Slow Cooker French Dip

This Slow Cooker French Dip recipe features succulent beef slow cooked in a flavorful broth, served on toasty rolls with melted cheese and extra au jus for dipping!

Slow Cooker French Dip with text overlay.


 

If you enjoy savory sandwiches, you'll love BEST EVER Sloppy Joes, Easy Chicken à la King, or Egg Salad with Bacon + Blue Cheese!

Winter is the perfect time to rely on that trusty, effortless kitchen appliance known as the slow cooker! And thanks to recipes like this hearty, succulent, bursting-with-flavor crock pot French Dip sandwich, I'm not even sad.

There's no question that a crock pot is ideal for cooking cuts of roast, from stroganoff to stew. But if you want to take that same cut of beef and branch out a bit from the ordinary, this Slow Cooker French Dip recipe is the way to go!

Beef and au jus from Slow Cooker French Dip recipe.

Bear with me for a moment. But when the crunchy bread soaks up that deep, savory beef broth, I'm reminded of the episode of Friends when Ross' leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich gets stolen out of the refrigerator at work. He's highly upset! Because he doesn't get to enjoy his once-a-year sandwich with its piece of gravy-soaked bread in the center, dubbed "the moistmaker."

Well, this Slow Cooker French Dip has a moistmaker as well and it's the jus...which is just the fancy French term for the cooking juices that the beef was cooked in.

Slow Cooker French Dip sandwich being dipped into au jus.

You'll hardly believe that such a simple recipe can yield such a flavorful outcome.

Truly...it doesn't get any easier than this, folks!

Crock pot French Dip sandwich on plate with au jus for dipping.

Slow Cooker French Dip Ingredients

You just need a handful of ingredients to yield meaty, savory, delicious Slow Cooker French Dip sandwiches.

  • Chuck roast. Chuck roast has an amount of marbling just made for slow cooking. You may certainly trim off any large pieces of fat from the outer edges of the roast before cooking. But I never worry about it too much. Most of the fat melts down and can be skimmed from the cooking juices later. If you opt to use a leaner cut of roast, just keep in mind that your beef may not turn out as tender and juicy.
Chuck roast in broth in crock pot.
  • Beef broth. You may use homemade beef stock, cartons of beef broth, or -- my favorite in slow cooker recipes -- Organic Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. I use this beef base all the time in gravies, sauces, soups, stews, beans, etc. If you've ever read the back of a jar of standard chicken or beef bouillon granules or cubes, you might be alarmed to find that its ingredients aren't exactly straightforward. So I love this substitute, the organic version of which contains only ingredients that I am actually able to spell and pronounce. You only need one teaspoon per cup of water, so one jar of this stuff goes a long way!
  • Dark beer. Nobody will guess that the depth of flavor of this jus is achieved thanks to dark beer. I promise that the final result tastes nothing like beer, so don't let that scare you away! Living in Texas, my dark beer of choice is Shiner Bock. And if you prefer not to use beer at all, just substitute extra beef broth in its place.
  • Garlic. When it comes to this crock pot French Dip recipe, I'm of the opinion that the more garlic, the better! I like to use fresh minced garlic in most recipes. But since slow cooker recipes cook for so long, I find that jarred minced garlic (the kind that must be refrigerated) works great.
Pile of shredded beef on plate with tongs.
  • Worcestershire sauce. This ingredient adds yet another layer of flavor to the jus.
  • Herbs and spices. Namely dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper. I'm usually pretty generous with the pepper up front. As for the salt, you should definitely use enough to bring out the beefy flavor of the jus. But keep in mind that the bouillon base I recommend is pretty salty, just like bouillon cubes or granules would be. So I typically don't add extra salt at the beginning of the recipe. However, if the cooking juices taste bland at the end of the cooking time, I season with more salt before serving.
Slow Cooker French Dip sandwich on plate with au jus in background.

How to Make It

  1. Trim the roast (if desired) and plop it in the bottom of your crock pot.
  2. Pour/sprinkle the remaining ingredients on top, which will meld together and ultimately serve as the "dip" for your Slow Cooker French Dip.
  3. Slow cook all day.
  4. Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Discard the fat and shred or slice the meat.
  5. Skim the fat from the cooking juices. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
  6. Serve the succulent, falling-apart beef on a toasty baguette with plenty of provolone cheese melted over the top and, of course, a generous crock of the jus (AKA, cooking broth) on the side.
Slow Cooker French Dip ~ this crock pot recipe features succulent beef slow cooked in a flavorful broth, served on toasty rolls with melted cheese and extra au jus for dipping! | FiveHeartHome.com
Slow Cooker French Dip sandwiches on baking sheet with melted cheese.

