I know…four days in and I’ve already jumped the healthy bandwagon. Will you forgive me for taking a one day break? Because these Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches just can’t wait until February.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. This was supposed to be a nice simple beef brisket served with a pile of carrots, onions, and potatoes. Sure, it wasn’t exactly the picture of health, but it was a complete meal made right in your crockpot.
I blame the brisket for this mess. It was just so darn tender. And the broth? The wine made it so rich, so perfectly dunkable.
The brisket literally fell apart. It was like a love struck school girl–I barely looked at it and it fell to pieces.
I took one bite of the stuff and some instinct in my brain just took over. It was yelling, “Cheeeeeese, woman! This needs cheese!”
And before you know it, I was slathering buns with butter and smothering that brisket in gooey melted Swiss.
It was an accident. The really happy kind.
Guys? These sandwiches are really, really good. And the whole process is made so easy by the trusty slow cooker. I did brown the beef in a skillet for a short time before throwing it in the crockpot, but other than that, this is a dump and go recipe. The brisket cooks low and slow in a beef and wine broth seasoned with rosemary and bay leaf.
Once the beef is done, you just pile it onto the sandwiches, add your cheese, and give it a quick turn under the broiler.
I’ve never really had a french dip sandwich before, but now I can say with confidence that you haven’t really lived until you’ve dunked your sandwich in savory, beefy liquid. It’s an entirely new experience. One I insist you try as soon as possible.
If you’re not interested in cooking the carrots and potatoes with the beef, feel free to leave them out. I do suggest you keep the onions though. They really put the sandwiches over the top. Or, if you really must, I supppoooose you could skip the sandwich thing and serve this dinner as it was originally intended-on a pile of slow cooked veggies. Either way, you’re gonna love this beef!
The #SundaySupper team is easing into the New Year with a whole line up of slow cooker recipes. If you’re looking to simplify your evening dinner routine, this is the post for you! Check them all out below the recipe!
P.S. Because it’s January and I know you all are trying to eat healthier, I also made you a salad to go with the brisket. You’re welcome.
P.P.S. If you’re looking for a good slow cooker, this is the one I use. It handles roasts like a boss and turns pork into fall apart tender, sandwich-ready BBQ. Five years and still going strong, this is a work horse in my kitchen.
Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches #SundaySupper
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 lbs. beef brisket
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 4 medium potatoes, quartered (optional)
- 4 carrots, chopped into bite sized pieces (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups dry red wine
- Enough water to cover
For the sandwiches:
- Buns
- Butter
- Swiss Cheese
Instructions
For the Sandwiches:
- Remove the brisket from the crockpot and shred it. Butter both sides of the buns then place them under the broiler on low for 2 minutes or until browned and toasted. Pile the bottom half of the buns with the briskets and a few onions followed by 1-2 slices Swiss cheese. Place that half of the sandwich back under the broiler for another 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with the other half of the sandwich bun. Use the remaining broth from the crockpot as the "dip" for the sandwiches. Dunk and enjoy!
**Note: Since I work during the day, I can't really set my crockpot to high, but if I didn't I would probably cook this on high for 6 hours then turn it down to low for another 2-4 hours. It wasn't quite fall apart tender after 8 hours on low. I think it benefits from the high cooking time.
Recipe for brisket adapted from Stir It Up
Looking for more crock pot recipes? Check these out!
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili
Spicy Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup
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Cindys Recipes says
January 5, 2014 at 3:43 AMI love French Dip. I bet the vegetables gave it just the right flavor!
The Ninja Baker says
January 5, 2014 at 4:46 AMCarpe diem! Cheese – like ice cream – is a necessity of life!
Your brisket is brilliant and stirs up fun visits to delis in NYC =)
Happy New Year, Courtney!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:30 AMI’d love to try a French Dip Sandwich in NYC! That sounds wonderful!
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says
January 5, 2014 at 8:51 AMI’m drooling over your pictures and recipe! French Dip is always such a fun dish. Definitely pinning to try later!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:31 AMThanks Marjory! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Renee Goerger says
January 5, 2014 at 10:48 AMAre you kidding me? The photos in this post have me *swooning* over your sandwich. Not fair I tell you. Not fair at all! LOL CRAZY GOOD recipe!!!
Renee – Kudos Kitchen
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:32 AMThanks so much Renee! It is pretty swoon worthy! 🙂
Liz says
January 5, 2014 at 12:03 PMWhat an amazing mistake!!! I LOVE your take on French dip sandwiches…especially since it involves cheese 🙂
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:32 AMAlways cheese!
Julie @ Texan New Yorker says
January 5, 2014 at 12:33 PMMy stomach literally started growling when I looked through your pictures. I love brisket!! This looks divine. Thanks for sharing!
