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!
If you enjoy savory sandwiches, you'll love BEST EVER Sloppy Joes, Easy Chicken à la King, or The Ultimate Stuffed Cheeseburger Sliders!
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 French Dip sandwich, I'm not even sad.
There's no question that a crock pot is ideal for cooking roast. But if you want to take that same cut of beef and branch out a bit from the ordinary, this French Dip recipe is the way to go!
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 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.
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!
French Dip Ingredients
You just need a handful of ingredients to yield meaty, savory, delicious 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.
- 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. And 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.
- Garlic. When it comes to this 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 crock pot recipes cook for so long, I find that jarred minced garlic (the kind that must be refrigerated) works great.
- 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.
How to Make It
- Trim the roast (if desired) and plop it in the bottom of your crock pot.
- Pour/sprinkle the remaining ingredients on top, which will meld together and ultimately serve as the "dip" for your French Dip.
- Slow cook all day.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Discard the fat and shred or slice the meat.
- Skim the fat from the cooking juices. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- 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.
The bottom line is that these 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 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.
More Crock Pot Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Shredded Beef Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork Sliders with Creamy Broccoli Slaw
- Chicken Sloppy Joes from the Crock Pot
- Slow Cooker Meatball Subs
Slow Cooker French Dip Recipe
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 350ยฐF 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.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
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.
Post originally published on August 13, 2013, and updated on August 31, 2019.
Janet Hewitt
OH! and I forgot to mention...my 13 year old son said that this (the french dip) was what every sandwich aspires to be! Best sandwich ever!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yay! I love hearing that...13-year-olds can be the toughest of critics. ๐
William
Hey Samantha, these comments are a bit lady-dominated so I'm a hair out of my league. But I just had to complement the recipe. Tried it out last week, froze the leftovers (bachelor food). Absolutely choice! I used a Ninkasi Sleigh'r (seasonal) for the beer and it worked out great.
My mother would make french dips regularly when I was growing up, and this is spot on for her version flavor wise. We added blue cheese dressing as a complementary dip along with the 'jus.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi William! I'm so glad you decided to comment...don't let all of these ladies intimidate you! ๐ I'm even happier to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my family's favorites as well. Blue cheese dressing alongside the jus sounds amazing...I will definitely be adding that the next time I make this! Thanks for the suggestion and hope you have a great weekend!
Heather
This is delicious! I have it going in the crock pot as we speak I have made this a few times already and its so delicious, I always get compliments!! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe! ๐
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I am so happy to hear that this recipe has been such a hit for you, Heather! You are very sweet to take the time to leave a comment letting me know, and I hope you enjoy these sandwiches for many years to come! Have a great week... ๐
Lauren
We LOVE this recipe - my husband requests it at least once a month! Definitely one of our favorites! I'm back going through your slow cooker archives hoping to find more great recipes to add to my arsenal! Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
It makes me so happy to hear that, Lauren! Everyone always loves this recipe when I make it, but I will agree with you that it's particularly popular with the guys. ๐ Thanks for taking the time to let me know that y'all enjoy it, and I hope that you've found some other crock pot recipes from the blog to try out. Have a great rest of the weekend! ๐
Felecia
Hi Samantha! Wow! What awesome recipes you have here! I've copied I don't know how many of them! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thank you so much, Felecia! Your sweet comment means a lot and I'm so happy to hear that you've found some recipes to try. Hope you enjoy them, and I hope you're having a great week! ๐
Nicole
I used a light beer instead of a dark beer because I did not have any on hand. The Au Ju tastes horrible right now. It's been in the crock pot for about 2 hours. Do you think the flavor will change? I am tempted to dump out the Au Ju and remake.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Nicole! I'm sorry to hear that. ๐ I definitely recommend using dark beer (or additional beef broth in lieu of beer) in this recipe. I haven't tried light beer in this before, but I can't imagine it would complement the rich, beefy flavor in the same way as dark beer. If light beer didn't taste good in the au jus after two hours, I don't know that it would have improved by the end of the cooking time. Sorry again that it didn't work out, and I hope you found a way to salvage the recipe!
Jenny
This is by far, the best roast recipe I have EVER made. I found it on Pinterest and have made it many times! It is perfect for sandwiches because the au jus is so yummy, I could drink it! When wanting a traditional roast, I have added sliced red onions, mushrooms and carrots and thickened the juice in a skillet to make a thicker gravy. Delicious!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I am very happy to hear that you've enjoyed this recipe to much, Jenny! And I'm embarrassed to admit something...we've always eaten this beef in sandwich form and it's never even occurred to me to turn this combo of ingredients into a traditional roast. What a brilliant idea to add vegetables and turn the au jus into a gravy! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your adaptation...I think your comment will give lots of people (including me!) a new idea for how to enjoy this recipe. ๐
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling
Okay, so I don't even eat red meat...but these look amazing! I might be convinced to try them, Samantha!Thanks so much for sharing your delicious recipes with us at SNF!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Ha, Cathy...thank you! I guess a recipe could be counted a success if it gets a non-beef eater to consider trying it... ๐ Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks for hosting SNF each week. Hope you have a great weekend!
