French Dip Sandwiches – These French Dips are the absolute best, and super easy to make in the Instant Pot or Crockpot! This french dip recipe produces amazingly flavorful, tender roast beef that will melt in your mouth!
Well, happy Monday, guys! I feel like you all probably hate me now for saying “happy Monday.” Either you’re the kind of person that’s up and ready to embrace your week. Or your snarling at me from behind your computer right now.
Either you’re the kind of person that’s up and ready to embrace your week. Or your snarling at me from behind your computer right now.
I embrace Monday, I really do. After like, four or five cups of coffee.
Anyway, the week is easier to look forward to with easy dinner recipes on the menu, you all know I believe that.
This week, I’m pulling my Instant Pot out for you all again and whipping up some seriously comforting, melt in your mouth french dip sandwiches.
I’ve tried this recipe two ways, in the Instant Pot, and in the Crockpot.
Both cooking methods deliver the same, amazingly flavorful beef. Both were equally tender. Both times I made them, we didn’t have any leftovers! Everyone enjoyed them that much.
Whichever way you decide to make these, really just comes down to preference.
For me, sometimes I just don’t have the time in the morning when we’re running around trying to get out the door to get food in the Crockpot. That’s where the Instant Pot comes in super handy!
If you don’t have an Instant Pot though, I highly recommend one. I talk more about that in my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Instant Pot Country Style Ribs posts.
Also, if you’ve never had a french dip, you MUST try them!
With two ways to cook this recipe, I feel like we can enjoy it year round. I love it because either method keeps my house cool in the summer. But, it’s nice warm comfort food in the fall and winter.
This recipe requires minimal ingredients, and the meat cooks right in the au jus which is amazing for dipping!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Pound Chuck Roast
- 1 Onion Sliced
- 1 Can French Onion Soup
- 2 Cups Beef Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 6 Hoagies
- 6 Slices Provolone
Instructions
INSTANT POT METHOD:
- Season the roast with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.Turn the instant pot to saute and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides until browned then remove from pot.
- Add the onions to the instant pot and saute until onion is soft. Turn instant pot off.Pour the beef broth into the instant pot stirring and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the onion soup and Worcestershire sauce, and roast.
- Add the lid to the pot and seal. Cook on high pressure/manual for 60 minutes. Do a natural release for 20 minutes, then quick release.Remove meat from Instant Pot onto a large plate and slice or shred.Strain the liquid from the Instant Pot through a strainer into a bowl.Add meat and cheese to the buns, toast if desired. Serve immediately with the au jus.
CROCKPOT/SLOW COOKER METHOD:
- Season the roast with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides, then remove to a plate. Add the onions to the pan and saute until soft.
- Add the roast and onions to the crockpot, along with the broth, soup, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat is tender.
- Remove meat from the crockpot and slice or shred. Strain the liquid (au jus) from the crockpot through a strainer into a bowl. Add meat and cheese to the buns, toast if desired. Serve immediately with the au jus.
Notes
Nutrition
My husband and I are French Dip connoisseurs. We love them and order them all the time. We’ve made them at home before, but this was by far the best homemade recipe! Thank you!
Made this last night – had it at home and shared with another family. SO GOOD!! Like everything I’ve found on your site, this is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Trying to find hearty crock pot meals for my college son – any experience or ideas on how to possibly prepare this as a freezer meal? TIA
I make it as usual, shred the meat, then freeze the liquid and the meat separately. Buy the buns and cheese when you’re ready to eat it. Thaw the meat and liquid the day before, then heat in a pot on stove and serve. Microwave also works but dries the meat out a little. I also like to toast the buns in oven a little before I add the meat to dry them out. This makes them crisper and the perfect texture for dipping!
Made this last night for dinner in the instant pot. It was AMAZING! My family of 5 all ate it and asked for seconds which is in itself a miracle. I will definitely make this again!
