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These slow cooker French dips are made with tender beef, sweet onions, and a red wine au jus. They take just 10 minutes of hands-on time and make the easiest freezer meals. Serve with crusty sourdough baguettes or toasted sourdough bread, and your favorite toppings.
Recipe Overview: Slow Cooker French Dips with Freezer Meal Option
- Ready In: 5 hours, 10 minutes (only 10 minutes of hands-on time)
- Serves: 6
- Calories: 330 kcal/serving (not including buns and toppings)
- Main Ingredients: Chuck roast, onions, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, dry sherry, buns, and toppings
- Why You’ll Love It: This slow cooker French dip recipe is easy to prep and perfect for busy days. Tender beef cooks low and slow for hearty sandwiches made with practically zero effort. Plus, you can turn it into a freezer meal for a quick make-ahead dinner.
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A French dip is one of those meals I try whenever I see it on a restaurant menu. But this homemade version is still my favorite.
It takes just minutes to prep, and the slow cooker does the rest, much like my slow cooker lasagna soup and slow cooker chicken corn chowder recipes.
Most of the time, though, I make this as a freezer meal. I just add everything to a freezer bag for later (similar to how I prep my honey garlic chicken freezer meal recipe). Then, I cook it from frozen in the Crockpot on busy days.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy: This is a true set-it-and-forget-it recipe. Just dump everything into the slow cooker and get back to your day!
Family Friendly: You can customize the sandwiches for any preferences. And my 5-year-old just eats the beef plain while the grown-ups have sandwiches.
Freezer Friendly: Crockpot French dips are one of the easiest freezer meals to make (see below for instructions).
Key Ingredients
Chuck Roast: You’ll need a 3- or 4-pound chuck roast or round roast.
Broth: I used beef broth. In a pinch, I used home-canned chicken broth, and it was great!
Sherry: You will need dry sherry. You can substitute with apple cider vinegar if necessary.
Worcestershire Sauce: Use a good-quality Worcestershire sauce. In a pinch, you can use soy sauce.
Red Wine: I used Cabernet Sauvignon, but any dry red wine will work.
Onions: Yellow or sweet onions work best.
Buns and Toppings: Use sourdough baguettes, sourdough toast, Swiss cheese, provolone, or your other favorites for making the sandwiches.
Get the full list of ingredients and measurements on the printable recipe card below.
Variations
Spicy: When serving, add sliced pepperoncini, hot giardiniera, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Mushroom: Add sliced mushrooms and cook with the beef.
Extra Cheesy: Pile on extra provolone or Swiss and broil the sandwiches until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
How To Make Slow Cooker French Dips
Step 1: Place the onions in the slow cooker and top with the beef, fat-side up.
Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and sherry.
Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2: Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
I try to stop cooking when the beef is sliceable, not shreddable, at an internal temperature of around 190° to 195° F.
For shredded beef, aim for an internal temperature of about 205° to 210° F.
Step 3: When ready to serve, pile the beef and onions onto the bottom half of a crusty roll and top with provolone or Swiss cheese.
Place the sandwich, open-faced, with the top bun beside it, in a 450°F oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.
Serve with the slow-cooker juices (au jus) for dipping.
Step 4: Freezer Meal Option: Place the beef, onions, broth, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and sherry in a freezer-safe ziplock bag.
Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
Step 5: Place the bagged ingredients inside a second freezer-safe bag to prevent leaks. Label and date the outer bag.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Step 6: To cook, place the frozen contents of the bag in a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.
How long it takes depends on your freezer’s temperature, so begin checking it around the 5-hour mark.
Tips for Success
- I like to label the freezer bag with “uncooked.” That way, in a few months, I know it needs to be cooked before serving.
- For freezer meals, I prefer to cook them from frozen, but you can also thaw them in the fridge first.
- When serving, slice against the grain. This keeps the beef tender and easier to bite through.
- Save the extra au jus. Reserve the leftover au jus to reheat the beef, so it stays moist.
- Don’t serve with cold cheese! Melt the cheese over the meat before adding the top bun. You’ll thank me later.
- Choose a well-marbled roast. A well-marbled roast has the best flavor and becomes tender without drying out.
Serving Suggestions
Fries: Serve with beef tallow fries or your other favorite crispy potatoes.
Salad: Pair with a simple salad, cole slaw, or an easy lemon cucumber salad.
Mashed Potatoes: Make it a hearty meal with a side of mashed potatoes. I like to use freeze-dried mashed potatoes.
Storing
- Store leftover beef and au jus in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the beef in a saucepan with some of the au jus to keep it moist.
FAQs
For slow-cooker French dips, chuck roast is my favorite because it is tender and slices well when cooked to the right temperature. Rump roast or bottom round can also work if you prefer a leaner cut.
Yes, you can cook the beef ahead of time and store it in the cooking juices in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the beef in the au jus before serving.
Yes, leftover beef freezes well, especially when stored with some of the au jus to prevent it from drying out. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
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Slow Cooker French Dips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast or round roast
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- salt and pepper to taste
- Crusty rolls, provolone or Swiss cheese, and your favorite toppings
Instructions
- Place the onions in the slow cooker and top with the beef, fat-side up. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and sherry. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste.3-4 pounds beef chuck roast or round roast, 1 onion, 2 cups beef broth, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup dry red wine, 1/4 cup dry sherry, salt and pepper to taste
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours. I try to stop cooking when the beef is sliceable, not shreddable, at an internal temperature of around 190° to 195° F. For shredded beef, aim for an internal temperature of about 205° to 210° F.
- When ready to serve, pile the beef and onions onto the bottom half of a crusty roll and top with provolone or Swiss cheese.Crusty rolls, provolone or Swiss cheese, and your favorite toppings
- Place the sandwich, open-faced, with the top bun beside it, in a 450°F oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Serve with the slow-cooker juices (au jus) for dipping.
Freezer Meal Option
- Place the beef, onions, broth, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and sherry in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
- Place the bagged ingredients inside a second freezer-safe bag to prevent leaks. Label and date the outer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To cook, place the frozen contents of the bag in a slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. How long it takes depends on your freezer's temperature, so begin checking it around the 5-hour mark.
Notes
- Calories calculate does not include buns or toppings.
- I like to label the freezer bag with “uncooked.” That way, in a few months, I know it needs to be cooked before serving.
- For freezer meals, I prefer to cook them from frozen, but you can also thaw it in the fridge first.
- When serving, slice against the grain. This keeps the beef tender and easier to bite through.
- Save the extra au jus. Reserve the leftover au jus to reheat the beef, so it stays moist.
- Don’t serve with cold cheese! Melt the cheese over the meat before adding the top bun. You’ll thank me later.
- Choose a well-marbled roast. A well-marbled roast has the best flavor and becomes tender without drying out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is auto-calculated and may not reflect your final product. Please verify independently if needed.
