Slow Cooker Beef Brisket French Dip Sandwiches
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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
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 cloves garlic (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
- Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Cut any large hunks of fat off the brisket then season it generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add the brisket to the hot oil and cook until browned on all sides, 2-4 minutes per side.
- Place the onion, carrots and potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot followed by the brisket. Sprinkle with garlic cloves, rosemary, and bay leaves. Add the broth and wine then fill with enough water to cover all of the beef and vegetables.
- Cook on low for 8 hours, then high for an additional hour.** Remove the bay leaves before serving.
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!
Notes
- **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.
Nutrition
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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Made 36 beef sliders for a condominium association wine pairing party. I used two crockpots with approximately 4 1/2 pounds of meat in each and still had leftovers. Everyone raved about this recipe!
Have you made this is a dutch oven? If so, what temperature and how long do you bake for?
My daughter sent me this recipe in 2016. We were planning a 75th birthday party for my mother. There were too many people invited then but I saved the recipe and made it for Christmas that year. We have made it every year since. It’s now our traditional Christmas dinner. Some years as sandwiches and some with mashed potatoes and gravy. Depends on sons work schedule. It is so delicious!
Yay! This comment made my day. Merry Christmas!
I made this last night, the broth/au juis was not as flavorful as some recipes I have made before. I wouldn’t add the water going forward as that didn’t help. I was hoping the fat would break down and blend with the wine. I had to add soy sauce and worcestershire sauce to make up for the lack of broth flavor.
Same with me. I was super excited about it but disappointed in flavor.
Glad to see other’s came out well. Wonder what I did wrong.
I can’t wait to make this on Sat for the football game. My boys are going to love this. Whats the best rolls to use? I always have a hard time making sure a have the best bread for that meal🙆🏻🙅
Great question! It depends on what you like best. If you like a softer roll, onion rolls are really great with this. But if you prefer something crustier that can soak up more juices, I absolutely LOVE these La Brea Telera rolls or any kind of baguette! https://www.labreabakery.com/breads/telera-roll
I 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.
Wonderful! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it!
I 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.
Do you think I could substitute red wine vinegar instead of actual red wine?
I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll likely end up with really sour beef!
So which is the preferred method to cook… low or high in the crockpot?
I’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!
Yes! 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!
This 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!
I’m so glad you like it. Thank you for sharing on your blog. I really appreciate it!
Here’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
This sounds amazing. thanks for putting up this recipe.
Simon
It 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. 🙂
How many servings did this yeild?
It will make about 8 sandwiches.
I 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.
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! The garlic toasted buns sound amazing!
What kind of dry red wine did you use?
I don’t remember the exact brand I used, but a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir would all be good options.
i used red cooking wine…i really hoping it turns out.
How did the cooking wine go?
I 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.
It’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!
I 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!
This 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.
I made this with a fresh brisket, not the corned beef brisket you get around St. Pat’s. 🙂
I 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!
Trader joes has cheddar and horseradish potato chips that go so well with this recipe its scary!
I 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!
Did you make the sweet potato chips? if so did you bake them. I’d love the recipe too.
Unfortunately I didn’t! I think they were the the Food Should Taste Good brand of kettle cooked sweet potato chips.
I 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.
Thanks 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.
This looks amazing! Your pictures are beautiful and makes me want one now!
Can I cook on high for 6 hrs? Got a late start and want to eat by 7pm
It will definitely be cooked through in 6 hours but it might now be as fall apart tender.
I 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.
More liquid dries it out?
I’ve never had a problem with more liquid making it dry. I would use the full amount for this one.
I 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.
Oh man, that’s a good question! I think they were some kind of onion rolls.
just 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?
So 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!
egg noodles and a sauce is a GREAT idea! thanks 😀
just 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?
Pretty 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!
Oh no! I hope you enjoyed it even without the veggies! Sounds like a good item to add to your wishlist!
For 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”?
Hi 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!
I 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?
You don’t have to include all the veggies. Just make sure you keep the onion, garlic, and seasonings. Hope you love it!
I 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:)
I hope you love it as much as we do! Have a great Sunday Supper!
These look wonderful I can’t wait to try. Do you remember what kind of wine you used or is there one you would recommend?
I 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. 🙂
Red 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!
I cannot WAIT to try this. Sometimes, accidents are a blessing in disguise!
That’s definitely the truth!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and IT WAS AMAZING. I’ve never even been a fan of au jus, but man…..awesome recipe!
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to pop over and comment!
Oh, these look simply stunning. A weekend food project that has me salivating at my screen, even though it is only 10:30am!
Gaaaahhh I just got drool on my computer.
Ooooh man, all of the cheese! That juiciness! This has to happen in my life, pronto.
I wants it, I wants it right now. Already printed the recipe and adding the ingredients to my shopping list. Freaking excellent recipe.
Thanks Renee! Hope you love it as much as we do!
This is one of my absolute favorite ways to use the slow cooker. It makes such an amazing sandwich!!! Your recipe looks fantastic!!
Well, since you insist…don’t mind if I do!
You need calcium, right? Cheese is totally necessary for these yummy sammies. I love a good French dip
I like the way you think. 🙂
Yeah, 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.
I 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!
These look SO good! I’m trying to cut back on carbs but yeah this is definitely being pinned for a splurge.
Those sandwiches look delicious! I love the french dip, as well! This is a dish my kids would love!
Well I’m glad you fell off the bandwagon, because this recipe looks and sounds delicious. Nice to find you through Sunday Suppers.
Great to find you as well! Thanks for coming by!
I LVOE accidents like this! Holey socks this looks good!
They’re the best kind of accidents, aren’t they?
Mmmmm something about cheese and dipping that just gets me every time! Thanks for sharing.
Everything is always better when it’s smothered in cheese!
Agreed!
You 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!
Thanks. 🙂 I try to listen to my gut (or rather, my growling stomach!)
I”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!
What 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!
My stomach literally started growling when I looked through your pictures. I love brisket!! This looks divine. Thanks for sharing!
What an amazing mistake!!! I LOVE your take on French dip sandwiches…especially since it involves cheese 🙂
Always cheese!
Are 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
Thanks so much Renee! It is pretty swoon worthy! 🙂
I’m drooling over your pictures and recipe! French Dip is always such a fun dish. Definitely pinning to try later!
Thanks Marjory! I hope you love it as much as we do.
Carpe 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!
I’d love to try a French Dip Sandwich in NYC! That sounds wonderful!
I love French Dip. I bet the vegetables gave it just the right flavor!