These Easy Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches are sure to become a new family favorite dinner. Tender chuck roast is piled on a toasted garlic bun and smothered with provolone cheese. Served up with rich broth on the side for dipping, these delicious French Dip sandwiches are made with almost no effort in the pressure cooker.
For more delicious Instant Pot Beef Recipes, check out Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Pot Roast, and Instant Pot Meatballs. Or look browse through all my Instant Pot Recipes.
Want to know what makes my heart swell?
New babies, snuggles with my kids, seeing kindness from a stranger, and sitting down to a dinner that my entire family raves about!
I enjoy that dinner even more when it takes me a mere minutes to prep. An extra bonus is when I can make the meal on a budget.
Guess what?!
I am about to make YOUR heart swell with my latest recipe, Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches.
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Want to know how much my family loved Easy French Dip Sandwiches?
They were devoured by my entire family and my husband and son even said they would be happy if they ate these sandwiches a couple times every week.
Now that is what I call a winning dinner!
But what is not to love? These Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches have a garlic toasted bun, ooey cheese, tender beef, and flavorful aus-jus.
Ingredients for French Dip Sandwiches
- Beef Roast–use either bottom round or chuck roast (chuck roast is more marbled so tends to be more tender)
- Beef Broth or Stock
- Onion
- Garlic
- Soy Sauce
- Buns
- Provolone Cheese
How to Make Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Step One: Sear Meat
- Turn the pressure cooker to Sauté and allow to heat.
- Season the roast aggressively with salt and pepper.
- Once heated (the electric pressure cooker should read “hot”), add a bit of oil and sear the roast on all sides until golden.
Step Two: Add ingredients
- Add the beef broth, sliced onions, garlic cloves and soy sauce to the pressure cooker.
- Scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of your pressure cooker–do not skip this step!
Step Three: Pressure Cook French Dip Roast
- Place lid on the pressure cooker and turn valve to sealed.
- Set to high pressure for 60 minutes. You can cook your meat for 40 minutes on high in the pressure cooker. The roast will not be fall-apart-tender, but will instead be able to be sliced into thin strips for serving. I personally prefer my roast to be falling apart, but the choice is yours!
- Allow at least 15 minutes of natural release before finish releasing pressure and remove roast from pressure cooker.
Step Four: Shred Meat
- Remove roast from pressure cooker and place in large bowl or cutting board.
- Shred with 2 forks.
Step Five: Assemble French Dip Sandwiches
- Brush buns with melted butter (or olive oil) and toast in oven until golden. This keeps the sandwiches from getting soggy.
- Top buns with shredded beef and sliced provolone cheese and return to oven briefly to melt cheese.
Step Six: Serve
- Serve immediately with a bowl of aus jus on the side for the perfect accompaniment to these pot roast sandwiches.
Why you need Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
- Picky-Kid Approved
- Picky-Husband Approved
- Satisfying for Hungry-Teens
- Made with 5 minutes of Prep
- A FAMILY DINNER WINNER!!!
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
If you don’t have an pressure cooker, you can still enjoy Easy French Dip Sandwiches, with the help of a slow cooker.
- Sear the meat in a heavy bottomed skillet in 1 tablespoon oil.
- Once seared on all sides, place the roast into the slow cooker with the broth, garlic, onion and soy sauce.
- Cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10 hours.
Notes on Easy French Dip Sandwiches:
- For Gluten-Free French Dip Sandwiches, use Gluten-Free soy sauce and serve on gluten-free buns
- Don’t be tempted to omit the soy sauce from these French Dip Sandwiches, that extra flavor adds just the right umami flavor.
- Instead of rubbing the toasted bread with a garlic clove, you can still impart garlic flavor by adding 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder to the melted butter or olive oil before brushing on the sandwich rolls.
- While optional to brush the bread with garlic butter, I would not skip toasting the buns for a French Dip Sandwich–it helps the bread from getting soggy.
- I prefer provolone cheese with French Dip Sandwiches, but Swiss can be substituted.
- My husband recommends after toasting the buns, spreading mayonnaise on the buns as well. I personally omit the mayo, but again, the choice is yours.
To Freeze Leftover French Dip Sandwiches
- Allow meat and aus jus to cool.
- Place together in freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. **By freezing the meat with the aus jus, you keep the bottom roast from drying out.
- Allow to defrost in fridge overnight and then reheat on stove until just warmed through. You can also add all thawed ingredients to the Instant Pot and cook for 3 minutes on high pressure.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove meat for sandwiches and serve strained aus jus on the side.
