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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:
Jim says
What is the best buns to use?
Karly says
I like softer sandwich rolls, but a crusty French bread is probably more traditional.
Jean M F says
Not sure if all jimmmy johns does this, but at the end of their day they sell their day old ft. long buns for .50 each. They are still very good buns.
Angela says
Has anyone done this with a frozen chuck roast? How much longer does it need to go in and will it still turn out?
Julia says
French dip sandwiches are my favorite! Just like Vinnie, I am trying this today, so I will report back tonight with my review.
Vinnie says
Trying this today. Will report back in 8 hours with a verdict
Vinnie says
Well the verdict is thumbs up. It was devoured in one sitting with only 4 people eating. I did , however, add worchestshire sauce whenalong the sauce which made it the best ever au jus my gf has ever had. Even better than the ones in the restaurant. So make sure you add worchestshire sauce or your sauce will be very bland.
kim dawson says
about how much did you add
Susan says
How much Worcestershire sauce is added? When is it added? Did you reduce the sauce?
Jena says
Hi Vinnie,
How much did you add?
Thanks!
Jena
Jo Ann Ray says
Making this recipe for the second time. It was delicious first time around. I just reread the recipe and realized that I did not reduce the juices before dipping. Was still a big hit. Taking some over to my mom today for dinner. An easy meal to make and enjoy any time of the year!
Debby says
Does anyone know the weight watchers points plus value?
Sandy Calleo says
I’ve made this before with just one can of French onion soup, 1 beef consommé & 1 Cambells beef broth. Going to have to try it this way with the 2 cans of French onion soup. One thing I would recommend is to marinate the chuck roast overnight in the liquid then dump it in the crockpot in the morning. The flavor really gets into the meat. I also season the roast with 2 tbsp garlic powder & ground pepper to taste. I also add 2 bay leaves to the crockpot.
Valerie says
I’m allergic to onion. What can I substitute the french onion soup with to still have a hearty flavor?
Karly says
This recipe relies pretty heavily on the onion soup. You could try adding in seasoned salt and Worcestershire for a different flavor.
Jane S. says
How can. Print the recipe?
Karly says
There is a print button in the recipe card, underneath the small thumbnail image.
Barbara says
Can u cook this is an oven and not a crock pot?? What temp and how long if u can?? Thanks
Karly says
I would probably cook it at around 275 for about 3 hours. You’ll just want to cook it until it’s tender and easily shreds.
Kelaey says
I didn’t see any beef consomme at the store, will beef broth be okay? How much should I put!? Please help I’m making it tomorrow
Kelsey says
I saw up there that it is okay to use beef broth instead, thanks! Any thing else I could do for flavor!?
Karly says
You’ve probably already made it by now, but I’d add in a little Worcestershire sauce if you wanted extra flavor.
Tammy says
Could you put a Tri-Tip in the Crockpot?
Karly says
I haven’t tried putting tri-tip in the slow cooker, so I can’t say for sure.
Staci says
I made this the other night but seared the roast first on the stove with a little bit of flour only takes a few minutes. I also substituted one of the cans of French onion for a can of beefy mushroom (basically the same soup but with mushrooms). I toasted my rolls in the oven with the provalone. This makes them hold up to the juice and not be so soggy. I strained the meat from the juice so all the onions and mushrooms would be with the meat and the juice is seperate. I use a fat seperator to get all the fat off but you could just use the ice method. I also sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms in the pan that I seared the roast in and put them on top of the meat. My family loved it and this will definitely go in our rotation.
Kerri says
Mine is in the crock pot now!!! Excited to see what it’s like and feed my husband before he heads to work tonight!!
Kelli says
I have a 5 lb roast for our bigger family. How many cans of soup and consomme would you use?
Karly says
I’d probably add an extra can of French Onion.