Katie C.
I just made this last weekend and it is probably the most delicious thing to ever come out of my crockpot. I cooked it SUPER LONG (I started it the night before and let it cook all night into the morning) and the meat was so tender it fell apart and had incredible flavor. I used 2 cups of beef broth instead of water/bouillon, and the au jus was very rich and flavorful. This is definitely a favorite in my household! Great recipe!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yay, Katie! I'm so happy that this recipe was such a hit with your family! And thanks for coming back to share...made my day. ๐ Hope you have a great week!
April from maryland
I love this recipe! We don't drink in my house however so instead of the dark beer I just use a 12 oz can of beef stock. It adds to the beef flavor and its so delicious! My step-kids love it!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I'm so glad to hear that this recipe was a hit with your family, April! And yes, you can certainly substitute beef stock for the beer and it will still taste delicious! Thanks for taking the time to comment...hope you have a great week! ๐
Joy
Hi!! First let me start off by thanking you for posting such a mouth watering recipe!! I'm terrified of the slow cooker so please bear with me... I have a black tan beer and only about 6 hours. Is this type of beer ok to use and can the roast cook on high for 6 hours? Thanks again!!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Joy! I see no reason why that wouldn't work just fine! I bet that type of beer results in an even deeper, richer sauce, and cooking on high for 5 or 6 hours should be plenty of time to yield tender beef. Thanks for the questions...hope you enjoy!
Terry
Hi Samantha so happy I found your site I have looked at 100 + recipes for French dip I picked your looks great. Trying today for big football day, ill let you how it came out thank you so much
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Terry! After searching through 100+ recipes, I really hope you enjoyed this one! I also hope the football game yesterday ended up having your desired outcome... ๐ Thanks so much for taking the time to comment...have a great week!
Talia
I made this with a rump roast and it turned so dry that it is nearly inedible. I don't understand how it can cook in the jus for so long and be so dry. Any tips for selecting a roast/cut that won't dry out? I was really excited about this.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi Talia! I am so, so sorry to hear that this recipe didn't turn out for you! I have never had it turn out anything but completely juicy and tender, and I have used a rump roast many times. I have two thoughts for what may have happened, so I'll throw them out there to see if either could be possible.
If your roast was extremely lean, there may not have been enough fat and connective tissue to melt into the meat and make it moist. Rump and chuck roasts typically fit this criteria, but perhaps you could ask the butcher next time to help you select a piece of beef with more/enough fat?
The other idea I have is that maybe your crock pot runs hot and the meat cooked too long? Again, I've never had that problem, since in my experience the meat has actually become more tender the longer I cooked it. However, I know that crock pots can sometimes cook at different temperatures. I have a back-up crock pot that runs much hotter than my everyday crock pot, and when I use it, I know that I'll have to reduce cooking time for equivalent results.
Again, I'm so sad that this recipe didn't work out for you and I hate that your ingredients were wasted. Your experiences is opposite of those that are typically shared with me, so I'm not positive what went wrong. But I do hope you're able to figure it out and that this recipe turns out well for you if you give it another try!
Thanks again for the comment. Hope you have a great week!
Talia
Hi Samantha, Thanks for such a thoughtful reply. Based on some recent experience with meat from the same butcher, I suspect that the roast I was sold was perhaps too lean. I'll have to be more careful in the future - but it's also a learning process for me to figure out how to get the right cuts for the recipes I want to try. Thanks again for your answer; it's helped keep me from getting too discouraged. I'm glad it's worked out well for others - and maybe it will for me again in the future.
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Thanks so much for letting me know that, Talia. I'm sorry again that the recipe didn't work out for you this time, but you definitely shouldn't feel discouraged! A good butcher should be able to give you suggestions for the best cut of meat to use based on the recipe you want to try (or you can always Google it before heading to the store!). Good luck with your cooking endeavors and remember that everyone has recipes flop from time to time! ๐ Have a great rest of the week...
Ellen
Did you dissolve your Better than Bouillion in boiling water before adding to the crock pot?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Hi, Ellen! You can just plop the Better Than Bouillon right in the crock pot without dissolving it in water first. It will melt and blend in as it heats up. Thanks for the question...hope that helps!
karen
Okay, I'm sold! This sandwich is on the docket for tomorow lunch! Looking forward!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
I hope you enjoy it, Karen! ๐