Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

Crock Pot French dip sandwiches are as close as I can get to a free dinner and I LOVE that these take almost no effort on my part!

First I sear a chuck roast and add that to my Crock along with 2 kinds of canned soup and just leave it alone all day. The meat will shred really easily with a fork and the juices it cooks in will serve as the au jus for dipping.

Lay your shredded beef on some hoagie rolls, add some provolone, broil, and eat your heart out!

My family devours these and these sandwiches are a monthly dinner in our house! I love recipes like this where my efforts are minimal, but the return is great!

Why This Recipe Works

Shortcut-by-shortcut breakdown: chuck roast is perfect for this recipe because its fat content and connective tissues break down over the course of several hours of cooking time to give you the juiciest, most tender roast (instead of dry!).

We use the beef consommé AND the condensed French onion soup straight out of the can (no water here folks) which gives us the stock element as well as great beef flavor and a hint of onion.

We’ve made French dip sandwiches with a from-scratch au jus and using this method, and honestly can’t taste a difference. BUT it is much less work to use the canned soups.

The soups also mean there is no added seasoning in this recipe because you really don’t need any since the flavor is all there!

The Ingredients, One at a Time

Chuck roast

Use a 3-lb. chuck roast. It comes from the shoulder area of the animal and is a great cut of meat. Whenever something needs to be braised or slow cooked for an extended period of time chuck is my first choice.

The fat and connective tissue slowly melts over the hours of cooking in the crock pot, making it easy to shred and keeping it moist.

Please do not try and use a leaner cut (round/sirloin etc.), after 8 hours in the crock it will be very dry and stringy.

French onion soup

2 cans condensed french onion soup, do not drain or dilute. This provides the onion flavor and most of the volume of the au jus.

Do not add water to “stretch”. Diluted soup results in a watery dipping sauce.

Beef consommé

1 can beef consommé (undrained, undiluted). I swear this is my secret weapon for this recipe!

Consommé is a clarified beef broth, which is a really concentrated type of broth. It adds the flavor of having this au jus come from a restaurant kitchen rather than a can.

Hoagie rolls

You’ll need 6 hoagie rolls, one for each sandwich. For French dip sandwiches you have to choose a bread that’s sturdier than a typical burger bun but still not so tough that it’ll scrape up the inside of your mouth when you’re dunking it into your au jus.

Hoagie rolls work great here, as do slices of French bread.

Provolone cheese

12 slices, or 2 for each sandwich. Provolone melts well and is mild enough that it won’t overpower the beef.

My only advice: have the slices cut at the deli rather than buying the pre-packaged ones. The deli-cut provolone melts so much better, and you’ll get a much better cheese pull.

If you don’t have provolone on hand, Swiss will also work.

Vegetable oil

You’ll also need a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil for searing the roast.

What You’ll Need

No special equipment necessary.

• You’ll need a large skillet for searing the roast.
• A large (6 quart) slow cooker that will fit the roast (a 3 pounder will fit fine) with the soup.
• Two forks for shredding.
• A strainer for straining out any errant onion or meat bits when you drain off the cooking liquid.
• A 2 quart saucepan (for reducing the au jus).
• A baking sheet for broiling the sandwiches.

How to Make Crock Pot French Dip

Step 1: Sear the roast

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chuck roast and sear on all sides, 3-4 minutes each side, until well browned.

Don’t skip this step. It’s one more pan to clean, but that nicely browned crust gives an extra layer of flavor to your beef as well as the au jus.

Step 2: Into the slow cooker

Transfer seared roast to a 6 quart slow cooker and add the french onion soup and beef consomme straight from the cans (no need to drain either, and no need to add any water either).

Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until roast is very fork tender, and should fall apart at the mere tug of two forks.

(If you can go low and slow, that’s what you’ll want to do for the deepest flavor and most tender meat possible.)

Step 3: Shred the beef

Remove the meat from the pot and transfer it to a large bowl. Pick through it and pull off and discard any large pieces of fat. Shred the beef with two forks.

Step 4: Reduce the au jus

Strain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Don’t skimp on this step. Before reduction, the liquid looks very watery and has a rather bland flavor. After reduction, the liquid is rich and luscious and tastes much more complex and savory.

Step 5: Build and broil

Preheat your oven to broil on low. Place the shredded beef on top of the hoagie buns and then lay 2 slices of provolone over each sandwich.

Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges.

Stay nearby so you don’t burn them. It can take 30 seconds or less to turn them from perfectly melted to burnt. Serve immediately with warm au jus for dipping.

Tips for the Best French Dip

• Choose chuck roast — this will make a huge difference in whether or not your meat will be dry or juicy.
• Brown your meat — searing your meat for a few minutes will greatly enhance the flavor.
• Never water down canned/prepared soups. Your au jus has to be concentrated to have any flavor!
• Reduce the au jus — by simmering the au jus until it’s half of what it originally was, you’ll transform a runny, flavorless substance into a luscious dipping sauce.
• I highly recommend using a 2 quart stainless steel sauce pan which will help the au jus to reduce quickly and evenly. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Watch the cheese — cheese will brown quickly and you don’t want to over broil it!

