Deliciously drippy French dip sandwiches will be a new favorite in your meal plans. Roast beef sandwiches topped with melty cheese and golden onions dipped in flavorful au jus, it's the best thing to happen to chuck since the pot roast.
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*Updated! Better photos, clearer recipe, all delicious! Thank you hubbykins for being my hand model (again!) and not eating the sandwich before the shot, haha!*
I am literally on my toddler's bedroom floor right now, trying so hard not to fall asleep.
After just half of one of these sandwiches, I've got the itis.
That's that feeling that you get when you eat really good and get sleepy. You know the feeling.
I just finished texting my husband that he will not believe the amazing dinner I have waiting for him. I needed to write down how awesome this recipe is before I pass out.
*goes to bed*
I had a beautiful chuck roast in my fridge and I wanted to do something other than pot roast. Just my luck that french dip sandwiches were a 'pick for you' on Pinterest.
Unfortunately, all the recipes I was browsing had processed packaged soup mixes, cola, and all kinds of things that I didn't have. But I was still hell-bent on making these sandwiches. They just looked too darn good not to make!
AND I WAS RIGHT!
How can people have the patience to put this in the slow cooker? How??? Let me tell you how difficult it was to wait for this to finish in the oven! There I was in the oven, poking and prodding the roast every half hour and scooping up the onions and jus to sip at.
I was so bad, but when you make this you won't be judging! I couldn't wait, it smelled like heaven and waiting those 2 ½ hours was pure torture!
I rubbed a garlic paste over the meat before cooking so that smell with the smell of the onions and the rich beefy roasting smell...
it. was. everything.
My son even toddled out of his room asking what smelled so good and if it was ready; when I pulled the meat out to slice up, he was in the kitchen with his little 3 year old hands trying to grab a piece of meat off the cutting board. And he really isn't a beef eater, so I was quite surprised!
French dip sandwiches are so surprisingly easy to put together! I absolutely put this in the busy day category of cooking: those days where there is a crap ton of housework or a ton of errands, just toss this in a slow cooker the same way you would in the oven and leave the house for 4-5 hours.
Then you won't be tormented by the delicious smells all day. And you won't sip at half the jus while it's cooking. Good Lord, that stuff's good.
I have a few tips on having the best French dip sandwiches ever:
The Bread.
You don't want to use soft rolls for this, because French dip sandwiches is meant to be dipped into its jus. The last thing you want is a soggy, sad sandwich that is falling apart before you can bite into it. I used French hoagie rolls that I bought a couple days earlier, so they were nice and slightly stiff. Then I toasted them in the oven as I melted the cheese to make the crusts more hearty and crisp so that they can really stand up to the jus.
You know, a good crusty piece of bread is the spice of life.
One of the spices. The bread spice.
The Onions.
The way I make the onions in this recipe, they become golden and soft as they cook in the liquid with the roast, absorbing that delicious flavor from the consomme and the roast drippings. Mmm...
But some people may not want them that way! You can caramelize them on the stove top or add them to the roast in the oven for the last hour of cooking so they hold their shape and texture better.
Don't over stuff the sandwich.
Seriously! I was only able to finish half a sandwich before I needed a nap! It's rich and so delicious that you could over do it quite easily, like I did last night. My husband finished off my sandwich as I crawled to the reading corner of Greyson's room and knocked out for an hour.
Let me tell you, the itis is real. It's really real. Grab a pillow and a couch, eat this sandwich, and pass out.
Looking for more sandwichy goodness? Check out:
Patty Melts
Chipotle Chicken Panini (Panera Bread Copycat)
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Croque Madame Sandwiches
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📖 Recipe
Oven Roasted French Dip Sandwiches
Deliciously drippy French dip sandwiches will be a new favorite in your meal plans. Roast beef sandwiches topped with melty cheese and golden onions dipped in flavorful au jus, it's the best thing to happen to chuck since the pot roast.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
- 5 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 28 oz beef stock or beef consomme
- 6 hoagie rolls
- 12 slices of cheese, swiss, havarti, or provolone
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- In a 9x13 baking dish or large dutch oven, layer the onion slices on the bottom of the dish. Season with the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat onion slices in seasoning.
- In a small bowl, use a fork to mix 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper with the pressed garlic to make a garlic paste. Use the rest of the salt and pepper to season the meat generously on each side, then rub the garlic paste over each side of the roast. Place the seasoned chuck on top of the seasoned onion slices in your baking dish or dutch oven.
- Pour in beef broth or consomme, then put into the oven for 2 hours. Tent with aluminum foil or cover with oven-safe lid after 2 hours, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until chuck roast is tender and barely holding together.
- Pull roast out; slice and shred the meat on a cutting board. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the onions from the jus and save both the jus and onions separately.
- In the hoagie rolls, layer slices of cheese, onions, and meat. Place on baking sheets and put into the still warm, turned off oven. Melt the cheese, then remove from oven.
- Serve with jus on the side to dip into.
Notes
You can use a cast iron dutch oven with a lid instead of a baking dish and foil.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 250mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 77g
Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
Ginny says
No where in the instructions does it say to sauté the onions. So do we sauté them in step 2 before putting them in the baking dish?
