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French Dip, au ju
Alissa Marie Wellness

French Dip Sandwiches

These easy French Dip sandwiches are made with tender, fall-apart chuck roast slow cooked with onions, garlic, herbs and beef broth, then piled onto toasted bread with melted provolone and caramelized onions.
The best part is the cooking liquid becomes a rich au jus for dipping, so there’s no separate sauce to make. It’s an easy high-protein dinner that tastes like restaurant comfort food but requires very little hands-on prep.
Perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner, feeding a crowd or meal prepping the beef ahead of time.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: lunch, Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

French Dip Beef
  • 3 lb chuck roast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar OR 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Caramelized Onions
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp olive oil or enough to lightly coat the pan
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp broth from the cooked roast
For Serving
  • 8 French baguette portions or hoagie rolls
  • 8 slices provolone cheese
  • Chopped chives
  • Au jus from the roast for dipping

Method
 

Sear the Beef
  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Pat the chuck roast dry, then sear until deeply browned on all sides.
Slow Cook
  1. Place the seared roast into the Claypot Multicooker.
  2. Add sliced onion, garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon, vinegar, rosemary, thyme, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is fork tender and easily pulls apart.
Shred the Beef
  1. Remove the beef from the pot and shred using two forks.
  2. Return the shredded beef to the cooking liquid and allow it to soak up the broth while you prepare the onions and bread.
Caramelize the Onions
  1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
  2. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt.
  3. Cook slowly until soft, golden and caramelized.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons of broth from the roast and cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Assemble the French Dips
  1. Toast the hoagie rolls or baguette until lightly crisp.
  2. Pile each with shredded beef and top with provolone.
  3. Return to the oven for 2–3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  4. Finish with caramelized onions and chopped chives.
  5. Serve immediately with warm au jus from the Claypot for dipping.

Notes

Cooking Notes

• Don't skip the sear. Browning the chuck roast first adds much more depth of flavor to both the beef and au jus.
• Chuck roast is ideal for French Dip because the long, slow cooking time breaks down the connective tissue and creates that fall-apart texture.
• The beef is ready when it shreds easily with a fork. If it still feels tough, it likely needs more cooking time.
• Low-sodium beef broth gives you better control over the final salt level since the liquid becomes your dipping au jus.
• Returning the shredded beef to the cooking liquid keeps it moist and flavorful.
• For the best sandwich texture, toast the bread before adding the beef. This helps prevent the au jus-soaked beef from immediately making the bread soggy.
• If you have leftovers, store the beef in some of its cooking liquid rather than separately. It will stay much more tender when reheated.
 

Estimated Macros

Per sandwich, based on 8 servings with one roll and one slice of provolone.
Exact nutrition will vary significantly based on the size and brand of bread, provolone and how much cooking fat remains in the finished beef.
Calories Protein Carbs Fat
500 42g 35–40g 24g