Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

My slow cooker French dip sandwiches are restaurant-quality but made at home from scratch! They’re one of my husband’s favorite meals; he craves them often! I love slow cooking these beef sandwiches low and slow all day during football season, throughout winter, and on Sundays. It’s a comfort meal that takes little effort. I hope you love them as much as we do!

This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to create content for Plum Branch Home. Recipes, blog posts, photos, videos, social media content: everything is made from scratch by me, Molly LaFontaine. After developing my recipes, they’re tested 2x by my husband, Tyler, and I before publishing. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!

When these French dip sandwiches are cooking in the slow cooker, the scent wafts through the house, making everyone hungry. My husband always has a hard time waiting for them to finish cooking because the smell makes him so hungry, haha!

Inspiration Behind My Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

During the fall each year, I like to come up with new recipes that are cozy, homey, and comforting. These types of recipes are always perfect for football season and cold nights during winter.

When I was brainstorming recipe ideas this year, I wanted to create a sandwich that could cook low and slow all day. I wanted it to be savory and cheesy and taste like you got it at a restaurant.

My mom used to make au jus beef once in a while when I was growing up, and I always loved how savory that meal was. So, I combined all of those things into a slow cooker French dip sandwich!

Little did I know it would become one of my husband’s favorite meals! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe. I hope you’ll love it just as much as we do!

Why We Love These Sandwiches and Think You Will Too!

• No-Fuss Process: The steps are simple; no overcomplicating things here.
• Little Hands on Time: It only takes 8 minutes, if that, to place everything in the slow cooker!
• Makes the House Smell Amazing: Your house will smell amazing while cooking this beef.
• Perfect for Game Day: These sandwiches make a great game day meal.
• The Best Cozy Winter Meal: It’s a cozy, homey meal perfect for cold winter nights and snow days.
• Restaurant Quality: You’ll take one bite and think it came from a restaurant!
• Made from Scratch: This recipe is made from scratch; no pre-made au jus here! Just a little beef broth, but you can make that at home if you prefer.

My Favorite French Bread for this Recipe

I make my homemade sourdough French bread to serve these sandwiches. The recipe is so simple and easy to make. It brings these sandwiches to a different level of flavor! I mean, who doesn’t love fresh bread?!

My Tips for Making the Best French Dip Sandwiches in a Slow Cooker

1. Get a good-quality roast from a local butcher if you can! It makes such a difference.
2. Use organic beef broth for the best flavor and fewer additives.
3. Don’t skip mixing the au jus broth in a bowl before placing it in the slow cooker.
4. Don’t use less salt; the meat is 2-3 pounds, so it needs a good amount.
5. Use a hand mixer to easily shred the beef after cooking!

Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements.

• beef roast: I like to use a chuck or sirloin tip roast
• yellow onion: you could also use a white onion instead
• melted butter: salted or unsalted butter works for this recipe
• beef broth: you can also use beef stock, salted is okay
• sea salt: this is my favorite wholesome salt option
• ground black pepper: this adds lots of flavor 
• onion powder: make sure it’s salt-free
• garlic powder: make sure it’s salt-free 
• balsamic vinegar: I like to use the budget-friendly Pompeian brand from Walmart but you can use any
• french bread: you can use any but I like to make homemade sourdough french bread
• provolone cheese slices: you could also use Swiss cheese slices if you prefer

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.

• Nontoxic slow cooker
• Mixing bowl
• Metal tongs

How to Make Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.

Dice onion into small chunks and add to the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add beef roast into slow cooker on top of onions.

In a bowl whisk together melted butter, beef broth, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and balsamic vinegar.

Pour into slow cooker over the roast and cover with a lid.

Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or on HIGH for 5-6 hours. Don’t open the lid during this cook time.

When finished cooking, shred beef while it’s still in the slow cooker. Do this with forks or an electric hand mixer.

Place shredded beef back into the slow cooker full of au jus. Let beef sit in the au jus, covered with the lid, for 10 minutes to moisten and become full of flavor or until you’re ready to serve.

Use a ladle to get au jus served in small bowls for dipping. Set aside for now.

Slice French bread into smaller rolls then slice each one 3/4 of the way through, horizontally, so it can hold the meat. Place shredded beef inside and a slice of provolone cheese.

Serve sandwiches on a plate with bowls of au jus for dipping. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial

What to Serve with French Dip Sandwiches

You can enjoy these sandwiches by themselves, like we usually do. Or you can serve them with a side dish like these:

• Old Fashioned Cucumber and Onion Salad (no sugar added!)
• The Best Bacon Cheese Grits
• Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole From Scratch
• Old-Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese
• Easy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad From Scratch

Refrigerating Leftover French Dip Beef

You can place French dip beef and au jus together in an airtight container, preferably glass, for 2-3 days in the fridge along with the cheese. The bread can be stored in the pantry in an airtight container for the same length of time. 

Freezing Leftover French Dip Beef (My Preferred Storage Method)

I only store leftover meat in the freezer. I don’t like the taste of cooked meat when stored in the fridge, even overnight. 

By doing this, I’ve found freezing cooked meats preserves the flavor from the day you made it! Making the leftovers just as good, if not better, a few days or even a month later! 

So, to store leftover meat in the freezer, place meat and au jus together in a glass freezer-safe container. The meat will last 1-3 months frozen.

You can also freeze the bread and cheese in separate freezer-safe containers for 1-3 months.

Thawing Instructions

You simply place the frozen meat, and any bread or cheese, in the fridge overnight to thaw. Or what I like to do is use a freezer-safe, oven-safe glass bowl for storage so I can place the frozen meat straight from the freezer into the oven.

But to do this, it’s very important that the oven is turned off when you put the dish in. Otherwise, it will crack and shatter!

My Favorite Way to Reheat These Leftovers

You can warm leftover French dip by placing the meat in the oven at 400 degrees and baking until warm. To reheat the bread, toss it in the oven for just a few minutes. I don’t recommend using the microwave. It zaps all the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Slow Cooker Recipes To Try

If you’re looking for more easy slow cooker recipes made from scratch, try a few of these:

• Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Stock (Better Than Store-Bought!)
• Slow Cooker Walking Taco Casserole (with better ingredients!)
• Slow Cooker Southern Chuck Roast with Potatoes
• Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes (Slow Cooker Recipe)
• Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

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