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Crock Pot French Dip

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Crock Pot French Dip sandwiches have tender beef and caramelized onions topped with melted cheese. Serve on a toasted roll with au jus for dipping.

Make these economical sandwiches for the family or a party with these easy step-by-step photo instructions using a chuck roast and simple ingredients.

Beef roast—chuck roast or similar
Aromatics—onions, garlic
Beef Broth—low sodium
Pantry ingredients—low sodium soy sauce, low sodium Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt only after taste testing
Serving—sub buns, cheese (Provolone, Swiss, Havarti, or Monterey Jack)

crock pot French dip with au jus.
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Featured Comment from Darice:
"Dr. Dan you've done it again! These French Dip Sandwiches are amazing and so easy to prepare."

Everybody will love these delicious French dip sandwiches with tender beef cooked in a flavorful fluid that makes au jus using your slow cooker.

Make these economical sandwiches for the family or a party with these easy step-by-step photo instructions using a chuck roast and simple ingredients.

Easy to make ahead and store. Serve on a hoagie bun after topping with cheese and browning under the broiler with Au Jus on the side for dipping.

See other crock pot sandwich recipes, like our Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tenderloin, Crock Pot BBQ Chicken, and Crock Pot Pulled Pork Butt.

👨‍🍳How to Make Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

  1. Trim a beef chuck roast of trimmable fat, then sear over medium-high heat.
  2. Prep onions, then brown over medium-high heat.
  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, shred the beef more to make serving easier.
  6. Serve on toasted hoagie rolls with melted cheese and au jus for dipping.

🐄Options and variations

  • A nice chuck roast is a good choice. My favorite is an English cut chuck roast. The beef roast needs to have good marbling to be tender. Top sirloin, bottom round, and rump roasts are commonly recommended but may be a bit lean.
  • 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.
  • It uses a short browning of the meat to enhance the flavor with a Maillard reaction and caramelizes the onions to enhance the flavor.
  • The cooking fluid combines beef broth, caramelized onions, and garlic. The soy sauce and Worchishire sauce are added to enhance the beef taste. After cooking, it has the meat juices and is the au jus for dipping.

🍴How to serve French dip

After cooking, shred the beef and remove the cooking juices for serving and reheating. Serve on toasted French bread, hoagie, or sub buns topped with provolone or other cheese, then melt under a broiler.

The au jus for dipping is the cooking fluid. Au jus is French for “with juice” and refers to the cooking fluid and juice from the beef.

Sever with a small bowl of au jus for dipping. Serve with a salad, soup, Baked French Fries, potato chips, Stovetop Mac and Cheese, or Microwave Corn on the Cob.

❄️What to do with leftover French dip

Store shredded meat and au Jjus separately in airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

Reheat after thawing,, if frozen, in a saucepan with the Au Jus cooking liquid or beef broth.

❓FAQs

What cheese to use on a French dip sandwich?

Use a mild creamy cheese for French Dip Sandwiches like provolone, Swiss, Havarti,, or Monterey Jack.

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.

What is the difference between French dip and Italian beef sandwiches?

French Dip is made with thinly sliced or shredded beef braised in a cooking sauce and served with au jus.

Italian Beef is also braised but has Italian herbs and spices for a distinctive Italian taste.

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Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

Chuck roast with broth and seasonings.

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

browing chick roast in skillet.

In a large skillet 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.

cooking onions in skillet.

Add 2 large sliced onions with the rings cut in half to the pan and cook for a few minutes until browning some. Then add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot. 

pouring broth into crock pot with roast and onions.

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

slicing beef roast 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.

placing sliced beef back into crock pot.

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

shredded beef in a large spoon over crock pot.

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

cheese on sandwiches ready for the oven.

To serve, cut hoagie rolls into half and briefly toast. Top the bottom half with meat and provolone cheese—cook under a broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is nicely brown.

French dip sandwich with au jus on gray plate.

Serve with the cooking solution as au jus for dipping.

