Best French Dip Sandwiches (Instant Pot or Crockpot)

Do you love French Dip Sandwiches? French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus sauce are a hit with my family, and cooking them at home is easy. My family can't get enough of the good dipping sauce for their beef dip sandwiches. Which is so flavorful, by the way. If you’re craving rich, juicy French Dip Sandwiches with au jus, this easy Instant Pot or Crockpot version makes tender, flavorful beef every time.

We think you'll love this bite, after bite, with all the juicy goodness. Au Jus sauce, onions, and beef are so tender. You can make it in the crockpot or slow cooker if you don't have an Instant Pot.

If you are looking for something else to cook? See all our Instant Pot Recipes here. Plus, our Beef Recipes category here.

French Dip Sandwiches

I have to admit I have tried several recipes for French Dip, then winged it changing, adding, and finding the right flavor profile my family would love before I decided this is the French dip recipe to share! Ta da

Before the other recipes didn't pass the expert taster, my daughter, who has a tongue for yum, and no filter when she doesn't like something I make. Do you have a food critic in your house? I almost feel like when I get a thumbs up, it's like winning a tennis match. (I say tennis because that is what she plays, but, really, I feel like my kitchen can be the boxing ring. Victory or knockdown. Life with teens, lol.

In this case, I'm holding up my PRIZE-WINNING FRENCH DIP SANDWICH, dipping, lifting, and princess waving. 

I can feel the crowd cheering that a winning beef dip recipe has been made and is about to hit their plates! 

Then she lifts the sandwich and takes a bite. WE HAVE A WINNER! Yes, this is it. Third time's a charm, I digress to get The Best French Dip Sandwiches. I feel like I need a ribbon pinned to me!

• I hope you get a chance to add an easy recipe to your meal planning recipes, as it's worth making and so easy to make. Let me show you how to make beef dip in the Instant Pot.
• This pressure cooker recipe can also be used in a crock-pot or slow cooker, and we share how. 

French Dip With Au Jus

Ingredients

1. 2.5 lb. Chuck Roast
2. 3 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
3. 1 Onion Yellow
4. 1 32-ounce Beef Broth (reserve half for Instant Pot, use the full 32 ounces for crockpot)
5. 1/2 cup Red Wine Barefoot (red) I used Barefoot's pinot noir
6. 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
7. 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
8. 1 tsp Pepper
9. 1/2 tsp Salt
10. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
11. 3 Bay Leaves
12. 1 tsp. Olive Oil
13. French Bread

My favorites

1. Beef broth 

   

2. Worcestershire sauce

   

3. Soy Sauce 

   

4. French Bread

Quick Overview

This French Dip Sandwich recipe uses chuck roast, onions, garlic, beef broth, and simple seasonings to create a rich au jus. The beef is pressure-cooked until tender, then sliced or shredded and served on toasted French bread with dipping sauce.

How to make French Dip Sandwiches

Instructions for How to Make French Dip 

1. How to make French Dip in the Instant Pot
2. Bring the beef to room temperature: Remove the beef from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature, if possible. (This helps it cook more evenly.) See recipe notes for Crockpot directions.
3. Prep ingredients: Gather all ingredients. Slice the onions and crush the garlic cloves.
4. Season the beef: Season the roast beef on all sides and set aside.
5. Sauté onions and garlic: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil, then sauté the sliced onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
6. Brown the beef: Move the onions to the side of the pot or remove them temporarily. Add the seasoned beef and brown it well on all sides.
7. Remove beef and onions: Once browned, remove the beef and onions from the Instant Pot and set aside.
8. Deglaze with wine: Pour the wine into the Instant Pot and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Let the wine simmer for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
9. Return beef and onions to the pot: Place the beef and onions back into the Instant Pot.
10. Add remaining liquids and seasonings: Add 16 ounces (half) of the beef broth, bay leaves, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
11. Pressure cook: Secure the lid and cook according to your Instant Pot beef settings. (For our Instant Pot, this took 1 hour and 40 minutes.)
12. Release pressure: When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally, or carefully perform a manual release after a 10-minute natural release.
13. Slice or shred the beef: Remove the beef from the pot and slice or shred it as desired.
14. Toast the bread: Toast French bread in a toaster, toaster oven, or oven. Lightly butter if you like (we prefer it plain).
15. Assemble and serve: Serve the beef on toasted bread with extra cooking juices on the side in a ramekin or small bowl for dipping.

