These easy Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches com together with just 15 minutes of hands-on time! A tender chuck roast cooks low and slow to juicy and fall-apart delicious! Pile onto a toasty bun, top with melty cheese served, and serve with a side of richly flavored au jus for the ultimate French dip experience!
For more slow cooker magic? Check out our full collection of chuck roast recipes - perfect for everything from cozy dinners to game day favorites!
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This easy crock pot french dip keeps it simple, just like our wildly popular Crock Pot Chuck Roast! Season the roast, sear the meat, pour in the liquids, and let the slow cooker do its thing. The only difference? A new blend of seasonings to give it that perfect French dip flavor.
Why this recipe is great
- Easy: Minimal effort required-just set it and forget it. When it's time to eat, toast some buns and pile it up!
- Crazy good: The rich au jus and tender meat create layers of incredible flavor.
- Economical: Uses an easy-to-find, budget-friendly cut of meat! Perfect for a slow cooker meal!
This is one of the best year-round recipes. Great when you want a warm, comforting dinner but also great in the summer when you don't want to turn on the oven but need a hearty, but easy dinner idea. It's a classic, made easy-no fuss, just delicious! It's also wonderful for serving to crowds and made its spot on our list of Game Day Recipes!
Slow Cooker French Dip Ingredients
We've perfected this recipe after years of testing different methods and ingredients. The soda might seem like an unexpected addition, but it works wonders-helping to create an incredibly tender roast while adding depth to the flavorful broth for dipping. Trust us, it makes all the difference.
- Chuck roast: This cut of beef creates the most tender and juicy final product. Look for one with even marbling. While all chuck roasts have fat pockets on them, you want to choose one that has more meat and less large pieces of fat.
- Beef broth: Go for a high quality beef broth for the best flavor.
- Beef bouillon: Our favorite is Better Than bouillon, but your favorite will add that extra punch of beefy flavor.
- Coke: Yup, like the soda pop. It adds flavor and tenderness. If you do not want to use it, substitute more beef broth, but the flavor will not be the same.
- Worcestershire sauce: That deeply flavored condiment that adds lots of umami without much effort.
- Soy sauce: Regular or low-sodium will work. This adds a depth to the au jus but also a little bit of salty flavor.
- Seasonings: Salt pepper, oregano, thyme, plus garlic and onion powder really make the meat pop.
- Rolls: We like really good crusty hoagie rolls, but your favorite will work.
- Provolone: We prefer provolone slices, but Swiss cheese or gruyere are delicious as well.
How to make french dip sandwiches
To start all you need is a skillet, a pair of tongs or meat fork, and a slow cooker.
Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, and oregano to a bowl and stir together.
No need to trim the roast unless there is a super large piece of fat. It helps flavor the meat and keep it juicy, but will be separated and discarded before eating.
Sprinkle seasonings evenly over the roast making sure to coat both sides
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil. Swirl the oil around the pan if necessary to make an even coating.
Set the roast in and allow it to sear for 4-5 minutes. Flip and do the other side. Place the roast in the crock pot.
Once the meat has been removed, Pour in the broth and bouillon stirring until all the browned bits are of the bottom of the pan.
Then carefully pour in the Coke, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue stirring until everything is combined.
Pour the pan of drippings and other liquids over the roast that is in the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. You can also cook on high for 4-5 hours.
Once it is super tender and falling apart, carefully remove from the cooker and set on a cutting board. Pull the meat away from the fat. Discard the fat and shred the meat.
Using a fine wire sieve, strain the liquid. This is the au jus that will be served with the sandwiches for dipping.
Spread butter on the hoagie rolls. Place on a cookie sheet. Broil in the oven until golden brown. Remove toasted hoagie rolls from the oven.
Assemble the crockpot french dip sandwiches by stacking the tender beef and provolone cheese on the bun. Serve the au jus sauce for dipping on the side.
Hint: Searing means the pan should be hot enough to develop a deep, rich color on the meat without burning it. Since stovetops vary, focus on achieving a golden-brown crust rather than relying on a specific heat setting.
What to serve with slow cooker french dip
- Fresh fruit
- Crispy potatoes
- Potato chips (We like kettle cooked the best!)
- Pickles
- Hot Honey Pasta Salad
- French Fries
French dip vs Italian Beef
For an in-depth look see our Italian Beef Sandwiches. In summary, a basic Italian beef is cooked with pepperoncinis and Italian seasonings while a French dip is cooked in more a beefy au jus that gets served on the side.
FAQs
Au jus is the flavorful cooking liquid served alongside a French dip sandwich. It's usually a rich beef broth that gets its deep, savory taste from the meat and seasonings as the beef slowly cooks. Great for dipping!
The best French dip has a layer of thinly sliced, tender roast beef. To get that melt-in-your-mouth texture, we love using chuck roast due to its marbling. When cooked low and slow, it turns perfectly tender and easy to bite into!.
Tips & Tricks
- Don't skip the searing step - it adds so much flavor!
- If the roast doesn't easily shred when you check it, just give it more time. It will get tender if it cooks long enough, I promise!
More slow cooker chuck roast recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches (With Chuck Roast)
Equipment
- Tongs or meat fork
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3-4 lb chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon or cube of beef bouillon
- 1 cup coke not diet
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire
- 6 hoagie rolls
- 3-6 tablespoon butter soft (for toasting buns)
- 6 slices of provolone cheese
Instructions
- Combine the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Coat the roast in oil, then sprinkle evenly with the spices.1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, 3-4 lb chuck roast, 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- Heat a large 12 inch skillet over high heat. Once hot, sear the roast for 4-5 minutes on each side. Place the roast in a 6 qt slow cooker.
- Add the broth and bouillon to the hot skillet and simmer for 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits. Remove from the heat and add the coke, soy sauce, and worcestershire. Pour the liquids into the Crock Pot on top of the roast.2 cups beef broth, 1 teaspoon or cube of beef bouillon, 1 cup coke, ⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon worcestershire
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.5-5 hours. Once it is fall-apart tender, remove the roast from the post. Remove any large chunks of fat and discard them. Strain the remaining liquids and set aside; this will become your dipping sauce.
- Spread the hoagie rolls with butter. Broil until golden brown.6 hoagie rolls, 3-6 tablespoon butter
- Assemble the sandwiches with the shredded beef and provolone cheese. Broil the cheese again if desired. Serve with au jus (remaining cooking liquids).6 slices of provolone cheese
Notes
- Don't skip the searing step - it adds so much flavor!
- If the roast doesn't easily shred when you check it, just give it more time. It will get tender if it cooks long enough, I promise!
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Danielle says
This recipe is super easy to throw together and so yummy!