This was a hit at our house. I had an almost 3lb roast. I did 90 min. Fed 5 adults. Very simple tasty recipe that I’ll be sharing with all my friends
This recipe is delicious! You may want to update your timing on it though. Even using the instant pot, it takes way longer than 1 hour and 10 minutes. The recipe itself says 60 min in the instant pot and 20 min on a slow release, so that right there is 1 hour and 20 min and it doesn’t even include the searing time. It was absolutely delicious when it was finished, so this will be a weekend staple, but man, not exactly a weeknight meal unless you throw it in immediately after you get home. The kids definitely went to bed a bit later than normal tonight haha
I need to double this recipe…do you think I will run into trouble with the pressure? I’m thinking I’ll need to add some time…
30 min per lb
I have an older Cuisinart pressure cooker, and since I live alone I used 1/4 of a 3 lb. chuck roast, 1small onion, 1 can beef broth. Browned the meat, added the onion and broth and set the cooker on high pressure for 45 min.
When beef is cooked, I cut a slice off a loaf of french bread into the size of the cheese slices. I then put a slice of cheese (I used Swiss cheese) on each half and toasted in my toaster oven. When the cheese melted, I put the beef and onions on the bread and used the juice for dipping. This produced enough for 2-3 sandwiches! Delicious!!
Has anyone used dry Onion Soup? I want to make these for dinner, but, I only have dry Onion Soup packets. Thanks in advance!
Did you try? Making them now with the dry soup mix
Dried onkion soup mix is always what I’ve used and it tastes just fine! ??
Hi I like to rub the room temp roast with the dry seasoning packets and then sear the meat. I use beef broth in the Crockpot Express and put the roast on a trivet and cook. It comes out very flavorful.
Your blog is my go to site. We are currently doing a total kitchen remodel. I have no sink, no stove, no anything except a dining room, dining table, an instapot and your site. THANK YOU!!!!
I didn’t get a rack with my instant pot, can I make this without? Was going to make today
I don’t think you’re supposed to use the rack with this recipe. The rack is never mentioned and it says that the meat Cooks directly in the au juos.
I am using a 1lb chuck steak, how do you think time should be adjusted?
I’m considering getting an instapot… and since I’m making French Dip right now, in my crockpot, I wanted to compare to an instapot recipe. Yours was the first to come up, but in all the pictures, the meat looks dry? Is that the case? Trying to do my homework before I get one.
Thanks!!
Not dry at all! It is cooked with high pressure steam, so it is juicy all the way though!
Just made it today, absolutely NOT dry AT ALL. Juicy, tender…I didn’t even have to use a fork to shred, just used the silicone tongs I pulled the meat out with! This recipe is gooooood.
Also, hesitate no more. I am a single mom with 4 kids at home, work full time and my instant pot is a lifesaver. I can start meals in 10 minutes while the kids settle down, then the meal cooks while I help them with homework or wind down. We also have activities almost every night, so I sometimes set the timer on the instant pot so that it is just ready as we walk in the door after dance practice or choir….I just love it. Carnitas, pot roast, philly cheesesteaks, chicken tacos, chicken curry, pre-cooking a turkey breast then crisping the skin in the oven, soups, chilis….so, so many recipes. Also, you cut down on cleanup because you can saute meat, onions or veggies in it, then use it as a pot. You will not regret it. I gave one to each of my adult kids (3) for Christmas and they love it too. Sorry for gushing 😉
Should I be using condensed onion soup, or will the readymade stuff I have work??
This was the first instant pot recipe I tried and it was fantastic! This is now on the weekly rotation thank you!
Due to time constraints I would like to do part of this recipe ahead of time. Do you think it would work to sear the roast and sauté the onions in the IP the night before and then do the rest the next day?
Can I use a prime rib roast instead of a chuck roast?
I haven’t tried it, but, I don’t see why not 🙂
This recipe is fantastic. My wife and I both really love it. We made it as is the first time. We also used the same recipe but with chuck steak instead of a chuck roast because it happened to be on sale and it worked just as well with a 15 minute high pressure cook and 20 minute natural release. We used a fat separator to strain the liquid to get rid of more of the grease.
Thanks for the great recipe!