Bread note:

We love using San Francisco–style French bread or a baguette, lightly toasted.

Steps with Images for Cooking French Dip in the Instant Pot

Sauté the onions

Pre heat instant pot on saute. (If making in a crock-pot or slow cooker, saute onions on your stove in olive oil, and transfer to your slow cooker.) 

Sauté the onions in an Instant Pot or crockpot prepared with non-stick olive oil spray or olive oil on the bottom of the pot.

1.  Finish sauteing your onions.
2. Pull them out, and then add your boneless beef roast to the Instant Pot.
   I only left the onions in there a bit longer. I was juggling taking photos and cooking.
3. Brown the roast beef in the olive oil.

• If using a crock-pot or slow cooker, saute your beef roast in the same pan you cooked your onions in, and transfer it to the slow cooker.

Add the wine and reduce it.

Add the wine (vino) to the pot you have been sauteing in, cook until the wine is reduced, it will take about 5-7 minutes.

• For the crockpot, add it to the skillet you sauteed the onions and beef in.

Put back the beef and onions

1. Next, add your beef and onions back to the Instant Pot. For the Crock-Pot and Instant Pot.
2. Add the rest of your ingredients
3. Set your lid securely on. After setting your Instant Pot, set the valve to sealing. 

Setting the temperature and time.

Program your Instant Pot for meat stew for pressure cooking for one hour and 37 minutes for a 2. 5 lb. boneless beef roast.

For the crock-pot or slow cooker, cook for 6 hours on low. Adjust as needed for larger cuts of meat. 

Let the pressure release naturally and finish venting until you can open the lid. Remove the beef and slice it for French Dip Sandwiches.

Remove the cooked chuck roast from the pot and slice the beef for sandwiches. All the juicy goodness, onions, and beef are so tender is ready to be cut. This looks lighter as it's not stirred, and light is shining on the image. 

Before serving your French Dip, Final Prep

1. Take your beef out, slice or shred it.
2. Toast the French bread in a toaster, toaster oven, or oven.
3. Serve extra juice on the side, in a ramekin or bowl, for dipping next to your sandwich.

Bread For French Dips

We love using a San Francisco Style French Bread, (or baguette) toasted. When it's ready, slowly dip into the au jus sauce made from the beef stock, wine, spices….. honestly, it's tasty and juicy! Worthy of two napkins. Maybe three. 

Make this for

Make this beef recipe any night of the week, game nights, if you are hosting a football party, or just looking for a new recipe to try. But, if you'd rather get precooked beef to make yours, here's a quick and easy recipe for French Dip Sandwiches for four. 

This recipe was inspired by an Instant Pot French Dip recipe from Number 2 Pencil, with adjustments based on our preferences and testing.

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Print the recipe or Pin it for later!

The Instant Pot has saved me so many times since I decided to break down and see why people love them so much. But what I love the most about this recipe cooked in the Instant Pot is how tender the beef was, cooking it for such a short time compared to the crockpot.

Using Slow Cooking vs Instant Pot

Now, I'm not knocking the crockpot. I've had great results with slow cooking. But, if you want tender meat fast, the Instant Pot is the way to go, all the way.

I have tons of easy crockpot recipes that we love and cook over and over again. I'm just saying, either way, these cooking tools are a must for your kitchen. Because you can be doing other things while your French dip is cooking. Win, win, win! 

Ask me anything!

Oh, btw you can slow cook in your Instant Pot Duo baby. Hollar! If you have any questions for me just hop on the Dear Creatives Facebook page, and ask us! 

Bonus, leftovers that can be heated the next day on the stove or in the microwave for lunch. Who doesn't like a good French dip sandwich? 

• New here? Be sure to Subscribe. Grab our bonus printable recipe binder and cooking resources. Plus, never miss a post with our newsletter!
• Don't forget to Pin it for Later
• Follow us on Pinterest
• Shop our favorites on Amazon

• Pin it for later

Looking for more good beef recipes and other recipes to cook? 

• Easy Herb Roast Beef
• Beef Stir Fry (30-minute meals or less)
• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos + Avocado Topping
• Easy Crockpot Recipes 
• Instant Pot Recipes