Hi Ginny,
You don't sauté the onions in the recipe. They soften up in the braising liquid under the roast and soak up the beef flavors. It's all in the post.
xo, Eden
Amber says
I followed the directions, at 2 hours it wasn’t pulling apart so I added another 30 minutes. Internal temp was 186 and it came out tough. What do you recommend?
Hi! Let’s see if I can help you out. First what cut of beef did you use and what was the weight?
Grayson Millar says
Just leaving this here to say I am named Grayson and I was looking up quick French dip recipes and this was the first one I found. Lol!
GrammaSue says
Hi Eden! I love your name, by the way. This is exactly how I make my French Dip also, other than I add a ton of garlic and a tsp of Kitchen Bouquet (browning sauce). I know what you mean about making the house smell amazing! I think your tips were spot on! I do broil the inside of my french bread bc my husband likes it that way. It helps hold the bread together when dipping also. Thanks so much Eden. You are truly beautiful inside and out! Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe with us!
Tricia says
Can I use a roasting beef / eye round oven roast ? It’s 5 pounds how long would that take to cook in the oven?
Hi! Eye round roasts and chuck roasts are very different in the way they cook. An eye round will not fall apart and shred, it’s a leaner cut of meat and would come out dry and crumbly if you cook it too long.
That cut should be roasted at a higher temperature (around 500 F) for 7 minutes per pound, then let it sit in the oven for 2.5 hours. It will slice up as medium rare roast beef. If you have a meat thermometer (highly suggested) the perfect temperature would be 130 F.
Kim says
I’ve read and re-read your instructions. But what do I do with the butter?
Hi Kim! Use the butter to sauté the onions. That should’ve been in the recipe, I’ll put that in now. Thanks for pointing it out!
Julie Carlyle says
OMG!
This recipe has my name all over 🙂
I can't wait to make it... happily we're coming into winter in Australia so this would be perfect!!
I've also pinned it so I don't forget to make it 🙂
Thanks for sharing
Julie
Tisha says
One of my favorite sandwiches!! Can't wait to make it at home
Jillian says
These look amazing! Great tip about the bread and I'll be sure to schedule time for a nap whenever I make these, so I can then dream about them too!
plant.well says
Beautiful photos! Love the savory sauce idea to dip the bread in!
Anita says
Wow, those sandwiches look so good, and the ingredients are not fuzzy at all, definitely doable even for me, and just perfect for busy days. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Catherine E. Brown says
Oh, these look delicious! They're the perfect size too, not too big!
Ashley - Forking Up says
When I was little, my Nana would take me to a diner and I'd always order the French Dip. It is so nostalgic for me! I need to make this one.
Annemarie says
This is my ideal comfort food! Those onions definitely give it the perfect flavor. Yum!
Heidy says
French Dip Sandwiches are totally a hit with me. I can't tell you how many nights I spent at a cafe near my collage dorm ordering these! Definitely a must try ASAP.
Cami says
I love French Dips, and usually cook the meat in the crock pot. I'm wanting to do an oven version, and these look delightful! One quick question- I don't see in the instructions where you use the called for butter? Thanks in advance!
Ashley says
How does the cooking time change if I use a 2 pound roast?
The timing isn’t too important, the most important aspect is the texture of your roast when it’s ready to be sliced.
During step 4, place it in the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, then cover for at least 30 minutes, and check every 15 minutes afterward til the meat is pull-apart tender by using a fork.
The timing can vary because of differences in oven type, baking dish type, and cooking tools. This is why I say go more by texture than time, when you can somewhat easily pull a piece of the roast apart with your fork, it’s ready to come out of the oven.
I hope this helped! ?
Holly says
We made this last night and it was AMAZING! Even my 3 year old gobbled it up. Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you for sharing! I'm so happy your toddler enjoyed it as much as mine did lol.
Zee says
Wow this look so delicious. Drooling!!!
Thank you! Hope you give it a try
Jazz says
I'm not a big red meat eater but these look yummy!
Aaron | The Hungry Hutch says
I love a good French dip!
SobeSavvy says
Now I am hungry! But that's the point right 🙂 I am like you..love roast but no patience to cook it. But I am now inspired! Thanks.
Thanks! If you make it, tag me in the pic with #sweetteaandthyme
SobeSavvy says
Will do!
Tanya says
This sandwich looks too good. I love how you gave a few tips on how to get the perfect french dip!
Thanks Tanya! You never want someone to comment about how the recipe went wrong because you never told them to get that good crusty bread!
Gina Marie says
I am so going to veganize this recipe! This is an awesome idea I never thought about dipping sandwiches before! ??
Casandra Rosario says
This looks so delicious, I could see why you almost slept on the floor lol! Can't wait to try at home.
Honey please do! Make sure you have a couch or a bed near by, and not playing with your toddler on the floor like I was ?!
Marsha S says
Although I'm not a sandwich person as well this is looks mouth watering! I'll think about making this for my boyfriend for the superbowl party.