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This French Dip Sandwich is one of the most popular recipes we have published! It’s such an easy recipe and it’s made in the crockpot. Your whole family will love this one and your house will smell amazing while these are in the slow cooker.
These slow cooker French dip sandwiches will just melt in your mouth! They’re so easy to toss together in the morning and you’ll come home to a delicious smelling house and the most amazing French dip sandwich ever!
We love this 3 ingredient french dip recipe! The meat turns out so tender and flavorful and it’s delicious on a hoagie roll with some cheese!
We shared this recipe on Facebook and it instantly went viral. The video now has over 80 million views and the recipe was so popular that one of the ingredients was sold out in many grocery stores for over a month!
We’ve also shared a version of this that’s quite a bit quicker. Check out our Instant Pot French Dip!
What is French Dip?
This popular sandwich is made with slow roasted beef, either shredded or thinly sliced, and best served on a French roll with a side of au jus.
The au jus is a savory broth made from the juice of the roasted beef and seasonings and it’s excellent for dipping the sandwich into.
Ingredient Notes:
Beef – We like to use chuck roast for this recipe, but rump roast works as well.
French Onion Soup – We’re using canned French onion soup to add flavor. It’s a simple way to get that savory flavor.
Beef Consomme – Consomme is similar to beef broth, but more concentrated with a richer texture. You can find canned beef consomme with the canned soups.
What We Love About This Recipe:
- It’s Easy! Open up a couple cans of soup, add them to your slow cooker with a roast, and walk away!
- It’s Tender! The crockpot does all the work and the meat turns out fall apart tender!
- The Dipping Sauce! The liquid from the slow cooker makes the best dipping sauce. Just reduce it on the stove to concentrate the flavors and dig in!
What Readers are Saying!
“I’ve been making your recipe for years and my family loves it. This is our favorite French Dip recipe. So yummy! I make exactly as written. I like to add horseradish to my sandwich. MMMM! Thank you” -Staci
How To Make Slow Cooker French Dip:
Add the chuck roast, soup, and consomme to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or until the beef is tender.
Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it up with two forks.
Transfer the liquid in the crockpot to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let the liquid reduce down by half to concentrate the flavors. This will make a delicious dipping sauce for your French Dip.
Build your sandwiches by spooning the meat onto hoagie rolls and topping them with slices of provolone cheese. Pop them in a hot oven or under the broiler for just a minute or two to melt the cheese.
Fat Separator!
If you enjoy making your own gravies and sauces, this fat separator makes it so easy! The built in strainer catches the leftover bits and the broth comes out the bottom, leaving the fat behind.
Helpful Tip!
Amp Things Up!
- Flavor Boost: Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce or a cube of beef bouillon to amp up the flavor a bit.
- Au Jus: Use a fat separator to remove the fat from the broth before you boil it down.
- Rolls: We’re obsessed with crusty French rolls for this recipe, but you can use any type of hoagie roll you like. A good french roll really soaks up the juices without falling apart too much though.
Crockpot Recommendation!
In the market for a new slow cooker? We love this 7 quart Crockpot. It’s simple to use, cooks evenly, and is very budget friendly. Plus, it has a 4 1/2 star rating with over 5,000 reviews on Amazon!
Karly’s Tips:
All slow cookers cook a bit differently – some run hotter than others! If your roast is not fall apart tender after cooking, it’s just not done yet. Keep cooking until it’s tender enough to easily shred with a fork. It’s very difficult to overcook a roast in the crockpot, so just keep cooking until it’s tender!
If you want a less greasy au jus for dipping your sandwiches, trim the fat from your chuck roast before cooking. You can also remove the fat from the liquid using a fat separator! This tool comes in handy any time you’re making gravy!
You may notice that we add a packet of Au Jus seasoning to our Instant Pot French Dip sandwiches. This is because we find things need extra seasoning when cooked under pressure. You may add it to this slow cooker french dip sandwich recipe as well, if you like a bolder flavor.
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
I don’t think we’ve ever cooked a chuck roast without having some leftovers. They’re a large cut of meat and perfect for feeding a crowd! And if you’ve got extra, it’s just as good the next day.
You can keep any leftovers stored well covered or in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
The meat can also be frozen for up to a few months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe bag or container. Thaw overnight before reheating.