More Instant Pot Beef Recipes
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Ground Beef (From Fresh and Frozen)
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Easy Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches are sure to become a new family favorite dinner. Tender chuck roast is piled on a toasted garlic bun and smothered with provolone cheese. Served up with rich broth on the side for dipping. These delicious sandwiches are made with almost no effort in the pressure cooker or slow cooker.
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 375kcal
Ingredients
- 3 -4 pound Chuck Roast or bottom round--but will be less tender
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 tbsp canola Oil
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 garlic cloves divided
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 8 hoagie buns
- 1 tbsp butter optional
- 16 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Season meat on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Turn Pressure Cooker to Saute and let heat to hot. Add oil and sear meat on all sides until golden (about 2-3 minutes per side).
- Add beef broth, 2 garlic cloves, onion slice and soy sauce to pressure cooker. Place lid on Instant Pot and turn to sealed.
- Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes for extremely tender meat or 40 minutes for meat that can be sliced.
- Once cooking time is finished, allow pressure cooker to naturally release for 15-20 minutes before manually releasing pressure.
- Remove meat and shred with 2 forks or thinly slice.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees and brush hoagie rolls with melted butter or oil.
- Toast rolls for 5 minutes or until golden and rub garlic clove over inside of roll.
- Layer meat and cheese on rolls and return to oven until cheese melts--about 3 minutes.
- Serve with side of strained aus jus (cooking liquid) on side for dipping.
Notes
- Total pressure cooker time: 5 minutes prep, 15 minutes warm up, 60 minutes cook time, 20 minutes natural release: Total time 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- If your roast is thicker than my pictures show, increase time by 15 minutes per pound.
- If the meat is still not tender enough for you, remove from broth, slice and put back in pressure cooker in broth. Set on high pressure for 10 minutes and allow to release for 20. Serve with slotted spoon.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Sear the meat in a heavy bottomed skillet in 1 tablespoon oil. Once seared on all sides, place the chuck roast into the slow cooker with the broth, garlic, onion and soy sauce and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10 hours.
- Nutrition Facts are based on 1/3 pound meat, 1 rolls, 2 slices of cheese and 1 cup aus jus.
Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
Amount Per Serving
Calories 375 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 600mg26%
Potassium 577mg16%
Protein 40g80%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 300mg30%
Iron 5.7mg32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
I would love to know how you enjoy this recipe!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram or Facebook - I would love to see!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.
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I rarely leave comments because I just don’t……but this recipe was EXCELLENT! I only buy meat from our local butcher shop so the roast I used was locally grown and grain free, and I made my own broth using Better Than Bouillon (beef) so I could adjust the flavor better. This was really really good! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed Kathleen and thank you for taking the time to comment.
Hi Kristen, this is my first instant pot recipe ! I was a nervous wreck preparing but was so happy when the countdown began. Some questions, when I sear the meat, I adjust the sauté function to “more” right ? Versus less or normal. Also when you say sear on all sides, does that include the sides of the roast too? You mentioned scraping off the brown bits on the bottom. After I added the beef broth and other ingredients, I couldn’t quite see the bottom and ended up lifting my meat slightly, and did my best to scrape off the hard bits. How crucial is it to scrape off all the bits ? Lastly, after cooking time and naturally release have completed, do I need to shred the meat immediately, or can I let the meat sit on “keep warm”? Just wondering if I get busy and can’t get to the shredding right away. Thank you so much Kristen, I appreciate all your help😄.
Hi Erica! I understand your nerves. For searing, yes you adjust to “more.” And I do dear all sides of the roast–so that is 6 if you count the ends (but this step is not as crucial.) As long as you don’t have a burn notice, you don’t need to worry you did not scrape enough off bottom of inner pot. Sometimes I take the meat out and scrape the pot and then put the meat back in, but I bet my lifting meat, you did a pretty sufficient job 😉 As for shredding, feel free to leave on keep warm for as long as you like before shredding. Sometimes, I will shred the meat and put back in instant pot and leave on warm until ready to serve as well–either option works. I hope you enjoy!
Made this last night and everyone loved it, but my stepmom was not so crazy about the Dr. Pepper. Can that be subbed out? I’ve read you can swap sodas for beer or extra stock in shredded meat recipes, would that work for this?
