Sandwich Week continues with the French Dip! This sandwich is so next level and has to be one of my favorites of sandwich week. It takes a bit of prep, but it’s so much fun to do. It’s a great little weekend project and then you can reap the benefits all week long!

french dip sandwich with sauce and chips

How to Make the Beef for a French Dip

A French Dip begins with some fabulous beef. While you could just go to the store and pick up some lunch meat, that’s not really my style. There is something so wonderful about cooking up your own beef for this sandwich. Not to mention it is great for meal prep. It takes a bit more work than grabbing it at the store, but it is much simpler than you’d think!

You start by getting your oven really hot at 500 degrees to start. Season your beef with oil, salt and pepper and prep it on a roasting pan. On the bottom of the pan, add the garlic cloves and the chicken stock. Then, put it in your oven and cook for about 12 minutes at 475. Next, do NOT open your oven! You have to keep it closed and keep the heat in. Turn off the oven and do not touch it for two and a half hours.

roll on a baking sheet and beef

After those couple of hours, you can finally open the oven and let the beef cool. It should be perfectly cooked and ready for sandwiches the next day! Once it’s cooled, wrap it in foil and store it in the fridge until you are ready to make your French Dip.

You can then use the pan with all the lovely juices to make your dipping sauce. Heat up the pan on the stovetop, add the remaining stock, and get all of the lovely bits from the bottom of the pan. Then, you have your sauce ready to go!

Assemble Your French Dip

The French Dip is so fabulous because of the beef and the dipping sauce, so you don’t need to add too much to it. We made a fabulous horseradish sauce and paired the sandwich with provolone cheese. To start building your french dip, toast up the bread and warm up your dipping sauce.

french dip on a cutting board

Once the dipping sauce is warmed, dip your sliced beef in the sauce and then place it on the sandwich. After the beef, place a generous layer of provolone cheese. Then, place it back in the oven for another five minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Finally, add the horseradish sauce and serve with the dipping sauce on the side. Now, you are ready to enjoy your French Dip!

When you make your own French Dip, make sure you rate and review it below. If you’re looking for more inspiration, sign up for our Friday Favorites newsletter, and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
french dip sandwich with sauce and chips

French Dip Sandwich

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Teri Turner
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 sandwiches
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Sandwich
Print Recipe

Description

This French Dip Sandwich is so delicious and so much fun to make! It’s great for some weekend cooking that you can enjoy all week long!

Ingredients

For the Beef:

  •   1 (2 1/2 pound) beef roast (top, eye, or bottom)
  •   3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  •   2 teaspoons kosher salt
  •   1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •   5 garlic cl0ves, smashed and unpeeled
  •   1 cup beef or chicken stock, divided

For the Dipping sauce:

  •   1 stick of unsalted butter
  •   2 cups beef stock
  •   2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  •   4 dashes of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  •   2 pinches of kosher salt

For the Creamy Horseradish Dressing:

  •   1 cup mayonnaise (regular or Whole30)
  •   ¼ cup grated horseradish or 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
  •   2 tablespoons chopped chives
  •   1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  •   1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  •   ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  •   ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Sandwich:

  •   2 to 4 French rolls
  •   Unsalted, softened butter
  •   8 to 10 ounces  provolone cheese

Instructions

Make the Beef

  1.   Preheat the oven to 500°F.
  2.   Put the beef in a roasting pan. Thoroughly coat with the olive oil, rolling it around to completely cover. Season the beef with the salt and pepper. Remover the beef from the pan and set aside.
  3.   Set a roasting rack securely in the pan and spread the unpeeled garlic cloves over the bottom off the pan. Pour ½ cup of the stock into the pan, then put the beef on the rack.
  4.   Transfer to the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 475°F. Roast for 12 ½ minutes if you prefer medium-rare, or about 16 minutes for medium. Note: In case your roast is not exactly 2 ½ pounds, the calculation is 5 minutes per pound for medium-rare and closer to 6 ½ minutes per pound for medium.) Turn off the oven and – here’s the hard part – do not open the oven door. I tie mine with a ribbon and put a sign on the door that reads, “Do not open.” Leave the beef in the (turned-off) oven to slowly cook for 2 ½ hours more.
  5.   Remove the beef from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board to rest and cool for about 30 minutes. Once the beef is cooled, cover tightly in aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight.
  6.   Once the beef has cooled and rested overnight, thinly slice the beef. Set aside.

Make the Dipping Sauce

  1.   Option #1: Set the roasting pan on the stovetop over low heat. Add the remaining ½ cup stock and stir, scraping up all the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the liquid to a small saucepan and set aside.
  2.   Option #2: In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the beef stock, apple cider vinegar and the liquid aminos. Add the pinches of salt and bring to a low simmer and let the sauce cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make the Creamy Horseradish Sauce

  1.   Make the dressing by blending the mayonnaise, horseradish, chives, mustard, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

Assemble the Sandwich

  1.   Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2.   On a baking sheet, place French rolls, sliced open. Spread the butter evenly on both sides of the rolls. Place in the oven to lightly toast, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  3.   Warm up the dipping sauce of choice. Dip the sliced beef in the warmed sauce and place on one side of the sandwich. Generously layer the provolone cheese slices over the beef and place in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has browned and melted. Remove from the oven and spread a couple of tablespoons of the Creamy Horseradish Sauce on the sandwich.Serve with the extra dipping sauce, pickles and chips and you have the most delicious French dip. Enjoy!

Notes

Try our variation on the sandwich, our French Dip Sliders!

You’ll need:

  • 12 dinner rolls
  • 12 slices, or 9 ounces, of provolone cheese
  • 18 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, divided into 1 ½ ounce portions
  • ½ cup marinated onions, drained
  • Dipping sauce, from above using the Option 2 preparation method
  • Horseradish dressing, from above

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Warm the dipping sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.

Cut the dinner rolls in half and put the bottom buns cut side up on a sheet tray. Place a folded slice of cheese, or ¾ ounce of cheese, on each roll. Add the tops of the buns to the sheet tray, cut side up, and put the sheet tray in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, saute the marinated onions in a nonstick pan until crispy.

One beef portion at a time, dip the beef into the dipping sauce and let the excess sauce drip off then layer, in a ribbon like manner, on top of the melted cheese on each of the dinner roll. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Flip the top buns so that they are cut side down on the sheet tray and lightly brush some of the dipping sauce onto the top of each of the top buns. Return the sheet tray to the oven for five minutes.

Take the sheet tray out of the oven, flip the top buns over and spread ½ to 1 tablespoon of horseradish dressing to the cut side of the top buns. Top the beef with the crispy marinated onions then close the sandwiches.

Serve with a side of the dipping sauce (and extra horseradish dressing, if you’d like) and enjoy.

How To Make The Best French Dip Sandwich Recipe


Do you have a copy of the No Crumbs Left cookbook yet?

Food is my love language, and this book is a guide to getting you in the kitchen with me, rolling up your sleeves, and reigniting your passion for everyday cooking. Woven throughout the book are my Teri’s Tips as well.

This cookbook is a love letter to my mother because it offers the recipe for a well-lived life.

Click here to grab your copy!