This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy
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:
Jennifer says
Does it taste salty?
Karly says
The soup is the only seasoning for 3-4 pounds of meat. I don’t find it too salty at all.
Jen says
Yes, it was good.
Kascy DuBoise says
I can rarely get my two teenage girls to eat dinner, i made a small roast for these sandwiches thinking i wouldnt need alot. They both ate ine AND fought over who got the last bit for the next day. It was delicious and i have already had requests from both girls to make it again soon. Thank you for sharing.
Karly says
Awesome!!
Marine says
I made these last and and they were awesome!
Chris says
The wife is making it for me tomorrow night after my 12 hour work day at the hospital. Can’t wait to try it out!!
Malissa Wilson says
Love this recipe! I had always used broth before, the consomme makes such a difference!
I’m a “big flavor” kind of gal, though, so I added a few things:
3-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Pepper
Sprinkling of dry rosemary
Garlic
Thank you so very much for all your amazing recipes!
I live with 3 boys; this is one meal that never ever gets a complaint!
becky gilmore says
I thought it needed more flavor too….added pkg of dry onion soup mix and some merlot (about 1/4 cup). Thought was bland with just above ingredients
Julie says
What a waste of money. This was totally tasteless; no seasoning at all.
FUCHESS says
I hope you get this, because I wanted a little more flavor as well. All I did was remove the liquid for dipping but left a little in and added seasonings to the meat, stirred and wella, the best French dip sammies ever! Loved the dipping sauce too! Your taste issues could so easily be fixed! I will use this recipe over and over and over and…..
Val Christy says
I was wondering about all the sodium in condensed soups. Plus, cooking more to reduce it….isn’t the jus pretty salty?
Karly says
I don’t find it too salty. It’s seasoning 3-4 pounds of meat.
Teri Martin says
Just made this for dinner and it was sooooo good. Hubby kept saying how good it was . Thanks for a great and easy recipe!!!
Marissa says
I made this dish tonight and it was a huge hit! I will be making this again!
Karly says
Glad to hear that! 🙂
Susan Klein says
My husband thought he’d died and gone to heaven. I used a filet and dry onion soup with half the directed water on soup packet. You’ve created a monster. 😉
Jen says
We have our own meat cause we raise cows. Can you use the meat frozen? I usually forget to defrost the meat the night before for a crock pot recipe. And if it’s frozen should I just have it on high all day and turn it down the last few hours?
Karly says
You could use frozen, but it will affect the cook time so just keep cooking until it shreds easily.
Debbie says
How about in pressure cooker?
Karly says
You could make it in a pressure cooker!
Teri Martin says
Hi is that a boneless chuck roast?
Karly says
Yes.
Jacqueline says
Are we talking pot roast or English cut?
Rknight says
Found this recipe on facebook over the weekend and thought we would try it. Made it last night and it is absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing this recipe, it will become a staple in our house!