This classic French Dip sandwich combines sub rolls piled high with thinly sliced roast beef, sauteed onions, and provolone cheese, and a side of the tastiest jus for dipping.

Full Instructional Video



The French Dip is a classic sandwich that can be found at diners, delis, and fast food joints, such as Arby’s.

The combination of razor-thin roast beef, onions, and the jus for dipping makes the sandwich one of the best ever!

My recipe includes instructions to make your own roast beef but if you’re short for time, you can definitely buy thinly sliced roast beef from your local deli or grocery store, similar to how I did for my hot roast beef sandwich with onion jam.

In addition to the jus, serve the French dip with a side of horseradish sauce for even more flavor.

Recipe Ingredients

All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.

Ingredients shown: rolls, beef stock, onions, garlic and onion powder, pepper, flour, sherry, worcestershire sauce, eye of round, and provolone cheese.
  • Beef. This recipe uses an eye of round for the roast beef but you can also use top or bottom round (rump roast). Look for one with a good fat cap on it for extra flavor. Many recipes online are for “crockpot” French dip sandwiches which use chuck roast. While I’m sure those taste good, chuck is simply not meant for the French Dip which is supposed to be made with thinly sliced roast beef. Chuck roast doesn’t slice – it shreds and will yield something different from what a French Dip is supposed to be. Save the chuck roast for other recipes like pot roast and stracotto or beef bourguignon.
  • Bread. Sub rolls or hoagie rolls are traditionally used for the French Dip sandwich, but you can use other rolls if that’s all that’s available to you. Brands like Amoroso, Calise, and Piantedosi all make decent sub rolls.
  • Cheese. A traditional French Dip would use Swiss or gruyere, but I’m veering off a bit here and using provolone because I love the sharpness it adds to the sandwich. That said, feel free to use any cheese you’d like to use or have access to.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

  1. Remove a ~3 pound eye of round roast from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet or roasting pan with a wire rack. Season the beef by distributing 1 1/2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper evenly over the beef. Allow the beef to sit out of the fridge for at least 90 minutes before roasting to allow the salt to penetrate and bring the temperature up. Note: for maximum flavor, the roast can be seasoned and refrigerated (uncovered) overnight. Take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before roasting.
  2. Preheat the oven to 500°F and with the fat cap facing up, insert an oven-safe digital thermometer into the center of the roast. Pat the roast dry of any water that has wicked on the top and place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, then drop the heat to 300°F and continue to cook until the center of the roast reaches 110-115°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium. The roast will take another 30-50 minutes more after dropping the heat to 300°F and be aware that the roast’s internal temperature will continue to increase even after removing it from the oven. Note: I cut a large eye of round in half, but you can roast it whole if you like.
French dip recipe process collage group one showing seasoning of eye of round, probing the beef with oven-safe thermometer, cooked eye of round, and deglazing pan with beef stock over burner.
  1. Once the roast has finished cooking, move it to another wire rack and allow it to cool for 1 hour.
  2. Place the roasting pan on a burner and turn the heat to medium-high. Add 1/4 cup of dry sherry and 1/2 cup of low-sodium or homemade beef stock. With a wooden spoon, gently scrape the pan to dislodge any of the brown bits.
  3. Turn off the heat and pour the pan’s contents into the unused beef stock and set aside.
  4. Thinly slice 2 large onions and add then to a saucepan over medium heat along with 4 tablespoons of butter and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Recipe collage two showing pouring pan drippings into cup of stock, sauteing onions in large pan, wrapping the cooked beef in plastic wrap, and adding flour to the sauteed onions.
  1. While the onions are sauteeing and after 1 hour of cooling, wrap the roast beef in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This will make the roast easier to slice later on in the process.
  2. After the onions are soft, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes while stirring to incorporate.
  3. Add the beef stock, pan dripping, and sherry combination along with 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and bring to a boil while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.
  4. Cook until the mixture reduces by 1/3 and then taste test. If the jus isn’t beefy enough, dissolve 1 teaspoon of reduced-sodium beef base into the pot and taste again. Once the flavor is to your liking, adjust salt and pepper to taste. The jus can be served as is or strained to separate the onions. The onions can then be piled on top of each French Dip sandwich.
Recipe collage three showing bringing jus to a boil, seasoning the thickened jus, slicing the beef, and fixing 6 French dip sandwiches.
  1. Remove the roast beef from the freezer and using a slicing knife, thinly slice the roast beef against the grain. Slice 1/3 pound of beef for each sandwich.
  2. Slice 6 sub rolls and place them on a baking sheet. If they are at all cold, you can warm them in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes. Assemble the sandwich by dipping 1/3 pound of roast beef into the jus and placing it onto a roll. Lay 2 slices of provolone cheese on each sandwich and serve with a side of jus for dipping. Enjoy!

