An easy recipe for crock pot French dip sandwiches that are melt in your mouth tender and bursting with wonderful taste. Easy to follow step by step photo instructions. A casual dining delight.
Editor's Note: Originally published March 12, 2016. Updated with improved discussion and updated photos.
A Two Short Paragraph Story (skip if you want):
I came home from work last week, and my wife was smiling... an "I have an idea" smile. She shows me a nice looking beef roast and dummy me said ok roast beef for Sunday family company and I started talking side dishes.
She interrupted saying that "you're doing French dip." Now I love French dip, and it has become my standard lunch if we're out and about. And I have become a real critic. She even had the recipe... now I didn't have the ingredients for that recipe, so a little Google and I had a plan.
Start with a nicely trimmed beef roast. Brown to get some Maillard reaction, cook in a crock pot in a nice juice. Then slice about 2 hours before done and finish cooking for ultra-tender wonderfully tasty meat.
Serve on a hoagie bun after topping with cheese and browning under the broiler. Finally, serve the cooking juice for dipping.
My Rating
My wife has already awarded it the recipe of the year.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Crock Pot French Dip
The Beef:
Your beef roast needs to be nicely trimmed, so you don't have to pick out uneatable things. And it has to have good marbling to be tender.
We had a nice top round roast, but an eye of round would be nice. Some recipes called for a chuck roast, but then more trimming would be needed at the slicing time.
I think it is great to brown the meat some and also precook the onions a bit although a lot of the crock pot French dip recipes skipped these steps.
The Cheese:
Use a mild creamy type of cheese for French Dip Sandwiches like provolone cheese which is my choice as the best choice. Mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese would also be good choices but avoid strongly flavored cheeses like sharp cheddar which will mask the flavor of your sandwich.
Miscellaneous Tips:
- The Worcestershire Sauce and soy sauce makes the beef stand up and scream beef.
- Beef broth has improved a lot in recent years and is worth using.
- The beef is cut across grain just to make it easier to shred after it is cooked a few hours more. You don't want long strands of beef.
- The liquid in the crock pot is the perfect dipping sauce.
- Store meat and juice seperately. Good in refigerator for 3-4 days. Also should freeze well.
Start with a nicely trimmed beef roast. Salt and pepper to taste.
Over medium-high heat add two teaspoon oil and when hot brown the roast for about 3 minutes per side. Then move roast to the crock pot.
Add two large sliced onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes until clearing then add two cloves of garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot. Add two cups beef broth, ¼ cup soy sauce, and two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
Cook on low for 7 hours but at the 5-hour mark remove meat and slice across the grain into ¼ inch slices and
Return to the crock pot to cook for the final 2 hours.
To serve, cut hoagie buns into half. Top the bottom half with meat and provolone cheese. Cook under a broiler for a few minutes until cheese is nicely brown. Also, toast tops of buns for a brief time.
Serve with the cooking solution for dipping.
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Crock Pot French Dip
Ingredients
- 3 pound beef roast
- 2 onions - large sliced
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
To serve
- Hoagie buns
- Provolone cheese
Instructions
- Start with a nicely trimmed beef roast. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Over medium high heat add two teaspoon oil and when hot brown the roast. About three minutes per side.
- Move roast to the crock pot. Add two large sliced onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes until clearing then add two cloves of garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot.
- Add two cups beef broth, ¼ cup soy sauce and two tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
- Cook on low for 7 hours but at the 5-hour mark remove meat and slice across the grain into ¼ inch slices and return to the crock pot to cook for final 2 hours.
- To serve, cut hoagie buns into half. Top the bottom half with meat and provolone cheese. Cook under a broiler for a few minutes until cheese is nicely brown. Also toast tops of buns for a brief time.
- Serve with the cooking solution for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Choose a beef roast that has some marbling. But avoid a roast that has too much connective tissue that you will need to sort out later.
- The crock pot needs to be big enough for the beef to fine with some space around it. 3 ½ qt or above will probably be fine depending on shape of meat and the crock pot.
- Brown the beef before adding to the crock pot will add good flavor to the beef.
- Cook the onion a bit before adding to crock pot.
- Cut the beef across the grain.
- Use the cheese of your choice but provolone cheese is my first choice followed by mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese. avoid strong cheeses like sharp cheddar.
