This slow cooker french dip recipe makes a flavorful and tender beef dip sandwich! Serve with the au jus poured straight from the crock pot for an easy weeknight dinner!
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The French dip, also called Beef Dip, is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Making it at home is very simple and delicious! When you use a slow cooker, the juices from the meat and seasonings automatically become your au jus dipping sauce. It doesn't get easier than that! If you love this, you should also try my shredded beef barbacoa recipe!
💬 What is French Dip?
Can you believe the French dip sandwich did not originate from France? The French dip recipe is an American invention! It consists of either sliced or shredded beef (your favorite type) over a sliced hoagie roll served with a seasoned dipping sauce called au jus. Typically served hot on a toasted roll and sometimes with melty cheese. It's one of my favorites!
🧾 Grocery List
You can easily find everything you need in the typical grocery store to make French dip for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients for this recipe:
- Chuck roast (about 3 lbs)
- Garlic (3 cloves)
- Bay leaves (2 dried)
- Dried rosemary (2 teaspoons)
- Ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
- Soy sauce (1 cup)
- Water (3 cups)
- Hoagie or French rolls (8 quantity)
- Provolone cheese (16 slices) - optional!
If you like thyme, consider adding dried thyme or thyme leaves to the seasonings. Or, add a tablespoon or two of Worcestershire sauce. I also sometimes chopped up an onion and add it. This recipe is very forgiving and can be easily altered to your tastes.
👩🏽🍳 How to Make French Dip in the Slow Cooker
- Place roast in the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients except hoagies and cheese.
- Cook on low 8-10 hours.
- Remove cook meat and shred or thinly slice.
- Toast rolls in a preheated 400°F oven.
- Top toasted rolls with shredded or sliced beef, then cheese.
- Bake again until cheese is melted.
- Serve sandwiches with a small bowl of au jus sauce from the slow cooker on the side.
Click here for full recipe ingredients and instructions.
🥘 Au Jus Recipe
Because we are cooking the meat in a slow cooker with soy sauce and seasonings, the au jus is simply the cooked juices from the slow cooker. You can use the au jus right away by serving into small individual bowls for dipping.
If you are preparing the beef dip in advance, let the au jus cool in the crock pot then skim the fat that rises to the surface before storing it in a container in the fridge. You may find more fat to skim before reheating and serving. Simply use a spoon to achieve this.
💭 Your Questions Answered
What kind of bread is used for French dip sandwiches?
French bread is traditional but we like to use whatever crusty hoagie rolls we can get our hands on and is on sale!
Should I shred the beef or slice it?
You can do either! If you want it sliced, cook for a little less time, maybe just 7 hours.
Can I use low-sodium soy sauce?
Yes, you can. Low-sodium may not be as flavorful but you can add salt as needed.
What is the difference between Italian beef and French dip?
One is Italian and the other is French. Just kidding! These two sandwiches are very similar, but one difference is the Italian beef is placed back into the juices after sliced while the juices are served on the side for French dips. Another difference is you can order Italian beef "dry", "wet" or "dipped." I always ordered mine "dipped" when we lived in Chicago, which means the entire sandwich is dipped into the juice.
Lastly, Italian beef sandwiches are typically always served with cheese which is not quite traditional for French dips. Italian beef also is topped with either hot or sweet peppers.
How do you pronounce au jus?
You say it like this [oh -zhoo]. You can listen to the pronunciation by clicking here.
🍟 What to Serve with French Dip Sandwiches
- Potato Soup
- Cajun Fries
- Coleslaw
- Onion Rings
- Pickles
- Potato Chips
- Fruit Salad
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⭐Recipe Card
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 3 cups water
- 8 hoagie buns , sliced in half
- 16 slices provolone cheese , optional
Instructions
- Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary and pepper. Add bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
- Prepare buns: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place buns cut side up on large baking sheet and bake 5 minutes.
- To serve, shred beef in the slow cooker and remove excess fat. Place shredded beef on bottom sides of hoagies. Top with 1-2 slices of provolone and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes (leaving both top and bottom sides cut side up) until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasty.
- Serve with juices from slow cooker as an au jus on the side. (in a small bowl)
Notes
- Optional variations:
- Add 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced, to the slow cooker before cooking.
- Add fresh thyme leaves to the slow cooker and remove before shredding the beef.
- Serve plain without the cheese.
- Serve sandwiches topped with pickled peppers.
- Butter the rolls before toasting.
- Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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