• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
  • 📋About
  • ❓FAQs/Help
  • 🛒Shop
  • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 👨‍🍳RECIPES
    • 📋About
    • ❓FAQs/Help
    • 🛒Shop
    • 📮Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Crock Pot French Dip with Au Jus

    Sep 26, 2022 · Modified: Dec 8, 2022 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 48 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.26 from 147 votes

    Melt-in-your-mouth French dip sandwiches are a casual dinner classic. One of your favorite recipe dishes can now be easily made at home with pantry ingredients and a crock pot.

    French dip sandwich with au jus

    Jump To:
    • Why this is the recipe for you
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this recipe
    • 🐄Ingredients for this recipe
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Sandwich Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Why this is the recipe for you

    • Everybody will love these delicious French dip sandwiches with tender meat from a beef roast.
    • The cooking liquid is a great au jus for dipping.
    • It uses a short browning of the meat to enhance the flavor with a Maillard reaction and caramelizes the onions to enhance the flavor.
    • Serve on a hoagie bun after topping with cheese and browning under the broiler.
    • Easy to make ahead and store.

    👨‍🍳How to make this recipe

    1. Trim a beef roast of trimmable fat, then sear over medium-high heat.
    2. Prep onions, then brown over medium-high heat. Do not stop at just clearing.
    3. Add all ingredients to the crock pot.
    4. Cook on low for 7 hours but 5 hours into cooking, remove the beef roast, cut across the grain, and then return to the crock pot to finish cooking.
    5. At the end of cooking, you can break up the meat to make serving easier.
    6. Serve on toasted hoagie rolls with melted cheese and au jus for dipping.

    🐄Ingredients for this recipe

    The Beef Roast

    Your beef roast needs to have good marbling to be tender. And nicely trimmed, so you don't have to pick out uneatable things. Two to three pounds will do nicely.

    The beef choice is up to you. Sirloin and eye of round are commonly recommended but may be a bit lean. A nice chuck roast is a good choice. My favorite is an English cut chuck roast.

    Take the time to brown the meat; although many of the crock pot French dip recipes skip these steps—it will add flavor.

    The Onions

    The onions can be standard yellow or white onions. But, instead of chopping the onions, cut them into rings and then cut them in half.

    While many recipes do not precook the onions, just like the beef, cooking to the point of some browning will have a good effect on taste.

    The Au Jus

    The au jus is used for cooking the beef in the crock pot in addition to a dipping sauce. It combines a good quality beef broth, caramelized onions, and garlic. The soy sauce and Worchishire sauce are added to enhance the beef taste.

    ❓FAQs

    What cheese to use on a French dip sandwich?

    Use a mild creamy cheese for French Dip Sandwiches like provolone, which is my best choice.

    Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese would also be good choices but avoid intensely flavored cheeses like sharp cheddar, which will mask the flavor of your sandwich.

    The meat will not shred well. What can I do?

    The beef must be cut across the grain to make it tenderer and easier to shred after it is cooked a few hours more. You don't want long strands of beef.

    Some cuts of beef are very lean and are harder to shred. But cutting across the grain and cooking in the liquid will usually help the issue.

    How to store leftover French dip and au jus.

    Store meat and the au jus separately. Good in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Also, it should freeze well for about three months.

    📖Sandwich Recipes

    Oven Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches

    Easy Chicken Salad

    What to Do With Leftover Beef Tenderloin? Philly Sandwiches

    30 Minute Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Beef Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Crock Pot Recipes, Featured | Crock Pot Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    beef roast with broth and seasonings

    Start with a nicely trimmed, well-marbleized beef roast—salt and pepper to taste.

    sear the meat in hot oil

    Over medium-high heat, add two teaspoons of oil, and when hot, brown the roast for about 3 minutes per side. Then move the roast to the crock pot.

    slices of onion in hot oil

    Add two large sliced onions with the rings cut in half to the pan and cook for a few minutes until browning some. Then add two cloves of garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot. 

    pouring broth into crock pot with onions and meat

    Add two cups beef broth, ¼ cup soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce—mix well.

    slicing meat on white board

    Cook on low for 7 hours but at the 5-hour mark, remove meat and slice across the grain into ½ inch slices.

    sliced beef roast in au jus

    Return to the crock pot to cook for the final 2 hours.

