Instant Pot French Dip
Instant Pot French Dip is the epitome of classic comfort food! Serve this tender, flavorful meat on a crusty baguette with melted cheese dipped in au jus for the best beef sandwich. With only a handful of basic ingredients, it's a breeze to satisfy your family or a larger gathering.
Why you will love these easy French dip sandwiches
- Simple - with a handful of ingredients and some seasonings, you will hit a home run with the family for this meal. This recipe combines classic comfort food with modern cooking methods that benefit novice and experienced cooks.
- Flavor - packed with flavor resulting from a delicious rub coupled with a good sear in the Instant Pot.
- Time to party - Instant Pot French Dip sandwiches are the little recipe that could because a little goes a long way. Great for tailgating, potlucks, and holiday parties too! Serve some buffalo chicken meatballs for appetizers and some roasted potatoes.
- Set and forget - this recipe has minimal hands-on cooking time. Once it's in the Instant Pot, you can walk away to let it work its magic. Perfect to put in the pot as soon you get home.
Ingredients you will need
Here is a quick snapshot of the ingredients you'll need. Scroll down to the recipe card, where you'll find exact measurements.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chuck roast - should be well marbled and way 2- to 3-pounds to comfortably fit in one piece into a 6-quart pot. You can use this recipe for larger cuts but may have to cut it into pieces to fit. This cooks a lot like my pot roast recipe.
- Use your favorite red wine, or leave this out if you don't drink wine.
- Onions - should be Vidalia or red onions for best taste.
- Seasonings - cayenne pepper, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, salt, and ground thyme.
- Chuck roast - can use eye of round instead with no change in cooking time. The meat will be sliceable. You can also use a rump roast instead as well.
- Red wine - can use the same amount of beef broth instead.
How to make this
Step 1: Season the chuck roast
Prepare the rub by mixing together in a small bowl the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ground thyme, and salt. Rub the prepared seasonings over all sides of the meat.
Step 2: Sear the meat
Turn the Instant Pot on to saute. Once heated, add a small amount of olive oil to the pot. Sear the meat on all sides and set aside on a plate once finished. This is a really important step and should not be skipped as it builds flavor for the roast.
Step 2: Saute onions and garlic
Add the sliced onions to the Instant Pot and cook until softened. Add more olive oil if needed. Add in the minced garlic and saute until fragrant or about 30 seconds.
Add some of your favorite red wine to deglaze the pan, scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and reduce at least one-third. Turn off the saute mode.
If you are not using wine, add a small amount of beef broth to the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
Add the beef back to the pressure cooker and place on top of the onions. Pour the beef broth into the pot. Seal the lid. Cook the chuck roast on high pressure for 90 minutes, followed by either a 20-minute or full natural pressure release.
The previous version of this recipe used an eye of round instead of a chuck roast. Add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes instead of the cayenne pepper if you want to make the original recipe. Cook for 45 minutes at high pressure and follow with a 10-minute pressure release. Cut in half if the roast does not fit into the pot. All other directions are the same.
Step 3: Finish the French dip roast and make the au jus gravy
Once finished, release the pressure. Remove the meat from the pot, and shred it with either forks or a hand mixer.
Strain the beef broth and remove the onions to a bowl. Add the strained beef broth back to the Instant Pot. Add two tablespoons of butter to the broth and let it melt for the au jus.
Step 4: Assemble French dip sandwiches
Cut your French baguette into sandwich-sized pieces. Melt butter, and brush both sides of each piece with it. Broil the top side in the oven until toasted on a baking sheet. You can also pan-fry the bread in a skillet over medium heat.
On the baking sheet, assemble the sandwiches, layering a bottom slice of bread, meat, cheese, and the top side of bread. Return to the oven to broil until the cheese is melted.
Tips
Don't skip the sear for this recipe since it adds flavor to the meat. Also, because of the long cooking time, you might be tempted to quick release, but avoid the temptation as it may make the meat tough.
Cut onions a little on the thick side. If sliced to thin, they will melt away during the cooking process.
To kick up the flavor, use garlic butter instead of regular butter for the bread.
Can I double the meat in this recipe?
You can double the meat in this recipe, but each roast should not exceed 3 pounds. You can cut the meat into big chunks if needed. The cooking time will remain the same.
FAQs
Au jus means "with juice" in French. It is simply the juices that come from your during cooking. We dress up our au jus gravy in this recipe with a little butter.
It is typically served warm.
French dip is typically sliced and served with an au jus gravy for dipping. Italian dip is made with Italian seasoning and pickled vegetables.
Serving suggestions
Typically this is served on a crusty French baguette, but for a change of pace I served mine on Cuban bread.
The cheese is a matter of huge debate in our house! Believe it or not, everyone comes down strongly for either the Swiss cheese or Provolone cheese. One rogue crew member put American cheese on their French dip sandwich and fell in love with it. Don't be afraid to try out something new on this classic sandwich.
Storage & Reheating
Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to one week. A microwave, stove top, Instant Pot, or oven can reheat it.
This can be made a week ahead of time, or the leftovers can be gently reheated in the oven at around 250 degrees for around 30 minutes or warmed in the Instant Pot in the au jus gravy. It's just as delicious the second time around as the first.
To freeze, refrigerate for one hour before putting in the freezer. Freeze au jus into ice cube trays or deli containers. It can be frozen for up to three months. To use, thaw in refrigerator and then reheat.
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Recipe
Instant Pot French Dip
Ingredients
Rub
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
French Dip Roast
- 3 pound chuck roast may use eye of round or rump roast, see notes below
- 4 onions sliced thickly
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup red wine beef broth can be substituted for the wine
- 2 cups beef broth
Au Jus Gravy
- 2 tablespoon butter
- Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the rub, and coat the chuck roast with it. If the roast is very large it can be cut into large chunks. However, if it fits in your pot you don't need to cut the meat.
- Heat the Instant Pot on saute, and add some olive oil to it. Brown the roast on all sides and remove to a plate.
- Add the sliced onions to the pot with more oil if needed. Cook until just softened. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant or 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce by a third. If using broth just deglaze the pan.
- Turn off the saute function. Return the beef to the pot, and add the beef broth.
- Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 90-minutes followed by either a 20-minute or full natural pressure release.
- Remove the meat from the pot, and shred with either forks or a hand mixer.
- Add two tablespoons of butter to the pot and allow to melt. Pepper the au jus gravy to taste.
- Serve immediately on crusty bread, top with onions, and cheese. Serve with au just gravy for dipping.
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to one week in an airtight container. Reheat in au jus for best results. Freeze for up to three months. Au jus can be frozen in ice cube trays. Thaw in refrigerator prior to reheating.
Notes
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