These easy homemade French dip sandwiches are comfort food heaven. Smoked beef brisket is layered with monterey jack cheese on a crusty baguette and served with a quick homemade au jus for dipping.
Serve this french dip sandwich recipe alongside a delicious fresh greek salad or on its own as a quick and easy lunch or dinner option!
Smoked brisket really elevates these sandwiches with a delicious, smoky flavor. If you have leftover brisket (from this brisket recipe), it’s super delicious. You can also prepare a slow cooker brisket to make these.
I have used chuck roast, leftover roast beef, and even flank steak on french dip sandwiches. The secret is in the slicing! The beef needs to be sliced as thinly as possible, so when dipped, all of the delicious au jus soaks through the layers of beef.
Slow Cooker French Dip
If you’re making this french dip in the slow cooker (and need to cook the beef):
- Add the beef, beef broth, and beef consommé to a CrockPot.
- Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Remove beef and slice thinly
- Create a slurry with equal parts water and corn starch
- Whisk slurry into slow cooker to thicken au jus, and prepare sandwiches as normal.
French Dip Au Jus
Au jus is arguably the best part of french dip sandwiches, and super easy to whip up. The difference between au jus and gravy is the thickness. Gravy is generally served with roasted meat, such as turkey, and roasted chicken.
Jus is a thinner consistency, and served with braised meat like red wine braised short ribs.
To make the perfect au jus for french dip:
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat with olive oil.
- Add diced shallot, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add cornstarch to shallots and stir.
- Begin slowly adding beef broth, whisking constantly until combined.
- Stir in beef consommé and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer to keep warm while sandwiches are assembled.
Assembling The Best French Dip Sandwiches
To put these delicious sandwiches together:
- Slice a baguette into quarters, then slice each quarter in half to create sandwiches.
- Pile each bottom piece with sliced beef. I like to fluff them up a little, rather than just laying out strips of beef.
- Add a slice of cheese on top of the beef. I love using jalapeno monterey jack. Swiss, provolone, and pepper jack are all super popular on beef dip, and super delicious!
- Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and sandwich is hot. Don’t forget to add the top buns to the baking sheet so they can toast as well!
Delicious Side Dishes For French Dip
- Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
- Crispy Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Cilantro Lime Rice
French Dip Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 10 ounces beef brisket finely sliced
- 1 baguette
- 4-6 slices monterey jack cheese
Au Jus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup beef broth low sodium
- 1 can beef consommé 9 oz
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, and saute for 2 minutes or until translucent. Whisk in cornstarch.
- Add beef broth, a little bit at a time, whisking constantly. Add beef consommé and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to keep warm.
- Slice baguette into quarters, then slice in half lengthwise to create sandwiches.
- Place sandwich bottoms on prepared baking sheet. Top with brisket, then cheese. Place sandwich tops next to them to toast. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until fully heated and cheese is melted.
- Serve sandwiches with prepared au jus for dipping.
Notes
Tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it below!
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