Lori | Foxes Love Lemons says
January 5, 2014 at 12:44 PMI”m SUPER jealous of this brisket. My hubby smoked some brisket in his new smoker yesterday, and it turned out…. a little dry. It wasn’t really his fault – it’s so cold here that I think temp control was a problem. But needless to say, after a dinner of dry, not-so-great brisket last night…..seeing this this morning is making me super jealous. Drooling!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:33 AMWhat a bummer! I’ve never attempted smoking, but it seems like it’s its own special art. This was definitely not dry, and it was so easy!
mommasangelbaby says
January 5, 2014 at 12:54 PMYou did the right thing! It looks yummy on a bun, smothered in cheese! My mouth is watering. Send me one through ciberspace! Oh wait, you can’t. Bummer. I bet they’re all gone anyway. Thanks for sharing & HUGS!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:34 AMThanks. 🙂 I try to listen to my gut (or rather, my growling stomach!)
Shaina Wizov says
January 5, 2014 at 1:34 PMEverything is always better when it’s smothered in cheese!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:34 AMAgreed!
Tammi says
January 5, 2014 at 2:24 PMMmmmm something about cheese and dipping that just gets me every time! Thanks for sharing.
Constance says
January 5, 2014 at 2:51 PMI LVOE accidents like this! Holey socks this looks good!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:34 AMThey’re the best kind of accidents, aren’t they?
L.A. Brown says
January 5, 2014 at 3:14 PMWell I’m glad you fell off the bandwagon, because this recipe looks and sounds delicious. Nice to find you through Sunday Suppers.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:34 AMGreat to find you as well! Thanks for coming by!
Family Foodie says
January 5, 2014 at 10:14 PMThose sandwiches look delicious! I love the french dip, as well! This is a dish my kids would love!
Tammy @ YoursAndMineAREOurs.co says
January 6, 2014 at 12:09 AMThese look SO good! I’m trying to cut back on carbs but yeah this is definitely being pinned for a splurge.
littleredkitchen says
January 6, 2014 at 12:51 AMYeah, so glad you didn’t wait until February to share this one! I love french dip sandwiches but sometimes the meat can be tough. Not yours, I can clearly tell this is a melt in your mouth sandwich.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:35 AMI was very pleased with the way they turned out. I’d never made brisket before, but I should have known I could trust my slow cooker to turn it into a fall apart in your mouth treat!
cupcakekalechip says
January 6, 2014 at 7:00 AMYou need calcium, right? Cheese is totally necessary for these yummy sammies. I love a good French dip
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:35 AMI like the way you think. 🙂
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious says
January 6, 2014 at 10:45 AMWell, since you insist…don’t mind if I do!
Tara says
January 6, 2014 at 4:08 PMThis is one of my absolute favorite ways to use the slow cooker. It makes such an amazing sandwich!!! Your recipe looks fantastic!!
Renee Dobbs says
January 7, 2014 at 2:40 PMI wants it, I wants it right now. Already printed the recipe and adding the ingredients to my shopping list. Freaking excellent recipe.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 10, 2014 at 11:36 AMThanks Renee! Hope you love it as much as we do!
Sara // Dear Skim says
January 10, 2014 at 12:02 PMOoooh man, all of the cheese! That juiciness! This has to happen in my life, pronto.
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
January 10, 2014 at 8:25 PMGaaaahhh I just got drool on my computer.
Rachel Phipps says
January 11, 2014 at 6:40 AMOh, these look simply stunning. A weekend food project that has me salivating at my screen, even though it is only 10:30am!
Amanda says
January 26, 2014 at 12:24 AMI made this recipe for dinner tonight and IT WAS AMAZING. I’ve never even been a fan of au jus, but man…..awesome recipe!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
January 26, 2014 at 2:31 PMI am so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to pop over and comment!
Dee Williamson says
February 10, 2014 at 11:19 AMI cannot WAIT to try this. Sometimes, accidents are a blessing in disguise!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
February 11, 2014 at 10:33 AMThat’s definitely the truth!
Misty Blakely says
March 4, 2014 at 6:44 PMThese look wonderful I can’t wait to try. Do you remember what kind of wine you used or is there one you would recommend?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
March 5, 2014 at 12:22 PMI don’t remember what kind I used specifically, but any kind of dry red wine should be good. No need to buy the expensive stuff. I usually don’t. 🙂
Marcy says
March 10, 2014 at 4:56 PMRed wine isn’t really like white in the sense that it can be classified as “dry”. “Dry” red wine would be one with a low alcohol content. I would guess that medium priced Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir would be a good match for this cut of meat since it can be a little “fatty”. I use about a $12-$15 Pinot when making Beef Bourguignon and will use the same for this. Remember, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it!
chef heatherLea says
March 23, 2014 at 9:19 AMI was looking for an easy french dip recipe and stumbled upon this one on pinterest. looks delicious, easy and I’m excited to try it tonight.. I just turned on my crockpot! thanks for the recipe:)
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
March 23, 2014 at 12:45 PMI hope you love it as much as we do! Have a great Sunday Supper!
