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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:
Ruth Cobb says
We make a regular pot roast with French Onion soup, beef stock a little worcestershire, a bit of wine. We serve it for dinner and use the leftovers for French dips and /or veggie soup. Love French dips
Vanessa Rodgers says
Ive made this recipe 4 times and it came out perfect. The meat was tender. This time the meat is very tough not tender at all. The only thing I did different was I added a little over a cup of water to have more juice, and I used a chuck pot roast which looked like a big steak (it said beef chuck roast so i think its the same meat). If anyone knows anything about this problem, or what i did wrong please tell me I dont want to have this issue again. Thank you so much for this recipe me and my family loves it!
Karly says
Hi Vanessa! Sounds like it just needed more time in the slow cooker. Keep cooking until it’s tender and falls apart. 🙂
Jamie Smith says
When I first found this recipe, I was disappointed in how many comments involved questions readers had. I wanted to read REVIEWS. A lot of the “reviews” were people reviewing their own versions of the recipe after completely changing it … well, today I made this recipe. No changes. I made it exactly as written. All in all, the meat was good and flavorful, but the au jus was incredibly oily. When dipping the sandwich, it only picks up the fatty oil that accumulated from the meat cooking. The meat was good but the sauce needs some work. I still would give it 4 stars, but I think I will stick to my current au jus recipe.
Jen says
First not any packaged sliced provolone, too thick. Go to the deli get the mild and have it sliced super thin, like one notch from shredded, then it is perfect.
Jeanette Burton says
This recipe is one of our go-tos. It’s the easiest thing in the world to prepare. I mean, come on. Open some cans, throw the roast in. And Voila, delicious dinner. Everyone loves it. Thanks for a great, easy recipe.
Joe says
3.5 out of 5 is my rating.
Joe says
I would suggest trimming as much fat off the roast as possible. Also skimming the au jus. It was very greasy. Lacked flavor, needs balsamic vinegar added.
julie says
i was going to use a rump roast since that is what I have in my freezer. Would that be ok?
Karly says
That should work fine. 🙂
Rachel says
I did 4 hours on high and it’s not tender enough to shred. You might want to adjust the directions a bit.
Karly says
Hi Rachel! Sorry you had problems with it not cooking fast enough. As I stated in the recipe, all slow cookers are different and some will cook faster/slower than others.
Tara says
I wonder how long it would take in instant pot and would I use all the juice? Found you the other day. Love your recipes! Cooked the meatloaf yesterday. Was a hit!
Karly says
I would do it at 75 minutes, high pressure, natural release. I would keep all the liquid the same. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the meatloaf!
Kara says
I forgot provolone! I have cheddar and mozzarella. Which one will be better?
Karly says
I think either will be fine, but I’d probably choose mozzarella. 🙂
Shalen Larsen says
This is my go to recipe and my family loves it!! Wondering if you have ever froze the leftovers? We made too big of a roast and now I have enough for a full meal 🙂
Karly says
I haven’t myself, but I imagine it would freeze great!
Connie says
I have, and it freezes/thaws/reheats beautifully!
Cheryl Beard says
I am making this in my oven tonight. I don’t have all the ingredients but I’m sure I can find something like what you used. When I made this before, I never boiled the juice, but this time I will!!!! I can’t wait to make this!!!
Candice Byle says
The sodium content listed in the nutrition facts…Is that correct? 9475 mg of sodium? Please, tell me that is a misprint…
Karly says
Hi Candice! It was listing amounts for the full recipe rather than for a serving. The nutrition information is there as a courtesy, but I can’t guarantee it to be accurate. The actual nutrition information will vary based on the exact products you use in your kitchen and I recommend calculating your own if this is important to you.
Cheryl Chalfant says
Just made the French dip sandwiches using your slow cooker recipe. It took 5 hours on high until the meat was tender enough to just use a fork to separate. They were loved by everyone! Thank you!
Karly says
Glad it was a hit!