Learn how to make a French dip sandwich at home! This is the easiest recipe that tastes just like a French dip you get at a restaurant complete with the au jus dipping sauce on the side. You will love how easy it is to make this classic sandwich.
Have you ever ordered a dish at a restaurant and then realized you could probably make it at home for a lot less? That’s how I feel about French dip sandwiches – I used to order them when we’d eat out, but once I figured out how easy they are to make I stopped ordering them.
My easy French dip recipe is super easy and you don’t have to cook a whole roast beef to make them. They’re quick and easy but you’d never guess – they taste just like one off a restaurant menu.
Table of Contents
What is a French Dip Sandwich?
It’s a classic hot sandwich made with sliced roast beef that is piled onto French rolls. Sometimes they’re served with cheese melted on top and every French dip I’ve had has a side of beef broth for dipping, which is called au jus.
Traditional French dip meat is thin-sliced beef that has been roasted in the oven. My French dip is made with deli meat which makes it so easy. So, instead of spending hours roasting a big cut of meat, I just use deli roast beef. It’s the best shortcut and makes these sandwiches easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
What is French Dip Sauce Made of?
If you’ve ever had one in a restaurant it was probably served with a thin beef broth sauce on the side. The sauce is basically the drippings from the meat as it cooked that is served in a little bowl for dipping.
For my version, we are making our own au just with premade beef stock and a few other ingredients to make it taste like it was cooked all day. My shortcut version only takes a few minutes to make!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Diced onion
- Minced garlic
- Low-sodium beef stock
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Bouillon cubes
- Deli-sliced roast beef
- Salt and pepper
- French rolls
How to Make French Dip
For my recipe you start by making the au jus sauce first by heating olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook it for a few minutes or until it’s semi-translucent.
Add the garlic and cook it with the onion for a minute and then add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and bouillon cubes. Bring it to a boil cook the sauce for about five minutes or until the cubes are dissolved.
At this point, you will want to give the sauce a taste test (carefully! It will be hot) and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Place the sliced roast beef in the saucepan with the au jus and let it warm up. Once it’s hot place it on your rolls and it’s ready to serve.
Recipe Tips and Suggestions
I highly recommend that you toast your rolls first, but it’s optional. What I do is slice them and then place them sliced-side up under the broiler. Toast them for a few minutes until they’re nice and golden in spots.
Sometimes I add a slice of cheese on the bread before toasting it. That way you get melted cheese in every bite. We love to use provolone but Swiss cheese works well, too.
One way to switch up this recipe is to make hot turkey sandwiches instead of roast beef. Instead of beef stock, use chicken stock (plus the other sauce ingredients) and swap the beef for deli-sliced turkey.
Add some French fries or potato chips on the side and everyone will think you ordered French dip sandwiches for take-out! Your secret is safe with me – know one will ever guess how easy it was to make these hot sandwiches. Enjoy!
Mel’s Tips:
- Dip your french fries in the sauce. They pair great
- I freeze the left over sauce and even though it isn’t gravy, I like putting over potatoes or steak I might cook in the future for some added flavor. It can be the base of gravy if you want.
- You can even use the sauce as a base for French Onion soup.
Other Dinners You’ll Enjoy
Easiest Ever French Dip Sandwiches Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 cups beef stock low sodium preferred
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 beef bullion cubes optional (see note)
- 1 pound deli sliced roast beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 French rolls for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 3-4 minutes, until semi-translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the beef stock, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and bullion cubes, if using. Bring to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes boiling (or until the bullion is dissolved).
- Taste carefully, and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Add the roast beef and let the beef warm in the au jus until it’s hot.
- Optional: Lightly toast the rolls, or place them cut side up under the broiler for just a few minutes until toasty.
- Add beef to the bread. Serve with a cup of the au jus.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You can omit the bouillon if you don’t have it, or use the powder instead.
- Substitute turkey instead of roast beef (and chicken stock for the beef stock), if desired.
- Add cheese: place a slice of provolone cheese on one side of each roll before broiling. Broil until the cheese melts, then add the roast beef and serve.
Recipe Nutrition
These Easy French Dip Sandwiches are a 20 minute meal! Use deli meat to make an easy French Dip with the best au jus from scratch. These are the perfect easy dinner or weeknight meal.
This was SO GOOD! Thank you for this easy dinner!
You note that the bullion cubes are optional and to see notes but I didn’t find a note for that anywhere. Can you expand on that?
The entire family really liked them. A great weekday recipe.
Really good and it says alot from me i do not really like that kind of mealy husband loves it but honestly its good i will do it again
Loved it my kids enjoyed it taste good will be making this again I did added provolone Cheese with it
I used the recipe here the first time, but made some of my own changes. I only made enough for 2 hoagie size sandwiches but the recipe. Here is my recipe with the ingredients I had on hand.
French Dip Sandwich:
Use meat from 15oz package of
Frozen STEAK-umm sliced Angus steaks ( in frozen meat section near entrees.)
Do NOT thaw! Leave meet in freezer until you put in skillet.
1 can of beef bullion soup (Campbell’s)
Minced onion or onion power
1 tsp garlic power or minced garlic
1 Tbsp of Roast Beef Seasoning (or Italian Seasoning)
Mayonnaise ( or could horseradish spread)
4 Hoagie Buns
Provolone slices
Heat a skillet on high & quickly add the soup, & seasonings till it steams Turn heat to medium low & cover till it starts to thicken 3-5,minutes.
While that is simmering, place split l hoagie buns on baking sheets. Put a thin layer of mayonnaise on each side of bun. Place about 2 slices of Provaline on each side of bun. Take the box of Steak-umms from freezer. Gentially using a table knife split the entire meat apart (do NOT break into pieces.) Stir in the frozen a couple at a time until you have the amount of meat you wish to have.
Then using a slotted spoon take meat from skillet draining with use of spoon & place meat on both sides of a bun them puts sides together.
Turn on broiler, put pan with sandwiches under broiler. Use broiler for about a minute . Watch so bun is crispy but not burned & cheese is starting to melt
Take out of oven & place on plates.
Pour rest of the liquid into small bowls for your at jus.
Sounds complicated but is not. After you do this a time or two, you’ll be amazed how good this is for such a short amount of time & the cost per sandwich is at least 1/2 of you’d pay in a restaurant . Probably for crowds you might not to do this but for 1-4 people this is GREAT!
I hadn’t thought to use horseradish sauce, sounds perfect
Trying when I can
Gonna try this this weekend! Looks DELISH!
One idea! I used to go to a deli that would dip, every so quickly, the open faced sides of the Hoagie in the hot au jus which they kept on the stove. They also warmed their beef in it. It wasn’t soaked enough to make it messy, just enough to moisten the bread. Then you don’t have to actually DIP your sandwich in the au jus. I know it’s more fun to dip, but this was a great way to enjoy the sandwiches if you’re on the run, or bringing a few sandwiches to the beach.
Recommend use regular sodium beef stock or bone broth or best, Johnnie’s Au Jus, and forget the bouillon. Consider adding several tablespoons of juice from bottled vinegar peppers of your choice to give au jus some tang. Some recipes for Mississippi roast or Chicago beef heroes use this trick. Consider adding bottled gardiniera to make it a full fledged Chicago beef sandwich. Too many suggestions defeats purpose of an easy recipe.
We did this but added sliced provolone and fresh horse raddish
That’s how I have made my family’s French dip….however I slice the deli roast beef into strips and add them to the au jus then onto toasted rolls! Along with the fries! Yummy!
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