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This is my go-to Slow Cooker French dip, and honestly it might be the simplest version you’ll ever make. Just a chuck roast, a packet of onion soup mix, and beef broth — the Slow Cooker does the rest. The beef turns fall-apart tender, and the cooking liquid transforms into a rich, dark au jus that tastes like you fussed over it all day. You didn’t. That’s the whole point.
Why You’ll Love This
Only 3 ingredients — chuck roast, onion soup mix, and beef broth. That’s it.
True set-it-and-forget-it — no searing, no basting, no checking on it. Put it in before your day starts and walk away.
Fall-apart tender beef — the low and slow cook turns even a tough chuck roast into something you can shred with a fork and a light breeze.
The au jus practically makes itself — that rich, dark dipping broth is just the cooking liquid. It tastes like it took hours of effort because, well, it did — just not your effort.
Feeds a crowd — keep everything warm in the slow cooker and let everyone build their own sandwich.
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
Chuck roast is really the only cut I’d recommend here. I’ve tried it once with bottom round because it’s what I had, and it was fine — don’t get me wrong, it was edible — but it doesn’t have that same richness. Chuck has enough fat marbled through it that the slow cooker process renders everything silky. You want some fat. Fat is not your enemy here.
I use dry onion soup mix, two packets, and I don’t stress about the brand. Lipton is what I usually grab because that’s what’s at my store. I’ve heard people say you can make your own with dried onion flakes and a few other things, and yes, that would probably be delicious, but also — why? The whole appeal of this recipe is that it’s three things. If you start making your own soup mix from scratch, you’ve turned a weeknight dinner into a project.
For the broth, I always buy low-sodium. The soup mix has plenty of salt already; trust me on this. If you use regular broth and both packets of mix, it can come out a little too salty — I learned this the hard way somewhere around year two of making it, when I just used what was in the pantry and then had to dilute it with about two cups of water at the end and it was slightly watery and not my best moment. Low-sodium broth gives you more control.
Ingredients
– 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast, excess fat trimmed (though not *all* the fat — leave some)
– 2 (1-ounce) packets dry onion soup mix
– 3 cups low-sodium beef broth — sometimes I add a splash more if the broth doesn’t come at least halfway up the sides of the roast
– 6 soft hoagie rolls or sub buns, for serving
How to Make It
In the morning — pull your chuck roast out of the fridge and put it in the bottom of your slow cooker. I have a 6-quart oval one, which is plenty of room. If one side of the roast has more of a fat cap on it, put that side facing up. The fat will melt down over the meat as it cooks and keep it moist. That’s a small thing but it matters.
Sprinkle both packets of onion soup mix over the top and sides of the meat. You can press it in a little so it sticks. Don’t overthink this.
Pour the beef broth around the sides of the roast — around the sides, not directly over the top, or you’ll wash all the soup mix right off. The liquid should come at least halfway up. If it doesn’t, add a little more broth.
Put the lid on. Set it to LOW and leave it alone for 8 to 10 hours. This is the entire hard part. Go to work, run your errands, watch two movies, take a nap — whatever you normally do on a slow Saturday. The slow cooker has it from here.
When the beef is done, it should be fall-apart tender. like, you touch it with a fork and it just gives up. If it’s not quite there yet, put the lid back on and give it another half hour. Don’t rush this part.
Carefully move the roast to a cutting board and use two forks to shred it. It should take almost no effort. Discard the large pieces of fat (there usually aren’t many at this point — most of it has melted away). The au jus left in the slow cooker will have a little fat floating on top; you can skim that off with a spoon if you want to, or just leave it. I usually do a light skim.
Put the shredded beef back in the slow cooker, stir it into the au jus, and let it sit on WARM for at least fifteen minutes. This is the part that makes the meat extra flavorful — it soaks up the liquid. Don’t skip it.
To serve: warm or lightly toast your hoagie rolls. Pile the beef on with tongs. Ladle some of the au jus into small bowls — ramekins work great, or those little soup crocks if you have them — for dipping alongside. If you want that crispy-edged look, you can slide the assembled sandwiches (just the beef and rolls, no au jus) under the broiler for two or three minutes. It crisps up the edges of the meat and gives the bread a little color. Keep an eye on it though. I have burnt them before and I will not say how many times.
Variations
My daughter puts provolone on hers — sliced right on top of the hot beef, then broiled until it’s melted and a little bubbly. That’s actually really good. I’ve started doing that for my own sandwich when I remember to buy provolone, which is maybe half the time.
If you want caramelized onions or Mushrooms on top, go for it. I usually don’t bother because the whole appeal of this recipe is its simplicity, but I’ve made it both ways and the fancier version is lovely for a dinner party.
If you’re trying to cut sodium, use one and a half packets of soup mix instead of two and taste as you go. You can always adjust the au jus at the end with a splash of water or extra broth if it’s too intense.
Leftovers
Store the shredded beef in its au jus — don’t separate them or the meat will dry out. It keeps in the fridge for four days easy. Reheat on the stove over low heat or in the microwave; either works. The flavor is actually *better* the next day, which is one of those small miracles that makes you feel like you got away with something.
You can also freeze it, beef and liquid together, for up to three months. I do this sometimes when I make a big batch — just portion it into zip-top bags and lay them flat in the freezer. Future-you will be so grateful.
This is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in the rotation. Once you make it, you’ll understand why people request it on repeat.
Make this one.