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French Dip Recipe

Published January 2, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

You will love this classic homemade French Dip recipe with hot simmered sliced roast beef on a French Roll and a side of au jus. This is an incredibly simple recipe, and the flavors are beyond delicious.

We are a sandwich-eating house and love how we can customize them to our liking. If you want to try out some fancier sandwiches, you must try my Philly Cheesesteak or my Croque Monsieur.

French Dip

A French dip is a simple sandwich consisting of thinly sliced cooked beef on a French bread roll dipped in hot au jus. The sandwich is commonly served with cheese, hot peppers, and condiments such as spicy mustard or creamy horseradish sauce.

It was said to have been created in the early 1900s in Los Angeles by a man name Philippe Mathieu. He allegedly accidentally dropped a French roll into a pan of hot au jus, and a customer said to leave it as is and that he would eat the “dipped” sandwich.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Beef – Use good roast beef or slice it from a ribeye roast once it is cooled. However, any slow-cooked sliced or shredded beef will work for this recipe.
Condiments – Traditional condiment toppings include dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, and hot peppers like pepperoncini’s.
Sauces – A classic sauce is a spicy mustard or a creamy horseradish sauce. In addition, you will need a side of hot au jus.
Cheese – You can use an assortment of cheeses such as cheddar, provolone, American, Jack, or blue cheese.
Bread – The traditional bread is a 6” to 8” French roll.

How to Make a French Dip

Start by heating up some au jus in a saucepan over low to medium heat until hot.

If you are slicing the roast beef yourself, you can use a sharp knife, a mandolin, or a meat slicer. I prefer the roast beef to be thickly sliced for this sandwich.

The sliced beef should be warm before serving. However, if it is cold, you will want to add some slices to the hot au jus to heat it up until warm.

Dip the bottom part of the French roll into the hot au jus

dipping the bottom part of a bun in hot au jus

Next, drop the top sliced part of the French into the au jus.

dipping the top part of the bun in au jus

Stack several slices of the hot beef onto the sandwich. At this point, you can also add on your condiments, sauce, or cheeses.

Slice the sandwich and serve with assorted toppings, cheeses, and sauces.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: If all the ingredients are kept separate, you can prepare this French Dip sandwich recipe up to 3 days ahead of time.

How to Store: Store the toppings, bread, and buns separately covered in plastic wrap for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. These ingredients, unfortunately, will not freeze well.

How to Reheat: Add 1 to 2 cups of the au jus to a saucepan over low to medium heat. Place in the desired amount of sliced beef and heat until warm. Serve following the sandwich-making procedures.

Chef Notes + Tips

You can also add additional ingredients, such as sauteed mushrooms and peppers.

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