Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches are filled with shredded beef cooked in a flavorful broth, with lots of sweet onions, and herbs. Dipped into warm Au jus, this is one of the tastiest sandwiches you’ll ever eat.
Like this dish, the Instant Pot will make short work of recipes that usually take the whole day to complete. It’s perfect for fast and hearty Chili, Jambalaya, and the Best Ever Pot Roast!
French Dip Sandwiches
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches are a glorious mess of incredibly tender roast beef cooked in beef drippings, herbs, broth, onions, and seasonings, piled high on a crusty roll, and finished with melted cheese! Then you dip every bite in the most flavorful, warm Au jus. This is honestly one of the best sandwiches ever!
Aside from being a terrific meal, it’s also perfect for parties and get-togethers. You can make the meat filling ahead and assemble the sandwiches when everyone is ready to eat. You can also freeze this, so you have the meat prepared for when the French Dip Sandwich cravings hit!
What is a French dip sandwich?
Aka beef dip, it’s a hot sandwich filled with sliced or shredded roast beef on a baguette, often with melted Swiss cheese. It’s served with an Au jus dipping sauce where you dip the sandwich as you eat it.
What type of meat is traditionally served in a French dip sandwich?
Shredded roast beef is the traditional choice for French Dip Sandwiches. However, some recipes also substitute the meat with pork, lamb, and turkey.
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What is the French dip sauce called?
It’s called “Au jus,” which is simply the French term for “with juice” or “with broth.” When you cook meat, it releases liquid. Combined with other ingredients like herbs and seasonings, these drippings are reduced until they turn into light and umami-packed gravy.
What is French dip sauce made of?
It contains beef broth, Worcestershire, lots of onions (both caramelized and raw), several types of dried herbs, garlic, and a little sugar.
How do you make homemade instant pot French dip sandwiches?
- Brown the chuck. Dry and season, then sear in the IP until each side is DEEP BROWN. You want some crust to form in there. Set the seared chuck aside.
- Saute the aromatics. Stir-fry the onion until brown, caramelized, and soft. Follow this with garlic, herbs, and brown sugar, then saute a bit more.
- Deglaze. Cover the bottom with a cup of broth, and scrub off all the browned bits off the bottom. Those bits are loaded with flavor, so scrape them up nicely!
- Cook. Mix in the Worcestershire and other seasonings with the broth. Place the browned chuck into this, then cook on High for 45 mins. Let the steam naturally release for 25 mins more.
- Shred. Take out the chuck and shred it.
- Finish the dip. Turn on the Sauté function on the IP, so the Au jus gets back to a boil. Dump in the rest of the onions, and let all of these reduce until thick— about 5 to 10 mins.
- Assemble. On a baguette, lay the onions and shredded chuck roast on top. Melt some Swiss cheese on this if you want. Pour the Au jus in mini bowls for dipping. Enjoy!
Recipe variations:
- Use a round roast: If you prefer leaner meat, use this cut. We like letting the shredded round roast soak in the Au jus a little more, so it absorbs the juices and becomes even more tender.
- Add beer: For a more complex sauce, replace some broth with a dark beer like Guinness!
- Use onion soup: Don’t have time to slice and sauté fresh onions? Onion soup will work in a pinch!
Can you use the slow cooker for French dip sandwiches?
Yes! It’s perfect if you have a busy day ahead because you can just take the ingredients, dump them in the crockpot, and forget about it! When you get home, the juicy meat and Au jus for your hot and delicious Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches will be ready to go!
What sides to serve with them?
This is a really hearty and rich sandwich, so a light salad or fresh coleslaw is a great way to balance it out while adding some veggies to your meal. It’s also delicious comfort food, especially when served with fries or crispy potato wedges!
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How to store leftovers:
Once all the leftovers have cooled down, transfer the meat into a big container. Try to cover all of it with the remaining Au jus. This way, it doesn’t dry out, and continue absorbing all those flavors! Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, cool down all the leftovers first. Then, transfer to a freezer baggie along with the Au jus. Store this frozen for up to 3 mos. To reheat, thaw overnight or defrost on the counter. Microwave until hot.
Recipe tips:
- Don’t be afraid to brown that beef really well! It won’t get tough because the IP will make it really tender. In fact, we recommend browning each side for as long as 5-10 mins. It’s essential for fantastic flavor and color!
- You can also turn this into a “dump and go” recipe if you wish. Just skip the searing of the beef and sauteeing the aromatics. It will still be delicious.
- If there’s too much fat floating in the Au jus, take it off by skimming with a spoon.
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds beef chuck roast about 2.5 inches thick
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 sweet onions very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
To Serve:
- 2 loaves french bread
- Sliced Swiss cheese
Instructions
Cook the Beef:
- Select Sauté function and adjust to High. Wait until it says Hot.
- Pat dry the chuck roast and lightly season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Add the 2 olive oil to the pot and once it's hot add the beef. Brown each side for 8-10 minutes. The roast should be nicely browned!
- Remove and set aside.
- Add the sliced onions, to the IP and saute until softened, 6-8 mins. Set aside about ⅓ of the softened onions for later.
- Add minced garlic, brown sugar, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried oregano, and 2 bay leaves to the pot. Saute for another minute.
- Pour 1 cup of beef broth, then deglaze by scrubbing the brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Add in soy sauce, fish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine.
- Place the browned chuck roast back into the Instant Pot and submerge it into the liquid as much as you can.
- Cancel Saute mode, close and lock the lid, point valve to Sealing, and select Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes + 25 minutes Natural Release.
- Once done cooking and all the pressure has been released, open the IP and transfer the beef to a large bowl to shred it.
Prepare the Sauce:
- Click on Saute function again and bring Au Jus sauce to a boil.
- Add in the reserved onions, then let the sauce reduce for about 10-12 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Once done cooking, turn of the IP and transfer the sauce to a sauce bowl.
Serve:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut the loaves horizontally in half, leaving on one side the top attached to the bottom, so you can make sandwiches.
- Layer the bottom part of the bread with slices of Swiss cheese. Place on a baking sheet and into the oven until the cheese begins to melt.
- Add shredded beef and onions on top of the sandwich, close, and serve with the Au Jus sauce on the side for dipping.
Nutrition
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