Well, I don’t use DR. Pepper, I call for beef broth which I find makes a much more flavorful aus jus. I would try that instead 🙂
This was fantastic! I tried to follow the recipe exactly as written, but my hubby insisted on searing the meat in a cast iron skillet – he layered and rubbed in sea salt, garlic powder and pepper. Also, I didn’t have provolone cheese, so I subbed with mozzarella. I WILL be making this again!
I am so glad your husband and you enjoyed! The extra step of searing meat is always a good idea if time persists too–good call there.
I made this tonight with a frozen chuck roast using your recipe plus the cooking time from your recipe with a frozen roast in the IP. At 90 minutes with a natural release, my 3 lb chuck roast came out perfect!
YAY!!! I am so glad this Instant Pot recipe was a success for you! I hope you enjoyed your French Dips 🙂
Can you use top round London broil for this? If so, how long would I cook a 2 lb. piece of meat?
Thanks.
Hi Sue! London Broil does work, you will just need to slice it after cooking, as it does not shred as easy as a chuck roast. I would cook 2 pounds for 40 minutes on high pressure (20 minutes per pound) for tender meat. With london broil, you either want to cook to med-rare or for long period of time in liquid. I hope you enjoy 🙂
Just fixed this for lunch…it was delicious. My husband repeatedly told me I could fix this dish again. Thank you for a great recipe! It was clear and easy to follow and resulted in a delicious lunch ncl as well as a ton of leftovers.
Oh thanks for sharing Jeanette! My husband asks for this meal over and over himself.
Have you ever made this with a frozen roast before, and if so what would you recommend for cooking time?
Hi Kay! For a frozen roast, I would actually cook for 60 minutes in high pressure and 20 minutes NPR. Of your meat does not slice easily, cook for an additional 20 minutes. Most of the time a fresh roast is more than tender in 40 minutes, but sometimes cuts of meat are thicker or less tender and need a full 60 minutes. However, I would start with 60 minutes for frozen. Enjoy
Omg,I just made this tonight for my family. So yummy! Even my hard to please father enjoyed it.
Wonderful comfort food dish for the fall🍁
YAY!! I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this meal!
This was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sharing!
I followed the recipe and made in instant pot. There was a ton of liquid, so next time I may try cutting the liquid in half.
I am SO glad you enjoyed Andrea! This recipe does make a lot of liquid, but we love the Aus-Jus in GENEROUS amounts. However, with the leftovers–use it to make Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup–Delicious!
How much time do you think it would take for a rosy half this size?
Hi Kat! So sorry it took me a day to get back to you–we were traveling yesterday. You can use the guideline for 20 minutes per pound for cooking roast in your pressure cooker. For this particular recipe, I may go more like 25 minutes per pound, as you want the roast to fall apart. Enjoy Kat!
The best way to prepare shredded meat is always in a pressure cooker. I tried the recipe in the exact same way as you suggested but served it in between burger buns instead of rolls and it looked great and tasted just as great!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We actually had it ourselves last night–it is a regular meal in our household. Pressure cooking makes the BEST shredded meat–totally agree
I read this recipe the other day and knew I had to head to Aldi for the ingredients. As a rule, I do not care for their meats, but I buy a good bit of their other products. Tonight I made this exactly the way you suggested. It was fantastic and I will definitely be making it again. I told my husband, the broth could be French Onion soup. The only thing was NOT Aldi was the rolls because, due to the storms in the east, the shelves were pretty bare and there were no rolls. I had to go elsewhere for them. I am loving your site. I have made the creme brûlée three times already.
Oh Diane, this just made my night! I am so glad you have found my site and are loving my recipes. Stay safe and hopefully spring weather is on it’s way to stay.
This might be a silly question but can I use a top round instead? My grocery store did not have bottom round. I am attempting it tonight!
Oh yay! Yes Steph, you certainly can. If after the 60 minutes the roast is not tender, cut it up and put back in pressure cooker for an additional 15 minutes on high. Enjoy!
I made these tonight and they turned out perfect, thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Love that you enjoyed them Amy!
