French Dip Sandwiches
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French Dip Sandwiches are a delicious and easy dinner when you are busy! The roast beef is slow cooked all day in your crock pot so it’s falling apart tender when you pile it high in your toasted hoagie roll with melted provolone cheese. Don’t forget to dunk it in the salty au jus to finish it off.
These sandwiches can also be made in the instant pot using this method! Serve it with roasted vegetables or lemon asparagus to finish off this quick and easy meal using your crock pot!

I decided to introduce you to this Crockpot French Dip Sandwich! Everyone seems to love my Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich and they are easy to make in the slow cooker too!
Personally, I’m such a sucker for that toasted hoagie bun that I’ll take these any day of the week. These are the kinds of sandwiches I used to order in restaurants but now we make them at home. My Tuna Melt and Monte Cristo Sandwich are other favorites we like to make, too!
Why this Recipe Works!
- What’s not to love about a buttered and toasted bun piled high with fall-apart tender roast beef and that melted Provolone cheese?
- The roast slow cooks all day until it’s fall apart tender. All you need to do is assemble the sandwich for an easy dinner.
- It’s make ahead friendly, plus freezer friendly so you can serve it whenever you’d like!

Ingredients Needed
- Roast – We recommend a chuck roast or bottom round beef roast.
- Seasoning – Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
- Olive oil – You will use this to sear the roast, but you could also use butter for this.
- Dry au jus mix – It comes in a packet so easy to grab and keep in the pantry!
- Beer – If you don’t want to use alcohol substitute chicken or beef broth.
- Butter – Grab salted butter for this recipe.
- Provolone cheese – This our favorite cheese for this sandwich, but you can use any type you’d like.
- Hoagie rolls – Any type of hearty roll will work!
- Freshly chopped parsley – Optional garnish
Steps to Prepare French Dip Sandwiches
- Prep – The first thing you want to do is remove you roast from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. After that you will season it with salt, pepper and onion powder.
- Sear – To sear it add your olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once that is hot place roast in the skillet and sear on all sides.
- Slow Cook – Remove the roast from the skillet and place it in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the Au Jus seasoning over the roast, then pour beer over it. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred Meat – When the 8 hour cooking time is up you will want to transfer the meat to a plate and shred it. It’s usually so tender it just falls apart!
- Make Sandwiches – Next, set your oven to broil and put the hoagie rolls on a baking sheet. Mix the butter and garlic powder together in small bowl and brush overs rolls. Then broil the roast on low heat until just golden brown. Remove from oven and pile with shredded meat and top with cheese. Return to broil until cheese is melted. Top sandwiches with fresh parsley if desired.
- Make Au Jus – Strain the liquid left in the crock pot with fine mesh strainer and serve with sandwiches for dipping!
Do I need to Sear the Roast?
It’s not a must, but we highly recommend taking the time to do this step. It creates a nice crust on the roast and gives it so much more flavor!
Tips for Making Au Jus
Super simple! It’s actually the liquid left in the crock pot from cooking the roast.
I highly recommend getting a fine mesh strainer and straining the liquid to get any pieces of out of it. Just place the strainer over a bowl and pour the liquid through the strainer and the bowl under it will collect the juice!
Then I serve it in my favorite Ramekin dishes so it’s easy to dip your sandwich in!
Make Ahead Tips!
This is a great recipe to make ahead of time if you are hosting a party, prepping dinners or lunches.
Simply slow cook the roast beef in the crock pot then cool and place in an airtight container with juices and refrigerator.
To reheat warm in crock pot 1-2 hours then serve according to recipe directions.
Ideas for Leftover Roast!
Here are a few quick ideas to use up leftover roast beef if you have it left! Of course, you can always make
You can make a quick Minute Steak Sandwich by frying thin slices of your roast beef in a skillet then putting them on top of a baguette. Top that with sauteed onions and cheese then toast it under the broiler.
Another great idea is making a Sloppy Joe twist on it. Simply chop up the roast beef. Then simmer with chopped onions, garlic, tomato sauce and light brown sugar to make a sloppy joe. Pile it on top of a sandwich bun!
Personally, I’m really boring and I love it cold, piled with ketchup on a bun. It’s one of those comfort foods I remember from childhood!
Storage Tips
Cool cooked roast and place it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. We recommend storing it in the leftover juices for extra moisture and flavor.
Leftovers will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze leftovers let the beef cool completely, transfer juices and meat to a heavy-duty freezer bag, squeeze out the extra air and seal. Label and freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat use the slow cooker, stove top or microwave.
- Crockpot – Place leftover juice and meat into slow cooker and heat on low 1-2 hours or until warmed through.
- Stove Top– Heat a Dutch oven with meat and juice in it on medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed through.
- Microwave – Place juice and meat in a microwave safe dish. Microwave 60 seconds, stir and continue to microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through.

