This Crock Pot French Dip recipe has tender beef cooked in rich homemade au jus, then piled on toasted rolls with melted provolone for delicious French Dip sandwiches.
Made with an economical chuck roast and simple pantry ingredients, this French Dip recipe in a crock pot cooks low and slow for under 8 hours until fall-apart tender.
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Featured Comment by Darice:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Dr. Dan you've done it again! These French Dip Sandwiches are amazing and so easy to prepare."
TL;DR — Recipe Summary
What: Easy Crock Pot French Dip with tender beef, melted provolone, and rich homemade au jus.
Why: An economical chuck roast becomes fall-apart tender while creating its own delicious au jus for dipping.
How: Cook a chuck roast with onions, garlic, beef broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire until tender. Slice or shred and serve on toasted rolls with melted cheese.
🐄 Ingredients
- Chuck roast – A well-marbled roast that becomes tender after slow cooking.
- Onion and garlic – Add depth to the beef and au jus.
- Beef broth – Use low-sodium broth so you can adjust the seasoning later.
- Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce – Add savory beef flavor to the au jus.
- For serving – Toasted sub buns or hoagie rolls and provolone cheese.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Crock Pot French Dip
1. Prep the beef: Trim and season the chuck roast. Sear if desired.
2. Cook the onion and garlic: Soften the sliced onion, then add the garlic briefly.
3. Fill the crock pot: Add the roast, onions, broth, soy sauce, and Worcestershire. The cooking liquid becomes the au jus for dipping.
4. Cook on LOW: Cook for about 5 hours, then slice the beef across the grain and return it to the au jus.
5. Finish cooking: Continue until the beef reaches about 200°F and is fall-apart tender.
6. Make the sandwiches: Serve sliced or shredded on toasted rolls with melted provolone and au jus for dipping.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, options, and serving ideas.
🤔 Crock Pot French Dip Tips
- Brown for more flavor – Searing the roast and browning the onions are optional, but add richer flavor.
- Slice across the grain – After about 5 hours, slice the beef thin across the grain and return it to the au jus to finish cooking.
- Slice or shred – For sliced French Dip, cook until tender. For shredded beef, continue to about 200°F or slightly higher until it pulls apart easily.
- Cook to tenderness, not just time – Cooking time varies with the size and thickness of the roast. The beef is done when it is tender enough for how you plan to serve it.
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🐄 Beef and Ingredient Options
- Beef roast – Chuck roast is the best choice for tender, juicy beef that can be sliced or shredded. Rump roast, bottom round, or tri-tip are leaner and are better sliced thin.
- Seasonings – Add a little oregano or thyme if you want more seasoning. Garlic powder can replace fresh garlic.
- Cheese – Provolone is classic, but Swiss, Havarti, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella also melt well.
- Sandwich rolls – Use sturdy sub rolls, hoagie rolls, or French bread that can stand up to dipping in the au jus.
🍴 How to Serve French Dip
Serve Crock Pot French Dip on toasted hoagie rolls, sub rolls, or French bread with hot au jus for dipping. Use slider buns for smaller servings or parties.
Serve with potato chips, baked French fries, coleslaw, a green salad, or even French Onion Soup.
❄️ Storing Leftover French Dip
- Store the beef and au jus separately in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat the beef gently with some au jus or beef broth.
🥪 More Crock Pot Sandwich Recipes
❓ FAQs
Use a 3-quart or larger crock pot. The roast and liquid should fill no more than about 75% of the pot for even cooking. A 2-quart mini crock pot is too small.
French Dip is sliced or shredded beef served on a roll with au jus for dipping. Italian beef is also braised beef but is usually more heavily seasoned with Italian herbs and spices.
Au jus is the thin, savory beef cooking liquid served with French Dip sandwiches for dipping. In this recipe, the broth, seasonings, and beef juices cook together in the crock pot to make the au jus.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot French Dip Recipe
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 2–3 pounds chuck roast
- 2 onions - large sliced
- 4 teaspoons oil – optional for browning
- 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
- Hoagie buns
- Provolone cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Trim and season a chuck roast. In a skillet with two teaspoons of oil over medium-high heat, sear for about 3 minutes per side. Move to the crock pot
- Optional: Add 2 teaspoons of oil and thinly sliced onions to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until starting to brown. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to the crock pot. If skipping the browning, add the onions and garlic directly to the crock pot.
- Add 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. The cooking liquid will become the au jus.
- Cook on LOW for 5 hours. Remove the beef and slice thinly across the grain, about ½ inch or less.
- Return the beef to the crock pot and cook on LOW for about 2 more hours, until fall-apart tender and about 200°F or higher.
- Leave the beef sliced or break it apart for shredded French Dip.
- Split and lightly toast the hoagie rolls. Add beef and provolone, then broil briefly until the cheese melts and begins to brown.
- Serve hot with the au jus on the side for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
Pro Tips:- Chuck roast is the best choice. Leaner roasts can be used but are usually better sliced than shredded.
- Use a 3-quart or larger crock pot with enough room around the roast for even cooking.
- Browning the beef and onions is optional but adds extra flavor.
- Always slice the beef across the grain for tenderness.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store the beef and au jus separately.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally published March 12, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Darice says
Dr. Dan you've done it again! These French Dip Sandwiches are amazing and so easy to prepare. We've enjoyed them for two nights. My husband asked if there was enough for another meal. I told him yes, enough for two meager sandwiches and he said he'd take that. Seriously, so delicious. I couldn't find a chuck roast so I picked up a Tri Tip and it worked great. I also added some Montreal to the S&P because I like lots of seasoning. Thank you. I did find a chuck roast at the store yesterday that I bough and froze because I am seeing more French Dips in the near future. Oh yes, I mentioned how good they were to my sister and she has her chuck in the crock pot right now, lol.
Peter E Beckles says
Gorgeous!
Peter E Beckles says
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.
Dori Campbell says
I couldn't WAIT to make this again. It was soooo good! I made it exactly how he said and it was perfect!
Dawn Porter says
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.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
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
kathy says
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.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
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
Jon Barker says
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!
Jan says
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
Kat says
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 says
Thanks so very much for all of your information! I look forward to enjoying this recipe tonight!
Kimberlee Kleine says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
Have no crockpot.
Is there a stovetop version?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
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 says
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 says
Hi Veronica,
Welcome to the blog.
I hope the sliced beef worked well for you.
Thanks for the note and compliment.
Dan
Trish says
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 says
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 says
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 says
If I had a can of beef broth and a can of French onion soup, do you think this would still work?
DrDan says
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