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Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches are so easy to make, and they’re always a family favorite. Packed with flavorful beef and gooey provolone, these homemade sandwiches will be making their way onto your weekly meal plan rotation!

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

I have made versions of this Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich for years. Sometimes I’ve added pepperoncini to them, sometimes a brown gravy, sometimes BBQ sauce… but I always come back to the classic. These sandwiches are basically everything you love about French Onion Soup in a messy, delicious sandwich with buttered, toasted bread and loads of cheese. Not only are they irresistible, but they are insanely easy to make. You just dump your ingredients in your slow cooker and in a few hours you’re all set to eat.

What is a French Dip Sandwich?

A French dip sandwich is a hot, toasted sandwich of thinly-sliced beef and melted cheese. The sandwich is then dipped in the flavorful ‘au jus’ sauce, usually made up of pan juices, but found in the slow cooker in this case.

Plate of French dip sandwiches.

What You’ll Need

What goes into this slow cooker sandwich? Gather up these ingredients to start:

  • Beef: Use a 3-4 pound chuck roast, with the excess fat trimmed.
  • Seasoning: 1 packet Onion Soup Mix, garlic powder, and steak seasoning (such as Montreal).
  • Onion: You’ll need 1 large yellow onion, sliced.
  • Broth: Beef broth is best here, of course, because you are working with beef.
  • Bottle Beer: Use a 12 ounce bottle.
  • Butter: Salted or unsalted, sliced.
  • Bread: You’ll need 12 rolls – a couple of French baguettes will also work.
  • Cheese: 24 slices of Provolone or Gruyere cheese.
Ingredients for slow cooker French dip sandwiches.

What Kind of Meat to Use

I like to use a beef chuck roast. Once it is mostly cooked through, I slice it, and then let it finish cooking pre-sliced for the sandwiches. A rump roast will also work well.

What Kind of Bread to Use

I tend to use a French baguette or hoagie rolls, but really you just want to use any kind of bread that is fairly sturdy (so you can dip it).

A provolone and beef sandwich.

How to Make French Dip Sandwiches

Making French dip sandwiches isn’t much more difficult than building your regular deli meat sandwiches. First you season and cook the meat in the slow cooker, then you prepare the bread and cheese, and lastly, you put everything together.

Place the Meat in Your Large Slow Cooker: Sprinkle onion soup mix, garlic powder, and steak seasoning on top. Add in onions and pour the broth and beer on top. Add butter and cover. Cook on high for 4- 5 hours.

Slice the Meat: Remove the meat from the slow cooker and slice on the diagonal. Return to the slow cooker and allow to cook for one more hour.

Sliced beef in a slow cooker.

Preheat Oven to Broil (when ready to serve): Then butter the rolls and place under the broiler for 30-45 seconds until lightly toasted.

Melt the Cheese: Place 2 slices of cheese on each roll and place back in the oven to melt cheese, 25-30 seconds. Top each roll with meat and onions.

Bread with cheese slices on top of it.

Serve and Enjoy: Serve with a bowl of au jus to dip.

A roast beef sandwich dipped into au jus.

Tips for the Best French Dip Sandwiches

How do you get the best results with your French dip sandwiches? I’ve got a couple of tips for that:

  • When to Take the Meat Out: I removed the meat when it was mostly cooked. You can absolutely skip this part and let the meat cook until it’s shred-able; I just like these sandwiches with the meat sliced instead of shredded.
  • What Cheese to Use: You can use either provolone or gruyere cheese on these! Actually, just about any cheese would be delicious, but provolone and gruyere are my favorite.
  • Meat Cooking Tip: Slow cooker cooking times can vary – if you don’t think the meat is cooked through, definitely allow it to cook longer. On the other hand, if you think your meat is in danger of being overdone, pull it out and start sandwich building.
French dip sandwiches on a platter.

Serving Suggestions

What goes with French dip sandwiches? So many things! Here are a few of my favorites:

  • Mac and Cheese: As long as you don’t mind the extra carbs, this combination is a dream!
  • French Fries: Oven-roasted potato wedges would be good, too.
  • Pickles: Pickles and sandwiches just go together, you know?
  • Salad: For a light, healthy side, make yourself a green salad.

Can French Dip Sandwiches Be Made in Advance?

Yes! Well, the beef for the sandwiches can be, anyway. Cook the beef for 4-5 hours, but don’t slice it. Let it cool and then store it in the insert of the slow cooker, with the juices. Cover the top of the insert and refrigerate until you are ready to make the rest of the sandwich. Then resume as dictated, with even better flavors!

Three French dip sandwiches with au jus.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store the chuck roast with the au jus in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. When you want to reheat it, put the meat and the dipping sauce in the slow cooker together and heat on low for 1-2 hours. Then, build yourself another sandwich!

Can I Freeze Extras?

Sure! Freeze the beef with the au jus in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Make sure to let it thaw in the fridge overnight before using again.

Let me know what you think!

Three slow cooker French dip sandwiches.
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French dip sandwiches on a plate with au jus.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

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  • Author: Cookies & Cups
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12 sandwiches 1x
  • Category: Slow Cooker
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches are so easy to make, and they’re always a family favorite. Packed with flavorful beef and gooey provolone, these homemade sandwiches will be making their way onto your weekly meal plan rotation!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 34 pound chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
  • 1 packet Onion Soup Mix
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons steak seasoning (such as Montreal)
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer
  • 1/4 cup butter, sliced
  • 12 rolls
  • 24 slices Provolone or Gruyere cheese

Instructions

  1. Place the meat in your large slow cooker. Sprinkle onion soup mix, garlic powder, and steak seasoning on top. Add in onions and pour the broth and beer on top. Add butter and cover. Cook on high for 4- 5 hours.
  2. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and slice on the diagonal. Return to the slow cooker and allow to cook for one more hour.
  3. To serve preheat oven to broil.
  4. Butter the rolls and place under the broiler for 30-45 seconds until lightly toasted.
  5. Place 2 slices of cheese on each roll and place back in the oven to melt cheese, 25-30 seconds.
  6. Top each roll with meat and onions.
  7. Serve with a bowl of au jus to dip.

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