The bottom line is that these crock pot French Dip sandwiches are quick and easy to throw together, and they receive rave reviews from every member of our household, kids and adults alike.

So when life is crazy, do yourself a favor and dust off the ol' crock pot. And when you do, be sure to try this Slow Cooker French Dip recipe! You just can't beat coming home and having dinner waiting on you...especially when it's as mouthwatering as this one.

Close-up of Slow Cooker French Dip on a plate with au jus.

More Crock Pot Sandwiches

Dipping a Slow Cooker French Dip sandwich into au jus.

Slow Cooker French Dip

This Slow Cooker French Dip recipe features succulent beef cooked in the crock pot in a flavorful broth, served on toasty rolls with melted cheese and extra au jus for dipping!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours
Total Time: 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 335kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 pound chuck roast
  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • French baguette, French rolls, hoagie rolls, or other crusty bread , for serving
  • Slices of provolone, Swiss, or mozzarella cheese, for serving

Instructions

  • Trim excess fat from the roast and place it in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or longer (the longer, the better).
  • Split open your rolls (and spread with butter, if desired) and arrange on a baking sheet. Heat the split rolls in a toaster oven until toasted, or bake in a regular oven set to 350°F until warm and toasty (about 10 minutes).
  • Remove the roast to a cutting board and skim the fat from the cooking juices. Season the cooking juices with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Pull the beef into chunks or slice it against the grain (assuming it doesn't fall apart). Pile the meat on top of the toasted rolls, place slices of cheese over the meat, and place back in the toaster oven (or under the broiler) for a few minutes until just melted.
  • Serve hot sandwiches with a small bowls of reserved cooking juices (jus) for dipping.

Video

Notes

  • I use Shiner Bock for my dark beer.
  • I like to use fresh minced garlic in most recipes, but since crock pot recipes cook for so long, I find that jarred minced garlic (the kind that must be refrigerated) works great.
  • If you don't use a chuck roast, be sure to choose a well-marbled roast for the most tender slow cooked beef.
  • If I'm around, I like to flip my roast over halfway through the cooking time. But it's not necessary if you're not home.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 4mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Post originally published on August 13, 2013, and updated on August 31, 2019, and February 12, 2021.

Sa

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Recipe Rating




94 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Made this yesterday for the super bowl and made some minor adjustments. First, I coated the chuck roast with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and then seared it in a cast iron skillet on all sides before putting it into the crockpot. I used Guinness, fresh smashed garlic cloves and an onion, as well as fresh thyme and rosemary. Finished the sandwhiches with gruyere cheese under the broiler for a couple of minutes. It was very good!

  2. 5 stars
    I made this today for our supper. It was so delicious. Definitely a keeper. But will decrease the thyme. Thank you for a wonderfully, easy recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    My kids and husband loved it!
    I followed your recipe just as you wrote it and my husband baked some French bread. Sooo good!
    Thank you so much for sharing ❤️

  4. I am not much of a cook, but I would like to try this with my kids. My question lies with the Organic Better Than Bouillon part. Do I add the entire 8oz jar or just a couple of tablespoons? Thanks

    1. Just a spoonful or two! Good question...I will clarify that in the post for those not familiar with Better than Bouillon. It's is very potent and pretty salty -- similar to using bouillon cubes -- so while it adds nice depth of flavor, you definitely don't want to go overboard. 😉 Hope you and your kids enjoy this recipe! 🙂

    1. Hi Carri! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂

      My experience with new vs. old slow cookers is that the new models run much hotter and cook much faster. This model still runs hotter than my 10-year-old slow cooker, but it doesn't burn food like some of the other new slow cookers I've tried. I wrote a slow cooker cookbook a few years ago and let's just say I had plenty of opportunity to experiment with different slow cookers -- ha. 😉

  5. I wanted to make this for my family but I wanted to ask a question. Is there something that you would suggest that I can use in place of the beer? It is something I just do not want to use in my cooking. Thank you!

    1. Hi Christina! You can just substitute extra beef broth for the beer. But since the beer does contribute flavor to the au jus, I might suggest slightly increasing the other ingredients in the recipe (garlic/Worcestershire/herbs/spices) to make up for it. 🙂

  6. 5 stars
    Looks delicious .... Just like Arby's Rost Beef ... All I need need now is a slow cooker ...

  7. I'm looking for your recipe for the Organic Better Than Bouillon Beef Base that you mention in this recipe. Could you please share it?

    1. Hi Ruth! Better than Bouillon actually comes in a jar that you can find at most grocery stores. It's found near the regular bouillon cubes. Hope that helps! 🙂