Mistakes to Avoid

When making beef sandwiches don’t skimp on these items…

• Use Chuck roast (not Round or Sirloin which will cook up very dry and stringy after being in the slow-cooker so long.)
• Don’t add water to thin the canned soup (this will only thin out your au jus)
• Take time to pull out most of the large pieces of fat from the beef when shredding (or you will be chewing on some pretty chewy sandwiches!)
• Don’t serve the cooking liquid right from the slow-cooker, (it’s pretty bland and runny… allow to simmer 10-15 minutes on the stove to concentrate the flavors)
• Don’t walk away from your sandwich while the cheese is broiling… (it will brown in a heartbeat… stand over it till perfect!)

What to Serve With French Dip

What to serve with these? Hands down french fries! My family loves them with the sandwiches. Makes for quite the steak sandwich night dinner!

I like them with a green salad or even coleslaw (something crisp and cool goes nicely with the richness of beef and cheese) too. If I’m too lazy for fries, potato chips work too!

Tip: If you’re serving a lot of people, consider serving the au jus in a number of small bowls so everyone has access.

Ways to Change It Up

Other Options: I always make this recipe as stated, but Swiss is good as well. Pepper jack or mozzarella might be interesting options. I haven’t tried these.

To make this heartier you could always cook some mushrooms and onions with the beef to make the au jus. If you use a low sodium soup that will cut down on the salt a bit too.

I think any bread could be used in this recipe…maybe even French bread or a baguette? I bet little slider type buns might be really cute for mini sandwiches.

If you don’t have a broiler an option would be to pile the cheese on the beef and microwave to melt the cheese.

A Lighter Version

If you’d like to lighten it up a bit, trim away any visible fat from the chuck before searing it. Then use just one slice of provolone, and make the sandwich open-faced on one-half of the roll.

Most of the sodium content comes from the au jus; if you need to be mindful of your salt intake, dip sparingly and choose low-sodium soups.

Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating

For a party (or even game day), we recommend transferring the beef and enough of the au jus to keep it moist to a slow cooker and setting on warm so everyone can build their own sandwiches at the table.

To store: Store shredded beef and au jus in separate, airtight containers. Will keep in fridge up to 4 days.

To reheat: Reheat beef on stovetop or in microwave (adding a little au jus so meat will not dry out) until heated through and reheat au jus separately until hot.

To freeze: Freeze shredded beef and au jus in separate containers up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight before reheating.

What to Do With Leftover Beef

Leftovers reheat great. So the simplest solution is to make another batch of French dips. If you’re looking for something other than that:

• Tacos, burritos.
• Dice/slice onto a salad.
• Egg noodles cooked in the au jus with the beef added to the pot, topped with plenty of provolone.
• Spooned over baked potatoes.
• On top of mashed potatoes with the au jus used as the gravy.

French Dip FAQ

Why chuck roast?

Chuck roast has a higher fat and connective tissue content which will melt away during cooking, making a more juicy and tender roast. If you try to make this recipe with a leaner cut (i.e. round roast, sirloin, etc.), you will likely end up with dry, stringy meat.

Can I skip the searing/browning step?

While not absolutely necessary, I do recommend searing/browning your meat. Yes, it’s one more pan to wash, but the results are totally worth it! The browning process creates a crust on the outside of the meat which gives the meat and au jus a richer flavor.

How do I make good au jus?

Au jus literally translated means, “with juice.” In this recipe the au jus is a combination of the canned soups mixed with beef juices from cooking the roast. Simmer this on the stovetop to reduce into au jus. Don’t add water to the soups and make sure to simmer the au jus long enough on the stovetop (reducing by half). Follow those two rules and you’ll have perfectly tasty au jus to compliment your sandwiches!

How many sandwiches will this recipe make?

The 3-lb chuck roast will make 6 hoagie-sized sandwiches, with 2 slices of provolone per sandwich.

How is this different than a cheesesteak?

The Philly cheesesteak is made from thinly sliced pieces of grilled rib eye steak and grilled onions cooked on a griddle, cheese, and served on a roll. No dipping juice. In a French Dip sandwich thinly sliced or shredded beef (from a roast) is served on a soft roll. Dipping juice aka au jus!

Is it hard to recreate these at home?

Not at all! Arguably easier than attempting to recreate a cheesesteak since everything is done in the slow cooker!

How long should I cook this recipe?

You can cook this recipe for 4 hours on the HIGH setting OR 8-10 hours on LOW. You will find the flavor and tenderness will be better if cooked on the low setting.

Any serving ideas for parties?

Shred the beef with two forks and leave it sitting in some of the au jus (not all of it). Keep on WARM setting to keep meat warm and let guests fix their own sandwiches!