Nutrition
Originally published March 12, 2016
Kat
For years I always cooked my roasts in the crock pot, slicing them midway through. I've been doing them in the Instant Pot lately (I just cut them in half at the beginning) and I find they are even more tender. (I slice right at the end and return to the pot to coat with gravy). This recipe, because of the liquid involved, could also just as easily be made in the pressure cooker. Can't wait to try it.
Kimberlee Kleine
Thanks so very much for all of your information! I look forward to enjoying this recipe tonight!
Kimberlee Kleine
Hi Dr. Dan!
I'm looking forward to making this recipe but wondered if you can help me out. It seems no matter what crockpot I have purchased, they all seem to cook a little warmer than the typical crockpot because even on low, my dishes are always ready way before the recommended cooking time. With that being said, can you please tell me what temperature you think the roast should be at before taking out and slicing as you have directed? I will then put it back in the crockpot as you suggest, but I need to go by temperature and not by time because I can't trust my crockpot's low temperature setting.
Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recipes
Kimberlee!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Kim,
Ok, this one is a bit hard. I didn't nor have others measured it. Having said that, I will say 140 give or take a bit. You don't want it fully cooked at this point. I cut it so the liquid can penetrate the meat better for flavor. Most others don't do that. But I want it fall-apart tender at the end. So using a chuck roast, I want to get into the 165 plus range at the end. My wife would say 175. She likes that fall apart pot roast type meat here.
On to the crock pots. I don't test crock pots but Cooks Illustrate still does and in the past, I have read many engineering articles on this. All crock pots should top out at 211 temperature on both high and low. It is just the time it takes to get there. On low, most should take 7-8 hours to get to that temperature and about half that on high.
This is generally controlled by a thermostat and those seem to have improved over time. Some old crock pots relied on resistors and the temps just kept climbing. I don't think those are even sold anymore. Also, if the thermostat goes bad, that can also happen.
I have two thoughts on it why you have issues.
1) Some brands (email me if you want a name) did (and I suspect still do) concentrate their heating elements too much in one or two areas (that is cheaper) but then those areas will "run hot". Since most crock pot cooking is a bit "sloppy" anyway, most don't notice.
2) The total mass of what you are cooking can affect this. Crock pots do best when loaded between 1/3 and 2/3 full. If you cook small amounts in a large crock pot, it can cook faster.
KitchenAid and Cuisinart usually are the winners for Cooks Illustrated testing. I have had good luck with both those brands and All-Clad (they usually are not tested by CI).
Hope that helps.
Dan
Barb Durand
Hi Dan! would a London Broil cut of beef work?? or would a bottom round rump roast be better?? Thanks in advance...
~Barb
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Barb,
Welcome to the blog.
Neither of those cuts excite me. You need something with some marbling. Definitely not the London Broil but the rump would be ok if well marbled.
Dan
Peter Beckles
Have no crockpot.
Is there a stovetop version?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Peter,
Welcome to the blog.
You should be able to do this with a Dutch oven. It will cook faster, probable about half the time. Just keep at a very low simmer. This is all just a guess since I have not done this but my guesses are usually good.
Please report if you try this.
Dan
Veronica Marie
My beef came sliced already... not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. I’ll find out in 7 hours!!
Your website is super friendly. Thank you for existing!
DrDan
Hi Veronica,
Welcome to the blog.
I hope the sliced beef worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and compliment.
Dan
Trish
Made tonight was really really good I added more wwsauce and beef broth with a tablespoon of better the bullion. Meat tender full apart good. And best dipping ever.this is my go to forever
Jenn
My family LOVED this recipe!!! My husband is the cook and is amazing! Me, I cook to survive, and hate cooking and am not very comfortable in the kitchen, lol. I made this for Father’s Day and everyone loved it! But my husband who is a chef and loves food raved about this one crock pot I did!!! Still talks about it and Ive only done it twice!! Making again right now for the weekend! Easy and delicious! I didn’t change anything other than having a heavy hand in measuring which I think was perfect! A must!!!!
DrDan
Hi Jenn,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the late reply.
Glad it works well for you. I do love a good French dip.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Tammi
If I had a can of beef broth and a can of French onion soup, do you think this would still work?
DrDan
Hi Tammi,
Welcome to the blog.
Since French onion soup is mostly beef broth, I'm sure it would work. If it is a condensed version, add the can and half the suggested water. If not condensed, just add it all.