Top tips

  • Slicing the beef. For perfect roast beef, it’s important to refrigerate the whole roast after cooking so it can be more thinly sliced. I use this method for my deli style roast beef recipe and it works like a charm. Using a slicing knife will make your job much easier. Be sure to cut against the grain. If you are lucky enough to own a deli slicer, I’m jealous!
  • Making a flavorful jus. The jus is one of the most important parts of the French Dip. The beef is dipped in the jus before being piled onto the roll, and it’s served with the jus for more dipping. Flavorful jus will make your French Dip all the better. Be sure to taste test the jus as you’re making it and if it’s not beefy enough, you can always add some low-sodium Better Than Bouillon beef base to amp up the beefiness.
Hand holding half of a French dip dipped in jus.

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French Dip

5 from 4 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
resting time: 2 hours
Total: 3 hours
Servings: 6 sandwiches
This incredible French Dip sandwich combines thinly sliced roast beef and provolone cheese piled onto sub rolls and served with a side of delicious beef jus for dipping.

Ingredients 

For the roast beef

  • 1 3-pound (1.4kg) eye of round roast or top round or rump roast
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (15g) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the jus

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) dry sherry
  • 4 cups (1L) no-sodium beef stock divided
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 large onions thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

For the subs

  • 6 sub rolls
  • 1/2 pound (227g) provolone cheese

Instructions 

For the roast beef

  • Remove the roast from the fridge and place it on a wire rack and baking sheet or roasting pan with baking sheet. Season equally on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Leave the roast out for at least 90 minutes before roasting. Note: For even better flavor, the roast can be seasoned and refrigerated, uncovered, overnight. Take it out at least 1 hour before roasting.
  • Preheat the oven to 500°F. Make sure the fat cap is facing up. Insert an oven-safe digital thermometer into the center of the roast.
  • Pat the roast dry of any water that has wicked to the top of the roast. Place the roast in the oven and cook for 15 minutes then drop the heat to 300°F and continue cooking until the center of the roast reaches 110-115°F for rare, 125°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium. The roast will take another 30-50 more minutes to cook (depending on doneness) after dropping the heat to 300°F. Be aware that the roast's internal temp will increase from carry over heat after coming out of the oven.
  • Once the roast has finished cooking, move it to another wire rack (that is not warm) to cool for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour of cooling, I recommend wrapping the roast with plastic wrap and placing in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. The roast will be far easier to slice. Make sure to slice the roast beef angainst the grain. Enjoy!

For the jus

  • Place the roasting pan on a burner and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the sherry and a 1/2 cup of beef stock. With a wooden spoon scrape the pan to dislodge all of the brown bits. Turn off the heat and pour the pan's contents into the remaining beef stock and set aside.
  • Heat the butter in a saucepot to medium and add the onions. Saute the onions until they begin to turn brown on the edges (about 10 minutes).
  • Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to incorporate. Add the beef stock, worcestershire sauce, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and bring to a boil while the scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits. Reduce by 1/3.
  • Once reduced, taste test and check the beefiness. If the jus needs more beef flavor, dissolve 1 teaspoon of reduced-sodium beef base into the pot and taste again. Once the flavor is to your liking season with black pepper and if needed salt to taste.
  • The jus can be served as is or strained to separate the onions. The onions can be served on top of each sandwich.

For the French dip

  • Slice the rolls and place onto a baking sheet. If the rolls are cold, they can be warmed up in a 350°F for a few minutes.
  • Use roughly 1/3 pound of beef per sandwich. Dip the beef into the hot broth to warm it through and place onto a roll. Lay 2 slices of cheese on top of each sandwich and serve with a side of jus for dipping. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Eye of round is recommended but top and bottom round (rump roast) all work very well.
  • For perfect roast beef it’s essential to refrigerate the whole roast after cooking so that it can be more easily thinly sliced.  A 12″ slicing knife works well if you take your time.
  • Before slicing, you can cut off the top fat cap if you like. Depending on the beef cut and the place it was purchased from, it might not have much of a fat cap to begin with.
  • If the jus isn’t beefy enough, start by mixing in 1 teaspoon of reduced sodium better than bouillon beef base and test, adding a touch more if needed, until the jus is to your liking.
  • Swiss or provolone work well but use any cheese you like.
  • Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 72.3g | Protein: 67.2g | Fat: 17.8g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1237mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 37mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 4 votes

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10 Comments

  1. Gary D Thomas says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe!

    I loved this from start to finish – the only thing I did differently was to use my Amazon $129 meat slicer which was very satisfying!

    I’ll be happy to share photos (I am a patreon supporter, but I don’t see how to post)

    1. Tara says:

      We’re so happy you enjoyed, Gary! Feel free to email your photo to me at tara@sipandfeast.com. Thanks for your support!

  2. Beth says:

    5 stars
    Even though I grew up eating this eye of round, have long since given it up as I have found other cuts i love. But that said, tell me how to get it THAT thin with just a good knife and i will give it another go. Wishing i had a slicing machine

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Beth, please watch the video and you can see how Jim cuts it. It helps to place it in the fridge before slicing to make it even easier.

  3. Celeste Benoit says:

    5 stars
    Delicious and worth the effort!

    1. Tara says:

      We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Celeste!

  4. Brian says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for another great recipe, Jim! This one is a keeper, absolute perfection.

    1. Tara says:

      That’s great to hear, thanks Brian!

  5. Walt says:

    where is the video?

    1. Tara says:

      We don’t have a video for this one yet.