (the juices, skim off fat as necessary) into small cups for dipping and enjoy!
Freezer Directions
Prepare roast through the searing step. After the meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix, broth, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot, add 2 cups of water, and set to high until simmering, then turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.
Instant Pot Directions
Prepare meat through the searing step (you can sear it in your Instant Pot.) Transfer the roast to a cutting board and slice it into 1″ slices. Place the slices back in the pot and add onion soup mix, broth, and water. Use the manual setting to cook on high for 30 minutes. Allow it to release naturally (so don’t release the pressure valve); it will take about 10 minutes. Remove lid and shred with forks. Serve as directed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes! See the freezer meal notes for instructions on prepping ahead.
Related Recipes
If you think French Dip sounds delicious, you may also be interested in these other Our Best Bites favorites:
French Onion Soup
Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches
Kalua Pork Sliders with Pineapple-Mango Slaw
Did You Make This?
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French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 2.5-3 pound beef roast see note below
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1- ounce packages dry onion soup mix
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups 1 box or 2 cans beef broth
- 8-10 crusty rolls or baguette thirds ciabatta rolls work great
- Swiss provolone, or mozzarella, shredded or sliced
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. While the oil is heating, season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear the roast on all sides, then transfer to the pot of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with onion soup mix and add in water and beef broth. Cook for 8-10 hours on low or start it on high and cook for 2-3Â hours on high (until it comes to a boil), then turn it to low and cook for another 4-5 hours on low. It's hard to mess this part up, but you'll know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart.
- When the meat is done cooking, shredded it with two forks. Place the meat on crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open face in the oven or for 1-2 minutes or until the bread is golden and the cheese is melty. And don't even think about walking away--things can go from lightly toasted to on fire in a matter of seconds when it comes to bread and broilers. Ladle au jus (the juices, skim off fat as necessary) into small cups for dipping and enjoy!
Notes
For best results, use a chuck roast. You could also use top or bottom round. The one roast to stay away from is eye of round; it is dry and flavorless. FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Prepare roast through the searing step. After the meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix, broth, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crock pot, add 2 cups of water, and set to high until simmering, then turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours. INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS: Prepare meat through the searing step (you can sear it in your Instant Pot.) Transfer the roast to a cutting board and slice it into 1" slices. Place the slices back in the pot and add onion soup mix, broth, and water. Use the manual setting to cook on high for 30 minutes. Allow it to release naturally (so don't release the pressure valve); it will take about 10 minutes. Remove lid and shred with forks.
Questions & Reviews
Becca,
If you want something more tender and juicy than a round cut, go for a chuck roast. They have more fat and therefore more flavor and also tend to be juicier.
sooo i'm not a big beef eater but my hubby LOVES french dip. i've never made it (until tonight) and the meat seems a little dry. what's the best kind of roast to use to get a tender, juicy meat? i used eye of round beef roast.
Marvelous, simple sandwiches. I made them for Hubby's grandmother who "doesn't even like roast" and she gobbled it up. 🙂
BIG hit!! Amazing, love it! But I need a recipe idea for all of the leftover au jus…soup??
Can you make this by putting a frozen roast straight in the crock pot or should the roast be thawed first? Thanks
Joanna
I came across your blog referenced in a friend's blog a few weeks ago. I love to cook but always need new ideas and inspiration. I love you guys! I have made at least a half dozen of your recipes in the last couple weeks. I've got the roast for French Dip sandwiches in the crockpot as I type this.
I just made these with parmesan crusted bread and provolone cheese. It was amazing!
Seriously! Amazing! I made these last night. DELICIOUS! I didn't have crusty buns but I toasted some up…wow that makes all the difference. Also, I had never pan seared my roasts before but it is not a lot of work and it worked great! I'll be doing that from now on. The meat was SOOO tender! I've never had it like that before! All I had to do was put a little pressure on it with a fork and it all fell apart! The only problem with this recipe is that is smells amazing right away and you have to wait all day to dig in. I'm a stay at home mom and it was torture but well worth the wait! I stumbled upon your blog just a few months ago and I LOVE IT! Keep up the good work!
Amanda
Iowa
Made these for company, and there were oh so delish!
I made these last night & they were wonderful. I forgot to include the 2 cups of water but i had a smaller roast–they were fab
I know that alot of people have already commented on your amazing french dip post, but I wanted to chime in as well! 🙂 We just tried this recipe last night and it came out perfect!!
The thing that I really enjoyed about your blog was the step-by-step process that I couldn't find anywhere else. I'm a beginning baker/cook and I had no idea how to "sear" the meat, so I'm glad you showed a picture of what it should look like.