    French dip meat in a large serving spoon

    Break up the slices a little at the end of cooking to make serving easier.

    French dip sub with cheese on tray

    To serve, cut hoagie rolls 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 the tops of buns for a brief time.

    French dip sandwich with au sauce on gray plate

    Serve with the cooking solution as au jus for dipping.

    graphic Subscribe to 101 Cooking for Two

    📝Recipe

    French dip sandwich with au jus

    Crock Pot French Dip with Au Jus

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Melt-in-your-mouth French dip sandwiches are a casual dinner classic. One of your favorite recipe dishes can now be easily made at home with pantry ingredients and a crock pot.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.26 from 147 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 12 minutes
    Cook Time: 7 hours
    Total Time: 7 hours 12 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2-3 pounds 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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start with a nicely trimmed, well-marbleized beef roast—salt and pepper to taste.
      beef roast and ingredients for French dip
    • Over medium-high heat, add two teaspoons of oil, and when hot, brown the roast for about 3 minutes per side. Then move the roast to the crock pot.
      sear the meat in hot oil
    • Add two large sliced onions with the rings cut in half to the pan and cook for a few minutes until browning some. Then add two cloves of garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot. 
      slices of onion in hot oil
    • Add two cups beef broth, ¼ cup soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce—mix well.
      pouring broth into crock pot with onions and meat
    • Cook on low for 7 hours but at the 5-hour mark, remove meat and slice across the grain into ½ inch slices.
      slicing meat on white board
    • Return to the crock pot to cook for the final 2 hours.
      sliced beef roast in au jus
    • Break up the slices a little at the end of cooking to make serving easier.
      French dip meat in a large serving spoon
    • To serve, cut hoagie rolls 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 the tops of buns for a brief time.
      French dip sub with cheese on tray
    • Serve with the cooking solution as au jus for dipping.
      French dip sandwich with au sauce on gray plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. An easy recipe to adjust both in size and taste.
    2. Avoid a roast that has too much connective tissue that you will need to sort out later. The beef choice is up to you. Sirloin and eye of round are commonly recommended but a nice chuck roast is a good choice. My favorite is an English cut chuck roast.
    3. The crock pot needs to be big enough for the beef to have some space around it.
    4. Browning the beef before adding it to the crock pot will add good flavor to the beef.
    5. Cook and brown the onion a bit before adding it to the crock pot.
    6. Cut the beef across the grain.
    7. Use the cheese of your choice, but provolone cheese is my first choice, followed by mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese. But avoid strong cheeses like sharp cheddar.
    8. Store leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Store the au jus separate from the meat.
    Nutrition is only for the meat and not for sauce, bun, or cheese.
     

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Crock Pot French Dip with Au Jus
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 193 Calories from Fat 67
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 7.4g11%
    Saturated Fat 1.6g8%
    Trans Fat 0.01g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3.8g
    Cholesterol 62.4mg21%
    Sodium 591.8mg25%
    Potassium 607.4mg17%
    Carbohydrates 4.1g1%
    Fiber 0.5g2%
    Sugar 1.6g2%
    Protein 26.3g53%
    Vitamin A 4IU0%
    Vitamin C 2.8mg3%
    Calcium 37.3mg4%
    Iron 2.4mg13%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally published March 12, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Lilly dog with a stuffed toy
    Molly dog relaxing and looking into the camara

    More Beef Recipes

    • Blue Cheese Compound Butter
    • Easiest Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket
    • Grilled T-bone Steak and Porterhouse Steak
    • Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Gravy

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment (Policy Link in Footer) Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Peter E Beckles

      October 04, 2022 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      Gorgeous!

