Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
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Beef Au Jus Sandwiches are easy enough for weeknight meals, but special enough for weekend entertaining. Tender, fall-apart beef with a tasty broth, served in a French roll, along with sides of your choice!
Try my Shredded Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce or Beef Vegetable Soup with Cabbage next!
Beef Au Jus (aka French Dip Recipe)
Roast beef was THE comfort meal for us growing up. In the early year, Mom made roast beef with potatoes and carrots. Later on, she started making more beef au jus sandwiches.
Mom served her beef au jus with her Chewy French Bread, which is the perfect bread to soak up all that juice. I’ve also made a Homemade Hoagie Rolls recipe that is basically the same but in hoagie form.
Why This Recipe Works:
- HANDS-OFF RECIPE – While there is SOME hands-on work, most of the process is hands-off while the beef cooks. Dinner time just got easier!
- TENDER ROAST BEEF – This recipe is done when the beef is fall-apart tender. Make sure you buy a roast with plenty of fat marble throughout for a great flavor.
- IMPRESSIVE – Using the succulent beef in sandwiches with the au jus is pretty impressive, I must say! Great for weeknights and for entertaining too!
What You’ll Need:
This perfect sandwich recipe requires only a handful of ingredients (or two). Most of them are the seasonings that result in a flavorful hot au jus sandwich.
- Oil – I used avocado oil to brown the meat since it’s better at high heat. You could, however, use olive oil or vegetable oil instead.
- Beef – I recommend buying a rump roast or chuck roast for this recipe. Use a cut that has plenty of fat marbled through the meat.
- Seasonings – A mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, minced onion, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Feel free to play with the combination.
- Broth – You’ll need at least four cups of lower-sodium beef broth or enough to cover the beef in whichever cooking method you use.
- Tomato Paste – The tomato paste brings out a rich flavor in both the beef and the broth. I use it in most of my beef recipes.
- Worcestershire Sauce – For extra Unami flavor and depth of flavor in the dipping sauce.
- Bay Leaves – For yet another layer of flavor. Optional, but recommended.
- Onion – One large onion gets added to the top of your roast. It may disintegrate in the broth depending on how thick you cut it.
- Bread – You’ll need a crusty roll for serving.
Add some Swiss cheese slices to the French baguette before adding the beef for an even more exceptional experience! You could also use a toasted roll before adding the tender beef.
How to make the Best French Dip Sandwiches:
Mom never wrote down a recipe for her beef au jus sandwiches. But she talked me through it several times over the phone. The ingredients I used are a little different than what she did, but her slow cooking method is the same. I’ve added other ways to cook the roast as well.
Step 1
Sear the meat. Slice the roast in chunks and sprinkle liberally with seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and minced onion). Heat a skillet (or you can do this in the instant pot if using that method) to medium heat and add oil. Then add roast (in batches if necessary) and brown pieces on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan.
Searing the meat is what gives the beef au jus its incredible flavor. DO NOT skip this step!
Step 2
Cook the beef. Use one of the methods to cook the beef.
While my original recipe used the slow cooker, I’ve updated this recipe to include the methods below. I normally use my stock pot to sear the meat and then add everything on top and finish in the oven.
- Instant Pot – After browning, add the tomato paste and a little beef broth to the instant pot and use a spatula to scrape the the brown bits. Add the bay leaves, sliced onion, and remaining broth to cover the roast. Pressure cook on high for 55 minutes, and do a natural release for 15 minutes. Remove roast, cool slightly, and shred.
- Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) – Once browned, add the roast to a slow cooker. Add the tomato paste and beef broth to cover the roast. Then add the sliced onion and bay leaves. Cook on high for about 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.. When it falls apart easily, it’s done.
- Stove Top – After browning the roast, deglaze the pan with a little broth and the tomato paste, using a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot. Then add the bay leaves and remaining broth to cover then roast. Cook, with lid on, at medium heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef falls apart easily.
- Oven – Once browned, add the roast to a roasting pan or dutch oven. Add tomato paste and beef broth to cover. Add onions and bay leaves. Cook, with lid on, on 350 degrees for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender.