Dan
Heather
This recipe was easy and turned out great! I served it over cheese grits instead of hoagies. A new favorite! Thank you!
Tosha
Do you think it would turn out okay if i prep everything the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight to start in the morning?
DrDan
I would think it would be fine. But do not store in the crockpot ceramic insert. They tend to crack when going from refrigerator to applying heat.
Dan
Brooke
Thanks Dr. Dan! This was to die for good, and beyond easy to make! My husband was craving a great french dip and Pinterest lead me to your site. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Loved every bite!
Candy
I made this with a chuck roast and it came out somewhat tough. What cut of beef do you use. Flavor was great.
DrDan
Hi Candy,
Pictured is a nicely marbled top round roast. An eye of round would be good also. Make sure there is a nice distribution of fat in the meat. You do not want one of those all lean cuts.
Nancy
I'm wondering what to do with the onions and garlic after the roast is removed from the crockpot. Are they discarded or does one put them on the sandwich?
DrDan
I just leave them in the dipping solution. You can of course eat them. If put on the sandwich, it would be a bit messy to handle but will add some taste. My wife always eats the dipping solution when done with a spoon including the onions like a French onion soup.
Galen
I am going to be making this tomorrow and I'm very excited. After making the french dip sandwiches I know I will have some leftover meat and wondered if you had any other ideas on what the meat could be used for in addition to sandwiches. I am a novice and I appreciate your blogs.
DrDan
Mix with a little salsa and it would make some very nice nachos....
Dan
Hanna
Do you tink this recipe can be cooked on high for less hours? Im trying it now but 7 hours is a long time! Haha
DrDan
This is one of those very forgiving recipes. Try cutting all times in half for high. When you slice the beef, see how well it will shred at that point. A half hour after cutting is needed for taste and moisture but you might need longer if it is not tender enough.
Jamie
I made this the other day and wanted to come back and say that this is a fantastic recipe! My boyfriend and I both love french dip, and we order it often when we go out to eat. He said this is the best au jus he's ever had. This recipe is a keeper and I'll be making it again for sure!
Love your site and blog and am looking forward to trying out other recipes on here.
DrDan
Hi Jamie,
Welcome to the site and thanks for the note.
Dan
Galen
Hi. I am trying to save this post, and many others of yours, to Pinterest but it won't allow me to? Any ideas why? I understand you have recently changed website companies? Thanks for any help you can be.
Galen Allen
DrDan
Thanks Galen, I looked at it and did some troubleshooting and I get it to work in Safari but nothing else. I need to do more but there are 5000 people per hour right now (peak time of day) and I will disrupt them. I will look at it in the morning and probably need to talk with the developer.
Dan
Melodie
This is a fabulous recipe. Straightforward, basic AND delicious. I made it last night and it couldn't have turned out better. It is only outdone by your beautiful Lab dog. Thanks again for the recipe. 5 star
Cerwyn
Absolutely phenomenal! I'm a novice cook who usually ruins dinner more often then not but I thought this sounded delicious and easy. I was totally right! I am obsessed with this site! It made so much leftovers!! Which makes it worth the money! I used a cheap $10 rump roast and it was Sooo good. Like melt in ur mouth tender. My husband is sooooo picky but he loved this! 10 stars! So excited to try another recipe on ur site! U r a food god!!!
DrDan
Awww shucks....
Glad it worked well for you. I have targeted the site for novice cooks so I think you should be able to handle most of the recipes. Check out the recipes that I think are best at https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/category/101s-top-posts/. May I suggest https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/ but it does require a digital thermometer but a $10 one from Amazon or Home Depot will do.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Dan
Arlene
Easy and great receipt. I will male this again
DrDan
Hi Sarah,
I'm sure it can but I have not done it and oven temp and duration would not match this crockpot version. So I'm not much help to you here.
Dan
Sarah
Hello, thank you for your wonderful and detailed recipes. I was wondering if this recipe could be made in the oven? I would really love to try it but the lid on my crockpot shattered and the company no longer makes that model nor replacement lids for it.
Patty
I always rave about your iron skillet filet recipe. I made this French dip recipe last night and took it to my parents home for lunch today. This is my new favorite Dr D recipe...Y...U...M!
I did not have any leftovers to bring home, so I am making this again tomorrow!!!
Lynn
Thanks for another great recipe! My boys said this is a definitely make again recipe.