Jessica says
March 30, 2014 at 1:22 AMI am making this tomorrow I am wondering do I really need all the veggies I am just making the sandwiches and I will use the onions but I don’t really need all the others?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
March 30, 2014 at 9:59 AMYou don’t have to include all the veggies. Just make sure you keep the onion, garlic, and seasonings. Hope you love it!
Karen says
May 13, 2014 at 9:32 AMFor a 2 lb. brisket, if you were home all day you would cook on high for 4 hours then on low for … How long is “the remaining time”?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
May 13, 2014 at 10:16 AMHi Karen, I would cook it on low for an additional 2-4 hours. I’ll change that in the recipe to make it more clear! Thanks!
Kt says
July 29, 2014 at 12:27 AMPretty sad, working on the brisket right now but I don’t think I realized just how small my crock pot actually is… There is no room for the veggies. I think I need to buy a bigger crock pot!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
July 30, 2014 at 6:25 PMOh no! I hope you enjoyed it even without the veggies! Sounds like a good item to add to your wishlist!
Lilly says
August 23, 2014 at 9:09 PMjust made this and is was so amazing…. but now I don’t know what to do with all the extra sauce and veggies. any good to make anther meal out of these?
Lilly says
August 23, 2014 at 9:13 PMjust made this and is was so amazing…. but now I don’t know what to do with all the extra sauce and veggies. any good to make anther meal out of these?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
August 24, 2014 at 8:41 PMSo glad you liked it! The broth and veggies could make an excellent base for a soup. You may need to add a little more beef broth, but you could add rice, noodles, lentils, or other meat. You could probably also thicken it by adding a cornstarch slurry and use it as a sauce over egg noodles. Good luck!
Lilly says
September 5, 2014 at 2:34 PMegg noodles and a sauce is a GREAT idea! thanks 😀
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
September 7, 2014 at 9:27 PMOh man, that’s a good question! I think they were some kind of onion rolls.
Kim says
September 13, 2014 at 11:36 AMI haven’t made this recipe….. yet (it’s on Tuesday nights menu)…. but when I cook a roast in the crockpot, I never cover the entire thing with water (or other liquid) it seems to dry it out. I cover about half of it, cooked on low all day while I’m at work, and they are always fall apart and tender. I will most likely do the same when I make this.
Lauren says
September 14, 2014 at 2:18 PMMore liquid dries it out?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
September 14, 2014 at 2:51 PMI’ve never had a problem with more liquid making it dry. I would use the full amount for this one.
Kim says
September 16, 2014 at 11:45 AMI know… seems a bit ironic, but my family can definitely tell the difference when I use less liquid. We’ll see how this recipe turns out w/ less liquid…. in the crockpot now.
Lauren says
September 14, 2014 at 2:17 PMCan I cook on high for 6 hrs? Got a late start and want to eat by 7pm
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
September 14, 2014 at 2:50 PMIt will definitely be cooked through in 6 hours but it might now be as fall apart tender.
Kelley @ chefsavvy.com says
September 29, 2014 at 12:24 PMThis looks amazing! Your pictures are beautiful and makes me want one now!
Amy Huber says
October 18, 2014 at 10:12 PMI made this tonight and found the broth a little watery tasting and added another bouillon cube a couple hours prior to serving. I also found (and maybe it was just my slow cooker) that it was not very tender after 9 hours and would perhaps turn it on high a little earlier. Otherwise, very tasty and my boyfriend loved it.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
October 24, 2014 at 10:35 AMThanks for coming back to let me know! I definitely do think this benefits from as much high heat as possible. I’ve changed the recipe to reflect that.
Lorena says
October 24, 2014 at 9:23 AMDid you make the sweet potato chips? if so did you bake them. I’d love the recipe too.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
October 24, 2014 at 10:34 AMUnfortunately I didn’t! I think they were the the Food Should Taste Good brand of kettle cooked sweet potato chips.
gabrielle says
December 21, 2014 at 9:34 AMI made this two nights ago, after putting it off for months, it was seriously so good! I made it exactly by the recipe, carrots, potatoes and all. It was fantastic. The husband and son raved about it. It’s almost like I got two meals out of it, we did sandwiches one day and had the meat and veggies the next. It was so flavorful and moist after 4hrs high, 4hrs low. Definitely a major keeper.Thank you! The only thing I did was pass on the swiss to use up our muenster, it was good, but a nice stinky swiss would have been even better. Awesome recipe, I’m already planning on making it again when the whole family is here to show off lol!
gabrielle says
December 21, 2014 at 9:36 AMTrader joes has cheddar and horseradish potato chips that go so well with this recipe its scary!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
December 21, 2014 at 10:08 PMI am so glad it was such a hit! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know. And I am DEFINITELY going to be getting some of those cheddar horseradish chips. That sounds amazing!
