Skip to content

Get 5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Food Better + New Recipes Weekly!

    Published January 2, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    You will love this classic homemade French Dip recipe with hot simmered sliced roast beef on a French Roll and a side of au jus. This is an incredibly simple recipe, and the flavors are beyond delicious.

    We are a sandwich-eating house and love how we can customize them to our liking. If you want to try out some fancier sandwiches, you must try my Philly Cheesesteak or my Croque Monsieur.

    dipping a french dip into au jus


     

    French Dip

    A French dip is a simple sandwich consisting of thinly sliced cooked beef on a French bread roll dipped in hot au jus. The sandwich is commonly served with cheese, hot peppers, and condiments such as spicy mustard or creamy horseradish sauce.

    It was said to have been created in the early 1900s in Los Angeles by a man name Philippe Mathieu. He allegedly accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan of hot au jus, and a customer said to leave it as is and that he would eat the “dipped” sandwich.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    french dip ingredients
    • Beef – Use good roast beef or slice it from a ribeye roast once it is cooled. However, any slow-cooked sliced or shredded beef will work for this recipe.   
    • Condiments – Traditional condiment toppings include dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, and hot peppers like pepperoncini’s.
    • Sauces – A classic sauce is a spicy mustard or a creamy horseradish sauce. In addition, you will need a side of hot au jus.
    • Cheese – You can use an assortment of cheeses such as cheddar, provolone, American, Jack, or blue cheese.
    • Bread – The traditional bread is a 6” to 8” French roll.

    How to Make a French Dip

    Start by heating up some au jus in a saucepan over low to medium heat until hot.

    heating au jus in a pan

    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.

    slicing prime rib

    The sliced beef should be warm before serving. However, if it is cold, you will want to add some slices to the hot au jus to heat it up until warm.

    heating sliced beef in au jus

    Dip the bottom part of the French roll into the hot au jus

    dipping the bottom part of a bun in hot au jus

    Next, drop the top sliced part of the French into the au jus.

    dipping the top part of the bun in 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.

    adding hot roast beef to a dipped bun

    Slice the sandwich and serve with assorted toppings, cheeses, and sauces.

    slicing a french dip sndwich

    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: 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.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • You can also add additional ingredients, such as sauteed mushrooms and peppers.

    More Sandwich Recipes

    Share this Post

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    French Dip Recipe

    5 from 13 votes
    You will love this classic homemade French Dip recipe with hot simmered sliced roast beef on a French Roll and a side of au jus.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes

    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.

    Notes

    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: 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 63gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 4764mgPotassium: 661mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 167IUVitamin C: 102mgCalcium: 785mgIron: 16mg
    Course: lunch
    Cuisine: American