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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:
Rob Henry says
This turned out amazing. My family loves it and I can’t wait to make it again. So tender and full of flavor.
Karly says
Love to hear that! Thanks, Rob!
misty says
I can’t find cans of French onion soup (maybe not something we have in Canada??) I can find the powdered packages. do you suggest I add some water for some liquid, or just the powder? Can’t wait to try!
Karly says
Hi Misty! I’d probably add a couple cups of water to it but I’ve never tested it with the packets, so it may end up being more or less salty than the canned soup. 🙂
Lana says
I haven’t made this yet but it sounds really good. I would recommend, however, if you actually intend to dip it, that you use crusty french rolls. A regular bun falls apart when dipped.
Pamela Gulley says
I have fixed this recipe several times. But i freeze some of it for another meal since there’s only 2 of us. I even freeze the cheese. Tastes just as good as fresh cooked. Love it!
Karly says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Danna Faith says
I tried this on high for 4 hours because I don’t have time to do the full 8. I would not recommend it at all! It would not shred and I literally had to cut it with a carving knife. I may try it on low but this is definitely not a good recipe. It was not even edible. I was really looking forward to it too.
Karly says
Hi Danna! Nothing is wrong with the recipe, your meat was just not done yet. As it says in the recipe notes: “PLEASE NOTE: All slow cookers are different and some take longer/shorter than others. If your meat is not easily shredding after cooking, keep cooking it! It will get tender and easy to shred if it cooks long enough. If you double this recipe or use a larger roast, you will need to add cooking time as well.”
Anne says
I only could find a rump roast at king Soopers will that work?
Karly says
Yes, that should work. Just make sure you cook until it’s very tender.
Wan says
You apparently didn’t do something right because it was the absolute best
Lori Moss says
This has become one of our favorite dinners…made with 3 lbs of meet it makes three meals. our ninja has a slow cook function that does not work worth a hoot so we pressure cook the meat along with the soups for 50 mins with a 30 min natural release and it is SOOOOO good. Thank you for posting this.
Karly says
Thanks for sharing how you do it in the pressure cooker! So glad to hear it’s such a hit! 🙂
Tiffany says
I made this for dinner tonight for my very picky family. Huge hit! So much so that I was asked to make it again next week. Even my youngest who doesn’t like anything, ate 2 sandwiches! I am still shocked
Karly says
Oh, I’m so glad you found such an easy recipe that is also a hit! Yay! 🙂
Triplea186 says
First time doing French dip sammies and turned out great! Cheese wasn’t all the way melted so next time I’ll increase by a few min and I’ll spray the pan. Very flavorful meat.
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Samantha Domm says
I MAKE THIS French Dip the same way you do however while roast is cooking I add 3 packets of McCormick Au Ju mix.
My whole family loves it!
Ashley says
Is there something we can substitute the French onion soup for, our family are not onions fans, but this does sound yummy!
Karly says
We’ve only made this as directed, but you could try using just the beef consomme and season yourself. It won’t have the same flavor, but should still be somewhat similar.
Amy M says
Can the meat be frozen or do I have to thaw it for better flavor?
Karly says
I’ve only made this with fresh beef. If it’s frozen, it’ll take quite a bit longer to cook.
DG Light says
Can an instant pot be used instead of slow cooker?
Karly says
Yes, I’m sure it could, but I’m not sure on times.
Robin says
I cooked this in my instant pot tonight. I browned my two pound chuck roast on Saute approx 3 mins per side then did 45 mins high pressure and 25 mins natural release. I got those directions from another recipe specifically for instant pot. Came out great!
Karly says
Thanks for sharing, Robin!
Dee says
I have made this recipe a number of times and it comes out perfect every time. Truth be told normally I make the roast in one crock pot (I do add a little garlic and pepper personally) with the consume and fr onion soup then carrots and potatoes in a separate crock pot with a can of consume and fr onion soup and it tastes like it was all cooked together and it very flavorful as my fam isn’t as interested in the french dip sandwiches as I am, this way everyone wins 🙂
Karly says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Brittany Wolfinger says
I add Worcestershire and A1 to this to add a little more flavor. Then use the leftovers for beef and noodles. It’s AMAZING!
April says
This recipe is the absolute best!! I make it as often as possible!! Great to double it and freeze the leftovers for a super quick weeknight dinner! Only thing I do in addition is the seat the meat with a little fresh cracked black pepper, adds more flavor to an already amazing meal!! Oh also sometimes we use pepper jack for a little heat.
Thanks for this recipe
April says
Sorry sear the meat, not seat!
Manus says
Looks yummy and tasty. I want to try this today.