Carol says
March 12, 2015 at 1:23 PMThis sounds wonderful. I do have one question – did you make it with a fresh brisket or was it the cured ones (vacuum sealed pkg) that can be found in abundance around St Patrick’s Day.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
March 12, 2015 at 4:19 PMI made this with a fresh brisket, not the corned beef brisket you get around St. Pat’s. 🙂
Alysa says
July 16, 2015 at 10:21 AMIt’s on right now. If you were doubling the recipe, what ratio of high/low heat would you use? Also, the very top 5% is uncovered, Is that okay?
Thank you!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
July 16, 2015 at 11:13 AMI would cook on high for 6 and then low for an additional 2-4. It’s fine for a bit of it to be uncovered, but I would maybe it flip it halfway through so that part doesn’t get dry. I hope it turns out wonderfully for you!
caitie says
July 21, 2015 at 4:17 PMWhat kind of dry red wine did you use?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
July 22, 2015 at 2:44 PMI don’t remember the exact brand I used, but a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir would all be good options.
ashley says
October 17, 2015 at 9:54 AMi used red cooking wine…i really hoping it turns out.
Katie kratzer says
November 6, 2015 at 2:44 AMHow did the cooking wine go?
Bre says
July 29, 2016 at 5:47 PMI used cooking wine and it came out really good. I ended up using the whole bottle because my brisket was a bit larger than the recipe called for. This dish was amazing, we made it on the 4th of July with friends coming over so I wouldn’t be in the kitchen the whole time and they raved about it for days afterwards.
Katie Rich says
October 10, 2015 at 2:28 PMI made this a few nights ago and it was absolutely delicious. We had this for leftovers 3 nights in a row! When we buttered our buns I used a garlic butter because we love garlic and it made it even more tastier.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
October 13, 2015 at 1:49 PMI am so glad you enjoyed it so much! The garlic toasted buns sound amazing!
Katie kratzer says
November 6, 2015 at 2:43 AMHow many servings did this yeild?
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
November 6, 2015 at 8:42 AMIt will make about 8 sandwiches.
Rayzer says
April 21, 2016 at 8:45 PMIt almost seems like sacrilege to treat a brisket this way. I guess I just can’t bring myself to not smoke a brisket for 18-20 hours in a smoker, but that’s just me. I would think a good pot roast would be just as good here and especially on some good onion rolls with mozzarella. Thanks for the great idea, my wife and I have been looking for something like this. 🙂
plasterer bristol says
November 15, 2016 at 1:45 PMThis sounds amazing. thanks for putting up this recipe.
Simon
Mica Nitschke says
August 28, 2017 at 4:50 PMThis recipe is delicious! I’ve made it several times. I hope you don’t mind, I put a link to your recipe in our blog!
Courtney says
August 29, 2017 at 3:26 PMI’m so glad you like it. Thank you for sharing on your blog. I really appreciate it!
Mica Nitschke says
August 29, 2017 at 3:30 PMHere’s the link if you’re interested Courtney. I didn’t have it ready yesterday! https://openspacemeats.com/life-on-off-the-ranch-back-to-school-edition/
Mica
Nicole says
February 28, 2018 at 11:52 AMI’m curious about the type of buns you used. I imagine it’d have to be something fairly sturdy to hold up to the dipping — not regular hamburger buns. The ones in your picture look almost like a brioche bun. At any rate, I have the brisket in the crockpot and will grab some kaiser rolls or similar later. Can’t wait! Thanks!
Courtney says
March 4, 2018 at 10:59 AMYes! Sturdy buns are definitely needed. I can’t remember what these exact buns were, but I usually scout something out in the bakery section of our grocery store. An onion roll is really good, too! I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Jenny says
May 20, 2018 at 11:30 PMSo which is the preferred method to cook… low or high in the crockpot?
Tiffany Ward says
September 21, 2018 at 11:33 AMDo you think I could substitute red wine vinegar instead of actual red wine?
Courtney @ NeighborFood says
September 21, 2018 at 3:41 PMI wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll likely end up with really sour beef!
Ellen Harrison says
December 11, 2018 at 9:48 PMI put this in my crockpot at 8:30 this am on high. At about 12:30 it smelled so good. I then turned the heat down to low, and by 4:00, it was pull-apart tender, so I turned it back to warm.
I’m not real fond of wine, so I only used 1/2 cup dry red wine and made up the difference with beef broth.
This was THE most delicious French Dip I’ve ever had/made! It was incredible. I give it an A++++. I served it to my family in honor of my daughter’s 32nd birthday tonight. Everyone loved it!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Courtney says
December 12, 2018 at 4:38 PMWonderful! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it!