Crock pot French dip sandwiches are melt in your mouth tender and bursting with wonderful taste. A casual dining delight. Easy to follow step by step photo instructions.
Editor’s Note: Originally published March 12, 2016. Updated with improved discussion and updated photos.
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.
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.
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.
Tips: Recipe Notes for Crock Pot French Dip
The Beef:
Your beef roast needs to be nicely trimmed and has good marbling. 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.
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.
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 3 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, 1/4 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 grain into 1/4 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.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, the pleasure of a rating on the recipe card below is requested.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12 | 12 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 420 minutes |
|
|
| Crock pot French dip sandwiches are melt in your mouth tender and bursting with wonderful taste. A casual dining delight. Easy to follow step by step photo instructions.
|
- 3 pound beef roast
- 2 onions large sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- Hoagie buns
- Provolone cheese
- 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, 1/4 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 1/4 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.
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.
- 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.
Nutrition is only for the meat and not for sauce, bun, or cheese.
________________________________
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
Originally published March 12, 2016
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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.