      Reply
    2. Peter E Beckles

      October 04, 2022 at 12:45 pm

      On April 16, 2019, at 10:04 am I complained about not having a crockpot. You replied within hours, suggesting an alternative, but I didn't follow through. Yesterday I was concerned about the 7-hour cook time - no reply yet - but today though, I did it. I followed a reduced recipe in my own little Crock.Pot (The Original Slow Cooker) and up to the 5-hour mark [slicing] everything is fine. As soon as I'm done, I'll let you know how it went.

      Reply
    3. Dori Campbell

      August 07, 2022 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      I couldn't WAIT to make this again. It was soooo good! I made it exactly how he said and it was perfect!

      Reply
    4. Dawn Porter

      April 11, 2021 at 2:15 pm

      Like you, French Dip sandwiches are my restaurant go to for lunch. At home I love a French dip made with left over prime rib. When I make a roast in my crockpot I brown the roast then put it in crockpot. I add a packet of French onion soup to one can of Pepsi; stir it up and pour it in the crockpot on top of the roast and cook on low. I really like it both for a roast meal and French dip for the left overs. This coming weekend I’m going to give your French dip recipe a try. I like the slicing it partway through the cooking. I’m sure it will be a hit.

      Love the dog pictures! My sister and her husband live in Oregon and have two rescue Great Pyrenees they adore.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 11, 2021 at 2:18 pm

        Hi Dawn,
        Welcome to the blog.
        I like the cutting as you approach the end of cooking. It gets the flavors all the way through and it is extra tender and moist.
        Dan

    5. kathy

      April 10, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      Love you recipes - have saved many and everything I've tried comes out great, so thanks for that! Just a question on this - wouldn't an eye of round be too lean to make this nice and juicy? I love eye of round, but just wondering about this question.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 10, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        Hi Kathy,

        Welcome to the blog.

        I agree, it is lean but with cross-cutting and the braising method of cooking. It comes out fine. I have used it several times. Sirloin can have some of the same issues.

        I think I will edit this to suggest chuck with the others as options since that is what I now use most of the time. My favorite cut for this is an "English-cut" chuck roast which is generally well marbled and has less waste than standard chuck roasts.

        Dan

    6. Jon Barker

      November 16, 2020 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      This is a totally tasteful recipe!!! I love it! I can’t eat onion so I just omit and the flavor is so delightful! I grab a French baguette and dip away!!! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Jan

        February 06, 2022 at 10:11 am

        5 stars
        I don't know about the rest of you but I'm lucky to find any meat of any kind much less a roast.
        I would like to try this recipe very much, but with no meat to be found I guess it will have to wait
        Love the puppies. I lost my last year with lung cancer. But I was told that that kind of dog comes with it.
        Thanks for all of the other recipes I have tried of your, they have been great
        Have a good day and God bless

    7. Kat

      August 19, 2020 at 10:41 am

      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.

      Reply
    8. Kimberlee Kleine

      January 19, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      Thanks so very much for all of your information! I look forward to enjoying this recipe tonight!

      Reply
    9. Kimberlee Kleine

      January 18, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        January 18, 2020 at 7:18 pm

        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

    10. Barb Durand

      July 28, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      Hi Dan! would a London Broil cut of beef work?? or would a bottom round rump roast be better?? Thanks in advance...
      ~Barb

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        July 28, 2019 at 9:29 pm

        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

    11. Peter Beckles

      April 16, 2019 at 10:04 am

      Have no crockpot.

      Is there a stovetop version?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        April 16, 2019 at 1:04 pm

        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

    12. Veronica Marie

      January 10, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        January 11, 2019 at 7:05 pm

        Hi Veronica,
        Welcome to the blog.
        I hope the sliced beef worked well for you.
        Thanks for the note and compliment.
        Dan

    13. Trish

      November 04, 2018 at 9:15 pm

      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

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan, and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Popular Recipes

    • Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • Small Ribeye Roast
    • Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
    • Pan Seared Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
    kitchen reference sheet graphic wide blue
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan and the Blog
    • Business Questions
    • Comment Policy

    Content

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Recipes Featured in the Videos
    • Guide To Cooking for Two
    • Saved Recipes Collections

    dogs by the pond

    Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2023 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME