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Home » Blog » Course » Main Dish » Easy French Dip Sandwiches In The Oven

Easy French Dip Sandwiches In The Oven

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Published: Dec 24, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Andrea + Stef ·

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Crispy sandwiches with sliced beef, melty cheese and a delicious au jus dipping sauce.
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French dip being dipped into a small bowl of au jus.

In case you are wondering what to do with your beef roast leftovers, then look no further, we have the perfect recipe for you. This easy weeknight dinner combines crispy rolls, mouth tender beef and melty cheese with a succulent, warm au jus dipping sauce. Pure sandwich heaven! No more need to go to the sandwich shop as these delicious hot sandwiches are ready in only 20 minutes. This is the best recipe for easy French dip sandwiches and it will turn your leftovers into a most scrumptious meal your whole family will love.

Table of Contents

  • What is a French Dip Sandwich?
  • Why You’ll Love This
  • Ingredients
  • Recommended Tools
  • Instructions
  • Stef says….
  • Recipe Tips
  • What To Serve With French Dip Sandwiches
  • More Sandwich Recipes
  • Andrea says….
  • How To Store
  • How To Reheat
  • Common Questions
  • Easy French Dip Sandwich in the Oven
hand dipping sandwich into au jus gravy

What is a French Dip Sandwich?

For a French dip sandwich you layer tender beef slices such as roast beef, leftover beef roast or prime rib, for example, inside a hoagie bun or French roll. Afterwards top the meat with sliced cheese, such as Swiss cheese or provolone cheese. Toast in the oven until crispy on the outside with melty cheese in the middle, then serve with warm au jus dipping sauce.

French dip being dipped into a small bowl of au jus.

Why You’ll Love This

  • Notable: juicy beef and melty cheese come together for a perfect sandwich dipped into delicious homemade au jus sauce
  • Main Ingredients: hoagie rolls, roast beef (sliced leftover roast), provolone cheese, salted butter, au jus mix, sea salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion slices
  • Cooking Method: oven baked, stovetop
  • Nutrients: great source of protein with 40g per serving
  • Cooking Time: 5 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time
  • Pairs well with: chips, fries, potato wedges, salads
  • Special Equipment Needed: small saucepan, whisk, 9×13-inch baking dish, sheet pan, pastry brush
French dip sandwiches with au jus gravy on a piece of paper
close up of beef and cheese sandwiches

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this French dip sandwiches recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the local grocery stores! If this is your first time making these roast beef sandwiches with warm au jus you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

French Beef Dip Sandwiches Ingredients

  • 4 hoagie buns
  • 1 lb deli roast beef or sliced leftover beef roast
  • 8 provolone cheese slices
  • 2 tablespoon salted butter (melted)
  • Au jus gravy mix (5 teaspoon of homemade mix or 1 packet)
  • 2 cups water or beef drippings

Optional Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
  • dash of soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • sliced onions or caramelized onions

Variations and Substitutions

Bread: Substitute hoagie rolls with French rolls or any other crusty roll.

Cheese: Substitute Swiss cheese or any other slice of cheese you prefer for the provolone cheese.

ingredients for french dip recipe

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love dipping sandwiches in sauce then you’ll love our Easy Baked Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwich. This meatball stuffed sandwich bake is cheesy and full of flavor and tastes divine dipped into marinara sauce.

Recommended Tools

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Baking Dish — We use a 9×13-inch baking dish for toasting these delicious sandwiches in the oven. However a sheet pan works just as well.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook a classic French dip sandwich in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

PREPARE: Firstly, heat oven to 400ºF.

MAKE AU JUS SAUCE: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 2 cups of water or beef drippings leftover from cooking a roast. Then, add 5 teaspoons of the homemade au jus mix to the liquid and whisk until combined. Afterwards, bring to a boil then simmer for 15 minutes on low heat until it begins to thicken.

adding au jus spice and water to a saucepan
cooked au jus sauce

PREPARE SANDWICHES: While the au jus is cooking, layer ¼ lb of beef and 2 slices of cheese inside each roll. Additionally, you can spread a little worcestershire sauce on your roll and add onion slices, if you like. Afterwards, place rolls into a baking dish. Then, brush melted butter onto the top of each roll. Add a sprinkle of salt on top, if you prefer.

roast beef and cheese layered into hoagie rolls
brushing melted butter onto rolls in a baking dish

BAKE: Then place rolls in the oven on the center rack. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden and slightly crispy.

FINISH AND SERVE: When au jus is slightly thickened, remove from heat. Afterwards, pour into 4 small dipping bowls. Finally, serve sandwiches with au jus.

baked french dip sandwiches in a baking dish
french dip sandwiches with au jus dipping sauce on a piece of paper

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love tender and juicy pot roast then you’ll love our Dutch Oven Pot Roast Recipe. This slow cooked, rich and melt in your mouth pot roast tastes delicious and its leftovers work amazing for French Dip Sandwiches.

Stef says….

When there isn’t enough time to slow cook a traditional beef roast, I love making my Instant Pot Pot Roast. This amazing one pot meal is ready in only an hour and leftovers can be used for delicious beef sandwiches.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best French dip sandwich in the oven.

  • Tip: A great way to add a little extra flavor is drizzling some Worcestershire sauce on the bottom half of your roll.
  • Tip: Tender beef that falls apart in your mouth is the key ingredient to this yummy sandwich. Make sure your beef is mouth tender and not chewy.
  • Tip: Don’t skip the toasting of the sandwiches. Crisping up the outside, gives the rolls more stability for dipping into the au jus sauce. Moreover it makes the cheese melty, gooey and simple to die for.

What To Serve With French Dip Sandwiches

We love to eat a delicious French dip sandwich all by itself. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Au jus dipping sauce: You can make the best au jus French dip sauce using our amazing Au Jus Seasoning Mix. Ready in only 5 minutes, it tastes so much better than any store-bought brand.

Vegetables: Serve this easy French dip recipe with delicious air fryer roasted vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Broccoli or Cauliflower.

Salad: Pair this best French dip sandwich with a fresh salad. A green salad like our amazing Italian Salad or Strawberry Avocado Salad. Or even an Asparagus Salad with Walnuts or a fruit salad.

Sides: Traditionally, French dip sliders are served with chips, Fries or Potato Wedges. It would taste great with Air Fryer Zucchini Fries as well, in case you want to cut some carbs.

  • pile of cooked potato wedges on paper

    Air Fryer Potato Wedges

  • Raw asparagus salad with walnuts and parmesan cheese on top.

    Raw Asparagus Salad With Walnuts

  • air fryer frozen french fries cooked in air fryer basket.

    How to Cook Frozen Fries in Air Fryer

  • Sliced air fryer carrots with balsamic glaze on a plate.

    Air Fryer Carrots with Balsamic Glaze

More Sandwich Recipes

Scrumptious sandwiches not only make an amazing lunch, but they are also great for dinner, as an afternoon snack or part of a party spread. Here are some of our favorite sandwich recipes:

  • egg salad sandwich on croissant

    Egg Salad Sandwich

  • Pulled pork sliders stacked.

    Pulled Pork Sliders (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Oven Roasted)

  • side view of hawaiian roll meatball slider.

    Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders

Andrea says….

The combination of tender beef and melted cheese dipped in warm au jus sauce make this hot sandwich absolutely irresistible for my whole family. We usually combine it with my Easy Greek Salad.

How To Store

Refrigerate: French dip sandwiches are best eaten fresh. However, you can wrap up cooled and undipped sandwiches in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then keep them in the refrigerator until the next day. Store prepared au jus gravy leftovers in a separate airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freeze: Firstly make sure your au jus gravy has cooled completely. Then transfer it to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. For easy portion control, we recommend freezing the au jus sauce first in an ice cube tray. As soon as the gravy cubes are solid, move them to a freezer-safe bag for longer storage in the freezer.

Defrosting: A great way to thaw au jus sauce is in the refrigerator overnight.

How To Reheat

Reheat defrosted au jus gravy in a saucepan on the stove or in a covered microwave save dish in the microwave. Additionally you can reheat your sandwiches in the microwave, oven or air fryer.

french dip sandwich on a piece of paper with dip

Common Questions

What is the best sliced beef to use for these sandwiches?

As a matter of fact you can use any flavorful beef you like for this classic sandwich. Deli meat, such as roast beef works extremely well. However, pretty much any leftover cooked beef, such as chuck roast, pot roast or prime rib, for example, makes a delicious sandwich. 

What are beef/meat drippings?

While roast beef (roast chicken, or other meat) cooks juices or fat drippings gather at the bottom of the roasting pan. These juices that gather during the cooking process can be referred to as beef drippings, meat drippings, fat drippings, cooking liquid or pan juices.

How can I make my own au jus seasoning mix?

It takes in fact only 5 minutes and a handful of ingredients to make a delicious and versatile homemade au jus seasoning mix. Simply blend beef bouillon granules with cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley and pepper. For a detailed recipe and more tips take a look at our Au Jus Seasoning Mix Recipe.

French dip being dipped into a small bowl of au jus.
5 from 1 vote

Easy French Dip Sandwich in the Oven

Author Andrea + Stef

Course dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 20 minutes minutes
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4 sandwiches
Crispy sandwiches with sliced beef, melty cheese and a delicious au jus dipping sauce.
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Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • whisk
  • baking dish
  • pastry brush

Ingredients
  

  • 4 hoagie rolls
  • 1 lb roast beef or sliced leftover roast
  • 8 slices provolone cheese
  • 2 tablespoon salted butter melted
  • 5 tablespoon au jus mix or 1 packet
  • 2 cups water or beef drippings

Optional Ingredients:

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
  • dash of soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • onion slices

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water and homemade au jus mix. Whisk until liquid begins to boil.
    adding au jus spice and water to a saucepan
  • Lower temperature and simmer for 15 minutes or until gravy is slightly thickened. Optional: Add a dash of soy sauce to your au jus.
    cooked au jus sauce
  • While the au jus is cooking, layer ¼ lb of beef and 2 slices of cheese inside each roll.
    roast beef and cheese layered into hoagie rolls
  • Optional: spread a little worcestershire sauce on your roll and add onion slices under the cheese slices.
  • Place rolls into a baking dish.
  • Brush melted butter onto the top of each roll. Optional: sprinkle each with a little salt.
    brushing melted butter onto rolls in a baking dish
  • Place in the oven on the center rack. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden and slightly crispy.
    baked french dip sandwiches in a baking dish
  • When au jus is slightly thickened, remove from heat. Pour into 4 small dipping bowls.
  • Serve sandwiches with au jus.
    close up of french dip sandwiches with au jus

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 2689mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 617mg | Iron: 13mg

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