This was Amazing!! But I did stick the Center of my roast back in for 20 more minutes and then it totally fell apart but I was using our own beef so I wasn’t sure the weight on it . But I seen you also used leftovers for a stew ! So I am going to try that today. I am going to add fresh potatoes and carrots but I prefer the can green beans, peas and corn .. I have seen on a lot of other recipes that the use frozen. Then I always put cabbage in my soup also so I am going to put it in after the rest is done . Wish me Luck!! LOL I just wanted to let you know that I love this recipe so Thank you !! 😊
Oh thank you so so much Tammy! I love that you enjoyed this recipe so much! And good luck with the stew. I just made a beef and barley soup with leftover cooked beef–I need to get that recipe up soon. But I think a bag of frozen mixed veggies, cabbage, potatoes and carrots with the leftover stew meat, broth and maybe diced tomatoes sounds HEAVENLY!! In fact, I want to come over for dinner–LOL! Enjoy! And I hope you find more recipes you love on my site
I wanted to slice my meat and after 40 minutes on high it was very raw. I’m looking at your pictures and the size of my roast is nowhere close to yours but was a 4.2 lb roast. What size roasts have you used? I want to make this work for next time?
Hi Christina,
So I tried this recipe for the 4th time to ensure directions were correct, as another person had issues with timing. My roast is 3 1/2 pounds, as stated on recipe card. For an almost 4.5 lb roast, I would cook for 15 minutes longer on high pressure. Also, be sure that your roast is completely thawed out, or you would need to add an additional 25 minutes to cooking time.
After my 4th attempt, I was still able to slice meat at 40 minutes with no issues (did let pressure come down naturally) but I do prefer the meat at 60-70 minutes on high pressure for a more tender roast. Hope that helps! I added notes to the recipe card for increasing size of roast and indicated I prefer the longer cooking time 🙂
Would definitely give this a try. Looks so tasty. ChichiBtw I love ALDI
ALDI is the best 🙂
I live near a restaurant that’s known for their French Dip sandwiches and there’s always a line. I can’t wait to try this easy French Dip recipe so I don’t have to wait in line!
Be ready to fall in love with these 🙂
oh my goodness, french dip is literally my FAVORITE sandwich ever. and you can’t beat the deals at ALDI! can’t wait to make this <3
Enjoy April
I read somewhere that bottom round is too lean for cooking in the IP! I am glad you proved this wrong as it’s one of my preferred cuts for this type of meal 🙂 I can’t wait to make this!
Peggy, it takes a bit longer to get tender, but is absolutely perfect (and no full of fat!)
I did exactly what your recipe said to do and mine wasn’t tender or falling apart. It was a tough mess. I even made sure i bought the correct meet “bottom round, Black Angus”. I so wanted this to work out. Oh well, thank you for the recipe though.
Jodi, this makes me so sad for you! Can I ask a few questions? Were you sure to set on high pressure? Did you allow the pressure cooker to release naturally for at least 15 minutes?? That is crucial for tender meat (sort of like how you would let meat rest before cutting to keep it juicy) And what size roast did you use?
Don’t discard the meat, place it back in IP and set again for another 20 minutes and let naturally release for another 20 minutes. It should be super tender after that.
I had the same experience as the person above. Followed your directions exactly & it was tough. You may want to edit your instructions & include the put back in for additional 20min.
Oh man, so sorry. I am remaking this today (for 5th time) to see if I can help troubleshoot better for you!
Sadly, same experience here. 3.5 lb bottom round on high pressure for 60 minutes, natural release 15+ minutes — the meat was tough and thermometer read near 200! (160 is considered well done) I’m glad to report that the flavor of the au jus and prep of buns and cheese made for a delicious meal regardless! I’m hoping to figure out what we can change to get a tender falling apart result.
Hi Jess! I am glad you were still able to enjoy dinner, but sorry your meat was not as tender. I state in post (under ingredients) that chuck roasts are the more tender cut. Bottom Round Roasts work perfectly but don’t shred (or fall apart) as easily. In the future if your meat is not tender after cooking, take the meat out and slice and put back in the pressure cooker for another 10 minutes in the aus jus–it will help it become a bit more tender (and cooking beyond 160 is okay in this instance) Hope those tips help!
Yum! Such a great use of the pressure/slow cooker. I have actually never had a French dip sandwich before. Definitely need to start with this.
You certainly need to give it a try!
We love French dip sandwiches! I always buy healthy deli meat but this looks super easy and delicious. I’ll have to try this method instead!
This is super easy Tiffany! And so much cheaper than deli meat–not to mention tastier 😉
I’ve never heard of these – they look so tasty though – I love beef cooked like this.
Oh Angela, you have been missing out. You must try these!
I haven’t made a french dip in years — but I desperately want to dive into that sandwich. Love that you can do it in the pressure cooker!
You need to make these so you CAN dive into this sandwich <3