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📖 Recipe

crock pot French dip with au jus

Crock Pot French Dip

From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Crock Pot French Dip sandwiches have tender beef and caramelized onions topped with melted cheese. Serve on a toasted roll with au jus for dipping.
Tap to leave a Rating
4.27 from 165 votes
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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 chuck roast
  • 2 onions - large sliced
  • 4 teaspoons oil - for bowning
  • 2 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 2 cups beef broth - low sodium
  • ¼ cup soy sauce - low sodium
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

To serve

  • Hoagie buns
  • Provolone cheese

Instructions

  • Start with a nicely trimmed, well-marbleized chuck roast—salt and pepper to taste.
    Chuck roast with broth and seasonings
  • In a large skillet 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.
    browing chick roast in skillet
  • Add 2 large sliced onions with the rings cut in half to the pan and cook for a few minutes until browning some. Then add 2 cloves of crushed garlic and cook one more minute. Move to the crock pot. 
    cooking onions in skillet
  • Add 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce—mix well.
    pouring broth into crock pot with roast and onions
  • Cook on low for 7 hours but at the 5-hour mark, remove meat and slice across the grain into ½ inch slices.
    slicing beef roast on white board
  • Return to the crock pot to cook for the final 2 hours.
    placing sliced beef back into crock pot
  • Break up the slices at the end of cooking to make serving easier.
    shredded beef in a large spoon over crock pot
  • To serve, cut hoagie rolls into half and briefly toast. Top the bottom half with meat and provolone cheese—cook under a broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is nicely brown.
    cheese on sandwiches ready for the oven
  • Serve with the cooking solution as au jus for dipping.
    French dip sandwich with au jus on gray plate
Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print. Otherwise step-by-step photos are in the post.

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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 Swiss, Havarti, or Monterey Jack. 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 au jus, but not the 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

Calories : 193 kcal (10%)Carbohydrates : 4.1 g (1%)Protein : 26.3 g (53%)Fat : 7.4 g (11%)Saturated Fat : 1.6 g (8%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 1.2 gMonounsaturated Fat : 3.8 gTrans Fat : 0.01 gCholesterol : 62.4 mg (21%)Sodium : 591.8 mg (25%)Potassium : 607.4 mg (17%)Fiber : 0.5 g (2%)Sugar : 1.6 g (2%)Vitamin A : 4 IUVitamin C : 2.8 mg (3%)Calcium : 37.3 mg (4%)Iron : 2.4 mg (13%)
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 with purple puppy.

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About Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Hi, welcome to 101 Cooking for Two. I'm DrDan, I'm a board certified physician and a lover of cooking delicious easy recipes I have perfected at home for two or larger household. As an award winning educator, let me guide you to finding the joys of cooking everyday food at home.
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  1. Dawn Porter

    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

      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

  2. kathy

    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

      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

  3. Jon Barker

    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

      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

  4. 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.

    Reply

  5. Kimberlee Kleine

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

    Reply

  6. 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!

    Reply

    • 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

  7. 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

    Reply

    • 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

  8. Peter Beckles

    Have no crockpot.

    Is there a stovetop version?

    Reply

    • 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

  9. 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!

    Reply

    • DrDan

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

  10. 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

    Reply

  11. 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!!!!

    Reply

    • 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

  12. Tammi

    If I had a can of beef broth and a can of French onion soup, do you think this would still work?

    Reply

    • 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

  13. Heather

    This recipe was easy and turned out great! I served it over cheese grits instead of hoagies. A new favorite! Thank you!

    Reply

  14. 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?

    Reply

    • 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

  15. 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!

    Reply

  16. Candy

    I made this with a chuck roast and it came out somewhat tough. What cut of beef do you use. Flavor was great.

    Reply

    • 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.

  17. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

  18. 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.

    Reply

    • DrDan

      Mix with a little salsa and it would make some very nice nachos....

      Dan

  19. 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

    Reply

    • 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.

  20. 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.

    Reply

    • DrDan

      Hi Jamie,
      Welcome to the site and thanks for the note.
      Dan

  21. 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

    Reply

    • 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

  22. 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

    Reply

  23. 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!!!

    Reply

  24. Arlene

    Easy and great receipt. I will male this again

    Reply

  25. 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

    Reply

  26. 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.

    Reply

  27. 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!!!

    Reply

  28. Lynn

    5 stars
    Thanks for another great recipe! My boys said this is a definitely make again recipe.

    Reply