French Dip Recipe
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I love making this French Dip recipe with hot simmered sliced roast beef piled onto a French roll and served with au jus on the side. It is a simple lunch meal I can have ready in less than 30 minutes, and it is great for serving guests or family on weekdays or holidays.
Sandwiches are one of the most versatile and easy dishes I love preparing when I am on the go, and lately, with the restaurant opening soon, I have been sticking to simple options like my roast beef sandwich or my easy ham and cheese sliders, both ready in under 30 minutes. Today, this French dip sandwich is joining the lineup, and I am going to show you how to make it with easy directions and a few tips to help you make it really great.
French Dip
A French dip is a simple sandwich made with sliced cooked beef on a French bread roll that is dipped in hot au jus. It is commonly served with cheese, hot peppers, and condiments like spicy mustard or creamy horseradish sauce. The sandwich is said to have been created in the early 1900s in Los Angeles by Philippe Mathieu, who accidentally dropped a French roll into hot au jus. A customer asked to keep it as is, and that moment led to the French dip sandwich many of us enjoy today.
When I started working as a chef, this was one of my favorite sandwiches to prepare at the restaurant, and I learned how to perfect it over the years. As you already know, I like to keep things simple without compromising flavor, so I heat the au jus, warm thick sliced roast beef, dip the bread, stack everything with provolone, and have a complete sandwich ready in under 30 minutes using easy ingredients I listed in details below.
The best part about this French dip sandwich is how easy it is to customize to your liking. In my house, we like to add plenty of our favorite toppings, which I share in the serving suggestions section, but you can really have fun with it and make it your own. Whether you prefer a single dip or a double dip, this is a sandwich I always recommend trying because it is savory, tender, and melts in your mouth.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef – I use good roast beef or slice it from my homemade ribeye roast once it is cooled. However, any slow-cooked sliced or shredded beef will work for my recipe.
- Condiments – My typical condiment toppings include my homemade dill pickles which I always have in my pantry, bread and butter pickles, and hot peppers like pepperoncini’s.
- Cheese – For my recipe I prefer provolone. However, you can use an assortment of cheeses such as cheddar, American, Jack, or blue cheese.
- Sauces – My favorite sauce is a spicy mustard or my creamy horseradish sauce. In addition, I prepare a side of hot homemade au jus for dipping.
- Bread – I simply use a traditional bread that is a 6” to 8” French roll but any crusty bread works well for this sandwich.
How to Make a French Dip
Prep the au jus: I heat the au jus in a saucepan over low to medium heat until it is hot and steaming.
Slice the meat: If I slice the roast beef myself, I use a sharp knife, mandolin, or meat slicer. I like keeping the slices a little thicker for this sandwich so they stay juicy and hearty.
Warm the beef: I make sure the sliced roast beef is warm before serving, and if it is cold, I add a few slices to the hot au jus and let them heat through for a minute.
Dip the roll: I dip the bottom half of the French roll into the hot au jus for about 2 to 3 seconds so it soaks up flavor without getting soggy.
Dip the top: I dip the top sliced half of the French roll into the hot au jus.
Build the sandwich: I stack several slices of hot roast beef onto the roll.
Serve: I slice the sandwich in half and serve it with assorted toppings, cheeses, sauces, and a small bowl of au jus on the side.
Chef Tip + Notes
Since I have made this French dip many times in restaurants and at home, I have to share my best tip for this recipe. I keep the au jus hot but not boiling when warming the roast beef, and I dip the beef just long enough to heat it through, which keeps the slices tender and prevents them from tightening or losing moisture.
- Use thick sliced beef: I use thick sliced roast beef so it stays tender and stay firm when dipped. Thinner slices can fall apart too easily.
- Warm the beef briefly: I dip the beef just long enough to warm it through. Leaving it in too long can make it tighten.
- Dip the bread last: I dip the bread right before building the sandwich so it does not fall apart. This keeps the sandwich easy to handle.
- Serve extra au jus: I always serve extra au jus on the side. This lets everyone dip their sandwich exactly how they like it.
- Broil it: I add cheese on top of the roast beef and place the sandwich under the broiler for about 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.
Serving Suggestions
When I host lunch or it is game day, I like putting out extra toppings like sauteed mushrooms, peppers, and caramelized onions so everyone can build their sandwich the way they like it.
I also like splitting the French rolls or my homemade French bread, spreading on a little homemade butter, and toasting them under the broiler until lightly golden before assembling the sandwiches. To finish, I enjoy adding something fresh on the side, like my creamy coleslaw. So good!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: If all the ingredients are kept separate, you can prepare this French Dip sandwich recipe up to 3 days ahead of time.
How to Store: I like to store the toppings, bread, and buns separately covered in plastic wrap for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. These ingredients, unfortunately, will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Add 1 to 2 cups of the au jus to a saucepan over low to medium heat. Place in the desired amount of sliced beef and heat until warm. Serve following the sandwich-making procedures.
More Sandwich Recipes
French Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups au jus
- 2 pounds thickly sliced cooked hot roast beef
- 4 French rolls
- 4 slices of provolone cheese
- pickles and hot peppers for garnish
- Spicy mustard for garnish
Instructions
- Start by heating the au jus in a saucepan over low to medium heat until hot.
- If you are slicing the roast beef yourself, you can use a sharp knife, a mandolin, or a meat slicer. I prefer the roast beef to be thickly sliced for this sandwich.
- The sliced beef should be warm before serving. However, if it is cold, then you will want to add some slices to the hot au jus to heat it up until warm.
- Dip the bottom part of the French roll into the hot au jus
- Next, drop the top sliced part of the French into the au jus.
- Stack several slices of the hot beef onto the sandwich. At this point, you can also add on your condiments, sauce, or cheeses.
- Slice the sandwich and serve with assorted toppings, cheeses, sauces, and hot au jus.
Worth the work. It is soooo good 😊
Touch of horse raddish.
Chef Billy, this was perfect. Such a great comfort food! (I added sautéed onions and homemade horseradish sauce for the Sammy’s. 😁)
Please demo how to make au jus. Thank you, Chef P.
it’s in my smoked prime rib video.
Great Sandwich!!
the best!
Yes, yummy.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Outstanding
so good!!