Easy Side Dishes to serve with your French Dip Sandwich!
- Love ranch? Combine ranch seasoning, cheese and bacon to make these amazing Crack Potatoes!
- You can never go wrong with our easy Roasted Vegetables that are so easy to make and versatile with whatever vegetables you have in the house.
- Grab your Air Fryer and make these seasoned Sweet Potato Fries!
Try it and love it? Rate it, please! Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day!
If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

French Dip Sandwich
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb chuck roast or bottom round beef roast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1.25 oz pkg dry au jus mix
- 12 oz beer
- 3 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 8 hoagie rolls
- 1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Let roast rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before searing.
- Season roast with salt, pepper and onion powder.
- Add olive oil to skillet and medium heat. Sear roast on all sides in skillet.
- Place roast in Crock Pot. Sprinkle the Au jus packet over the roast, then pour beer over the roast. Close lid and set to cook on low for 8 hours.
- After cooking time is done remove lid and transfer meat to serving plate, shred meat.
- Set oven to broil and place sandwich rolls on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl combine butter and garlic powder. Brush over rolls and broil under low heat for 3-4 minutes, just until golden brown.
- Pile meat onto rolls and top with cheese. Return to broiler and heat just until cheese has started to melt.
- Top sandwiches with freshly chopped parsley.
- Strain liquid left in crock pot with a fine mesh strainer. Serve strained Au jus with sandwiches for dipping.
Connee says
Directions say place roast under the broiler, shouldn’t it be rolls, not roast?
Julie Evink says
I’m not sure where you are seeing that? Step 8: Pile meat onto rolls and top with cheese. Return to broiler and heat just until cheese has started to melt.
Katy says
This is a fabulous recipe, and so easy. I used the bottom round steak, because I prefer to slice the meat, rather than shred. It ended up about 75% sliced and 25% shredded, which was perfect because the shreds filled up all the bare spots that the slices left. I used a dark beer, and it was really good, but I think I will try slightly lighter next time.
Also, I have never found a good hoagie roll around where I live, so I went looking for a recipe. Found this one and it looked promising. https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2012/07/02/super-soft-n-chewy-hoagie-rolls/
They are really soft, which worried me (though they’d be fantastic for sandwiches that you’re not going to dip!), but once I gave them your garlic butter and broil treatment, they were perfect. I also opened them up and did the garlic butter broil on the inside before adding the meat and cheese. So good! Thanks! My husband loves French dips but I have never made them before. I wish I had known how easy it could be!
Julie Evink says
Awesome tips and tricks Katy! Thanks for commenting and rating the recipe!
Lisa Lee says
Julie, just a FYI that the experts don’t recommend reheating in the crock pot. It doesn’t get hot enough to kill the bacteria.
Margaret says
What can I use instead of beer? Chicken or beef broth?
Malinda Linnebur says
I am a sucker for that crusty hoagie bun as well! Absolutely LOVE french dip sandwiches!!
Julie Evink says
They make the recipe!
Cherene says
What is kind of beer would you suggest?
Julie Evink says
We just used a light beer 🙂 I’m sure a darker beer would give it a richer taste, but that’s what we had on hand!
Jacquelyn Hastert says
These are a hit at our house and I love how easy they are to make. Seriously, just throw in the slow cooker and I come home to a house that smells amazing and dinner is almost complete.
Julie Evink says
Love quick and easy meals like this!
Shiho says
We are already so busy this week and had this sandwich for dinner last night. It was delicious and easy to make! Thank you for easy to follow instructions 😀
Julie Evink says
You’re welcome!
Nellie Tracy says
Without a doubt, this is one of my very favoriten recipes!
Julie Evink says
Ours too! Always a great classic!
Sandi says
This is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. I love the step by step directions.
Julie Evink says
We love it too!
Ann Vipond says
I made this for supper tonight and it was delicious!! Great meal and my 3 guys will devour it when they get in from farming! Love the crockpot meal. You can be outside all day working and come it to a meal practically complete!
Julie Evink says
I have no doubt those guys enjoyed it too! Thanks for commenting and rating Ann!!
Danielle Green says
This sounds so much better than going out and ordering one at a restaurant. Homemade always beats bought! Yum.
Julie Evink says
It sure does!