French Dip Sandwiches with Easy Au Jus
Quick French dip sandwiches with deli roast beef, melted provolone and caramelized onions on toasted rolls, with a rich onion au jus for dipping.
29% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 38 g
- Per serving
- $5.12
Why this recipe works
A French dip is thinly sliced roast beef on a soft roll, served with a cup of beefy broth for dunking. Good deli roast beef makes it a 35-minute dinner, and the effort goes into an au jus that tastes like it came from a roast.
- Browning the onions slowly builds the deep, savory base that broth alone can't give the au jus.
- Worcestershire and a little soy sauce add the beefy depth of roasting juices without roasting a whole joint.
- Warming the roast beef in the jus for under a minute keeps it tender; boiling makes deli beef tough and gray.
Ingredients
For the au jus
For the sandwiches
You will need
- Wide saucepan
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Slotted spoon
- Tongs
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Brown the onions
Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring now and then, until soft and deep golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
Make the au jus
Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the broth, Worcestershire, soy sauce and thyme. Simmer until slightly reduced and full flavored, about 8 minutes. Season with pepper.
Toast the rolls
Heat the broiler. Split the rolls, spread the cut sides thinly with the soft butter and broil on a baking sheet until golden at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch closely.
Warm the beef
Lift the onions out of the jus with a slotted spoon onto the rolls. Lower the roast beef into the barely simmering jus for 30 to 60 seconds, just until warm, then pile it onto the rolls with tongs.
Melt and serve
Top with the provolone and broil until melted, about 1 minute. Close the sandwiches and serve each with a small bowl of hot au jus for dipping.
Cook's notes
- Ask the deli to slice the roast beef thin; it warms faster and is easier to bite.
- Use low-sodium broth. The jus reduces, and both the beef and the soy sauce bring salt of their own.
- Leftover roast beef or pot roast works the same way: slice it thin and warm it briefly in the jus.
Nutrition per serving
560 calories
$5.12 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 27% of calories | 38 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 37% of calories | 51 g |
| Fat | 36% of calories | 22 g |
| Fiber | 3 g | |
| Sodium | 2230 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Can you use deli roast beef for French dip sandwiches?
Yes. Thinly sliced deli roast beef works well; warm it briefly in the au jus rather than boiling it so it stays tender.
What cheese goes on a French dip?
Provolone and Swiss are the usual choices. Both melt smoothly without overpowering the beef.
What is au jus made of?
Traditionally, the juices from roasted beef. This quick version simmers beef broth with browned onions, garlic, Worcestershire and thyme for the same savory flavor.
