Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches (Printable)

Tender slow-cooked beef on crusty rolls with rich au jus for dipping — comfort food with minimal hands-on time.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

04 - 3 cups beef broth
05 - 1/4 cup soy sauce
06 - 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

→ Spices & Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp dried thyme
08 - 1 tsp dried rosemary
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - 1 bay leaf

→ For Serving

11 - 6 French rolls or hoagie buns
12 - 6 slices provolone or Swiss cheese (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Scatter the thinly sliced onion and minced garlic across the bottom of a 6–8 quart slow cooker.
02 - Season the beef chuck roast with black pepper on all sides, then place it directly on top of the onion and garlic bed.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaf. Pour the mixture evenly over the roast.
04 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 8 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and pulls apart with minimal effort.
05 - Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred using two forks, discarding any large pieces of excess fat. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the cooking liquid, then strain the liquid into small individual bowls for dipping.
06 - Preheat the oven broiler. Arrange the French rolls on a baking sheet, layer each with shredded beef, and top with a slice of provolone or Swiss cheese. Broil for 1–2 minutes until the cheese melts and the rolls are lightly toasted.
07 - Serve the hot sandwiches immediately alongside individual bowls of strained au jus for dipping.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The soy sauce and Worcestershire combo creates a deeply savory au jus that tastes like you spent all day reducing a restaurant quality stock.
  • Everything goes into the crockpot raw and untouched, and eight hours later you have shreddable, meltingly tender beef with almost zero hands on work.
02 -
  • Do not cook on high to save time because the beef will toughen instead of becoming fork tender and shreddable.
  • The au jus will taste slightly salty on its own but balances perfectly once you dip the bread and beef into it.
03 -
  • Gluten free rolls work perfectly here, and tamari can replace the soy sauce to keep the entire meal gluten free without sacrificing flavor.
  • Save any leftover au jus in a jar in the freezer because it makes an incredible base for French onion soup the following week.

Go Back