???? More Slow Cooker Favorites:
- Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
- Pulled Pork with Pickle Slaw
- Pulled Pork & Pintos
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Beer Cheese Chicken Sliders
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
wprm-recipe-video
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast
- 21 ounces condensed French Onion Soup (2 10.5 ounce cans)
- 10.5 ounces Beef Consomme (1 can)
- 8 sandwich rolls
- 8 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Place the roast in a slow cooker. Pour the soup and consomme over the top.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, or until the beef easily shreds apart with a fork.
- Remove 3 cups of the liquid from the slow cooker with a measuring cup or ladle and add to a small sauce pan. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce to a hard simmer and let cook until reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to a shallow dish and shred with a fork.
- Place the sandwich rolls on a baking sheet and spoon meat into each roll. Top with provolone cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately with the sauce on the side for dipping.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in March 2016. It was updated in January 2023. Original photo below:
Amy says
I followed the recipe exactly and the sandwiches turned out GREAT! I will definitely be making this again. Yum!
Jan McGhee says
where is the sauce recipe for french sandwich
Amy says
The au jus is the liquid from the slow cooker. Make sure you reduce on the stove, as the recipe says.
Artie roberts says
How long do you cook in slow cooker and what temp
Carlos says
Can I substitute beef broth? I can’t seem to find beef consumme.
Karly says
That should be fine!
Sandy says
Campbells soup sells it.. French onion as well..
Maha Weber says
Looks really good! I am trying to plan our meals so, this one is on top of the list. Do you mind if I share the link of this page to my blog? Thanks!
Jacob Brand says
Add some worcestershire sauce to the au jus
Karly says
Great idea!
Beth says
Why is it necessary to boil the juice for 10 minutes?
Karly says
It reduces the liquid and concentrates the flavor.
Bethany Miller says
Ty!
Anna says
When adding the soups, do you also add the 1 can of water per the instructions on the soup can?
Karly says
Nope, just the soups.
SMBYORDY says
Made this today, and it was incredible! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Megan says
Is there any information on nutrition facts available for this?
Karly says
You’re welcome to plug the recipe into any of the free online nutrition calculators.
FUCHESS says
Great news! I used a pork roast this time (due to husband error) and it turned out fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly but again I separated the meat and juice and then seasoned the meat more to my liking adding 3 tops of smoke flavoring, Worcester sauce, Montreal Steak seasoning, S&P, garlic powder, Pappy’s 50% less salt seasoning, and added a little liquid back in and cooked it a little longer to meld everything together. So I think your wonderful recipe works with beef and pork..for me! Now, as much as I love pulled pork with BBQ sauce…YUM, I can switch it up for pork French Dips all thanks to you and your great, easy recipe. Again, thank you so much!
Karly says
Glad to hear it worked well with pork too!
FUCHESS says
I made this last time and enjoyed it very much! I wanted to make it tomorrow again but my husband bought a pork roast instead! Do you think the recipe will still work with pork? Help! I really had my heart set…
Thanks.
Sandy says
Yes it will.
Ann says
I watched the video, purchased the ingredients and didn’t read the recipe first. Only purchased 1 can of French onion soup…. Will it taste okay with 1 can of French onion and 1 can of beef consummate or should I alter the recipe?
Karly says
Should be fine! Just add extra seasoning if you think it needs it – a bit of Worcestershire sauce, some dry onion powder, salt, etc.
Gabe Ramirez says
Can I use a Crock-Pot if I don’t have a slow cooker
Karly says
A Crock-Pot is just a brand of slow cooker – so yes, they’re the same thing. 🙂
Diane Darling says
I did the same thing. Watched the video, did open the page to see the recipe.
Sue says
Just made this the other day. I used 2.5 lb. chuck. Lightly floured then seared it in a few tbls. of oil. Removed and sauteed a sliced sweet onion with a few dashes of worceshire. Added chuck back in. Used two 18.5 oz. cans progresso french onion and one 10.5 oz Campbell’s beef consomme and an additional 3-4 tbl. worceshire. Brought to a boil. Transferred to 350F oven for 3 hours. Just delicious! I used more juice because it is delicious as a soup too!
Cyndie says
I am trying your way I always us Worcestershire even when I marinate my steaks. But I got a three and one Ninja in November so I’m trying it for the first time with this recipe has anybody else ever done this recipe with a 3-1 Ninja
Karly says
This recipe was created in a Ninja. It works just like any other slow cooker, so you’ll be fine.
Shirley says
What is a good provolone cheese. I have tried several and most of them are strong.
Jeannette Pyatt says
That is a good provolone cheese, lol
Gabe Ramirez says
Can I use a crock pot if I don’t have a slow cooker?
Stephanie Ford says
It’s the same thing