Anyways, I look forward to reading more of your tasty recipes! Thank you!
I so want to make this right now!!! I'm a big fan of the French dip! thank you for posting this ..
This recipe is exceptional! I had quite a bit left over (it was just me and the boyfriend eating it) so I created an additional recipe to use leftovers:
Cook desired amount of rigatoni pasta to al dente.
In a saucepan, add a good amount of the 'dip' liquid without the meat on medium heat.
Add about 1/2 c or so of crushed (or stewed) tomatoes and let liquid cook down a bit.
At this point toss in whatever seasoning you like; smoked paprika, basil, whatever!
While the sauce is boiling, grate some old cheddar cheese, and dice a red pepper.
To thicken the sauce add a bit of cornstarch mixed with water. You want to get it to a consistency that it will coat the pasta.
If the meat was refridgerated, warm it up, and it to the pasta along with the sauce, cheese and red pepper.
Stir on low heat until cheese is melted, et voila!
Alm
I no longer remember what I was searching for when I found your site, but this is what I made and it was PERFECT! Your site is beautiful and I can't stop cooking everything from it! Thank you, thank you!
Tried this tonight and my family loved it! THanks for the amazing recipe!! 🙂
I used the panini grill suggestion instead of the broiler and they turned out amazing … love that crunch with the french dip. Thanks for the recipe and sharing ideas. Definitely a keeper!!
Thanks Kate and Sara for everything you do to make the meals at my house oh … so much better!!
I made these tonight for my husband's guy night. We didn't have any beef broth so I doubled the water, and they were still amazing! I'm guessing the flavor would have been even better if I wouldn't have improvised. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Love the blog.
Okay – I have made this twice with all of the great advise and it came out incredible! Thank you so much 🙂
Sara,
Thank you so much! I will be sure to ONLY use a chuck roast. I will be keeping my fingers crossed – I am dying to make a great french dip sandwich! I appreciate all the adivse 🙂
Jessica- one more thing to consider is the cut of meat you're using. That's the biggest factor for me when roasts don't come out tender. When buying a roast for crock pot cooking, it's the tougher cuts that will be the most tender (the opposite of other cooking methods). It has to do the the connective tissue that makes meat tough, but breaks down in low-slow cooking and turns super tender. Chuck roasts are always a safe bet.
Hi Kate,
Thank you so much for your timely response! I just want to let you know how much I enjoy your blog – my kids and I have so much fun trying your recipes 🙂 My husband is happy I found your blog too!
It's so strange since I have tried many different cuts and brands and I always do buy the cellophane-wrapped roasts – I even had an Angus roast come out tough! I used to make a great roast so I am so confused! LOL – this is very perplexing to me. I will try searing longer. Thanks again for your suggestions! I am going to try this again this weekend.
Oh – and I have been telling EVERYONE about your blog! I love it!
Thanks again,
Jess
Jessica–What brand of roast are you using? The only reason I ask is because those vacuum-sealed roasts from Walmart and Sam's Club always come out tough for me. You can still buy a roast at Walmart, just make sure it's one of their cellophane-wrapped package instead of the vacuum sealed ones.
The other things I thought of were searing the roast a little longer and then just simply cooking it longer. Sometimes if I'm home, I like to cook it on high until it comes to a boil and then turn it to low until it falls apart; for some reason, that faster cooking at first seems to turn out a roast that's a little more tender.
Hope that helps!
I have tried many recipes from this blog and they are all great 🙂 For some reason, my roasts have been coming out a little tough recently – not sure what I am doing wrong?? I tried this recipe and once again, the meat was not as tender as I would have liked. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I make these all the time..they are one of my favorite recipes. I just wanted to tell everyone to try spreading your rolls with garlic butter before broiling them. It sounds weird, but it is soooooo delicious on these sandwiches!
I have been making these French Dip sandwiches for years. They are SO delicious! I'm loving your blog and I informed my hubby tonight that I was addicted to just looking and reading all the recipes. I have 5 recipes on the menu for this week. Thanks for all the time you put into your blog.
I made these for my family last night and they were just SOOO in love with the beef! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe! I will now and forever keep this recipe at a top notch recipe! Thanks
Loved these – even with an elk roast they were delicious!
We had these last night. Delicious.
I can't believe I've never commented on this before! I've made these tons of times since getting the recipe from you and I love them. The hubby loves them even more. Thanks!
I have a panini grill, and I made these with thick-cut fresh sourdough bread and then grilled them instead of broiling them. They came out great! Thanks for the recipe.