TIP: The beef is done when it’s fall-apart and very tender. If you are using the right type of meat and it’s still tough, you need to cook it longer.
Step 3
Shred beef. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to a separate bowl. Shred the beef with two forks, and remove visible fat.
Step 4
Strain broth (the au jus recipe). Place a colander over a large measuring cup. Pour the broth into the colander, reserving the juice. Discard the bits.
Step 5
Serve. Serve beef in hoagie rolls with small bowls of au jus for dipping.
While I used my homemade hoagie rolls, you could use store-bought rolls instead. Make sure they are sturdy, crusty rolls to hold all of that shredded beef!
Storing and Freezing
- Store leftover meat in an airtight container in your refrigerator for about four days. The leftover au jus can be stored in small bowls as well.
- Freeze the leftover meat in a container or in freezer bags for up to three months.
You can also use leftover meat in any of my beef soup recipes. Try it in Beef Barley Vegetable Soup or Beef Barley Vegetable Soup.
Sides to Pair with Beef Au Jus Sandwiches:
The following are a few suggestions for sides but there are many others on the blog to choose from.
- Small Potatoes on the Grill
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Teriyaki Brussels Sprouts
- Green Bean Almondine with Bacon
- Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Recipe FAQs
Au Jus means With Juice, which is why you should always remember to keep the liquid, strain it, and serve it on the side.
You’ll know when a beef roast is done when it’s fall-apart tender. If it’s tough, you need to cook it longer.
Au jus is the strained juices from cooking the beef. It has lots of flavor with a thin consistency. Gravy is the strained juices plus flour or cornstarch to thicken it (that gets cooked on the stove top).
You could add slices of provolone cheese, horseradish, pickles, and/or sautéed peppers.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Beef Au Jus Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 pound beef chuck roast – at room temp
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large onion – sliced thin
- 4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon minced onions
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 6 hoagie french bread rolls
Instructions
- Sear the meat. Slice the roast in chunks and sprinkle liberally with seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and minced onion). Heat a skillet (or you can do this in the instant pot if using that method) to medium heat and add oil. Then add roast (in batches if necessary) and brown pieces on all sides. Remove the roast from heat.
- Cook the beef. Use one of the methods to cook the beef.
- Instant Pot – After browning, add the tomato paste and a little beef broth to the instant pot and use a spatula to scrape the the brown bits. Add the bay leaves, sliced onion, and remaining broth to cover the roast. Pressure cook on high for 55 minutes, and do a natural release for 15 minutes. Remove roast, cool slightly, and shred.
- Slow Cooker – Once browned, add the roast to a slow cooker. Add the tomato paste and beef broth to cover the roast. Then add the sliced onion and bay leaves. Cook on high for about 5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.. When it falls apart easily, it’s done.
- Stove Top – After browning the roast, deglaze the pan with a little broth and the tomato paste, using a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot. Then add the bay leaves and remaining broth to cover then roast. Cook, with lid on, at medium-high heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until beef falls apart easily.
- Shred beef. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef to a separate bowl. Shred the beef with two forks, and remove visible fat.
- Strain broth. Place a colander over a large measuring cup. Pour the broth into the colander, reserving the juice. Discard the bits.
- Serve. Serve beef in hoagie rolls with small bowls of au jus for dipping.
Notes
- Choose a cut of beef that has plenty of fat marbling throughout.
- If the roast seems tough, it most likely needs to cook longer.
- While I used my homemade hoagie rolls, you could use store-bought rolls instead. Make sure they are sturdy, crusty rolls to hold all of that shredded beef!
Delicious and easy! I cooked this in the oven after browning the meat on the stove. I have a house full of boys and this was a crowd pleaser for sure. This recipe is definitely in my meal rotation now!!
This is a tasty and hearty recipe for anytime of year, but especially for chilly weather. My family loves this recipe. I recently made it for a meal train for neighbors who have new twin baby boys, as well as a toddler. Grandparents were in town to help out so this recipe served all of them. I added Sue’s roasted small potatoes, and broccoli, to complete the meal. The response the next day? It was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!
Thanks so much, Jackie!
This recipe is a must and if you are lucky enough to eat with the French bread. Oh my! ❤️
You ARE lucky!