Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches – Simple & Amazing Flavor Recipe
These Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches offer tender, flavorful shredded beef made effortlessly in a slow cooker. Enhanced with a savory onion soup mix and rich beef broth, the beef is slow cooked to perfection and served on crusty rolls with melted Swiss or provolone cheese. The sandwiches are complemented by a delicious au jus for dipping, making them an irresistible and comforting meal perfect for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Slow Cooker Recipes
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2½ to 3 pounds beef chuck roast
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 (1-ounce) packets dry onion soup mix
- 2 cups water
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans beef broth or Better-than-Bouillon
- 6–8 slices Swiss or provolone cheese
- 6–8 crusty rolls (ciabatta or hoagie)
Instructions
- Heat and Sear: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef chuck roast with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the beef on all sides for 1–2 minutes per side until browned, developing a flavorful crust.
- Transfer and Season: Transfer the seared beef along with all pan drippings to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the meat.
- Add Liquids: Pour in 2 cups of water and the beef broth to the slow cooker, ensuring the meat is partially submerged to create a flavorful cooking liquid (au jus).
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on HIGH for 4–6 hours or on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
- Shred Beef: Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Slice the crusty rolls and pile shredded beef generously on each. Top the beef with slices of Swiss or provolone cheese.
- Melt Cheese: Place the assembled sandwiches under the broiler in your oven until the cheese melts and the rolls are toasted to your liking.
- Serve: Serve the hot sandwiches immediately, accompanied by small bowls of the slow cooker juices (au jus) for dipping, enhancing the rich flavor of the beef.
Notes
- You can use brisket instead of chuck roast; if the brisket doesn’t shred well, slice it thinly before serving.
- For a faster version, skip searing the beef, though this may reduce flavor depth.
- Frozen roast can be used, but increase the cooking time by approximately 2 hours to ensure tenderness.
- Use a fat separator to remove excess fat from the au jus for a cleaner dip.
- Soft hoagie rolls, ciabatta, or any crusty artisan rolls work excellently for these sandwiches.
- Using crockpot liners can simplify cleanup after cooking.
Keywords: French dip sandwiches, slow cooker beef, crockpot recipes, shredded beef sandwich, American sandwich recipe, au jus sandwiches