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French Dip Sandwiches are full of tender shredded and seasoned beef, piled high on a lightly toasted French roll. Each bite is full of rich, savory flavor when you dip it into warm, flavorful au jus.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
We raise cattle here on the farm so our freezer is always stocked full of beef. Chuck roast recipes are one of my favorites to make. This cut has the perfect ratio of meat to fat for making things like a beefy tender pot roast in the Instant Pot, crock pot Italian beef sandwiches, and of course, these French dips!
And, since this sandwich filling cooks in the slow cooker, you can walk in at the end of the day with a meal ready to serve.
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🛒 INGREDIENTS
This recipe is super easy to assemble in your slow cooker. A full list of ingredients and quantities is in the printable recipe card.
- beef chuck roast - This is commonly used in tender dishes like Mom's beef stew for a reason! Cooking it low and slow in the crock pot means it will cook up nice and tender and shred with little to no effort.
- beef broth
- low-sodium soy sauce
- spices - dried rosemary, dried thyme, garlic powder, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Crusty French style rolls - These are for serving, though you can use any kind of hoagie or Italian beef buns if you'd like.
📋 Substitutions
Top sirloin roast can be used in place of chuck roast.
Low sodium beef broth can be used, as can beef bouillon.
See this Mexican shredded beef recipe, too!
🥣 How to make French Dip Sandwiches
Here's how to make this tasty diner classic, which incidentally, is not French at all. 😉
- Step 1: Everyone into the pool! Cut your roast into 4 large pieces and add to a slow cooker
Add the broth, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, leaves and peppercorns
- Step 2: Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
- Step 3: Use a large fork or tongs to remove the meat from the broth and transfer to a platter. Shred with a fork, then return the beef and juices to the slow cooker.
- Step 4: Pour about ½ cup broth into small cups for dipping. Serve on French rolls.
Hint: If you're willing to go just one step further, slice the rolls in half and lightly broil them until lightly browned. Then serve. This step allows the rolls to soak up all that juicy flavor without getting soggy.
📖 Variations
- Peppers: Roasted red peppers or green bell peppers can add a different flavor profile.
- Cheese Varieties: Try serving with cheeses like Gruyere, sharp cheddar, or blue cheese for a unique twist.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Ohhh, one of my favorite parts! You can serve these up with a side of crispy French fries (of course), or air fryer sweet potato wedges.
Wanna add some veggies to round out your meal? My Mediterranean roasted vegetables will be perfection.
Top tip
You can lower the fat content if you cook and shred the roast a day ahead of time. Refrigerate the beef in the juices, then skim the fat after it's chilled. Reheat on low in the slow cooker or stovetop.
Storage
Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Or, when cooled, transfer to a freezer safe container, removing as much air as possible. Freeze up to 3 months.
Because French dip sandwiches work best with a crusty bread, you can freeze the rolls for serving, too!
Related
Looking for other hot sandwich recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with French dip sandwiches:
French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 whole peppercorns
- Crusty French style rolls
Instructions
- Cut 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast into 4 large pieces and add to a slow cooker.
- Add 2 cups beef broth, ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 bay leaf and 5 whole peppercorns.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
- Use a large fork or tongs to remove the meat from the broth and transfer to a platter. Shred with a fork and return the beef and juices to the slow cooker.
- Pour about ½ cup broth into small cups for dipping and serve on Crusty French style rolls.
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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