This Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich gives you “fall apart” tender meat in a fraction of the time it takes in a slow cooker. Perfectly seasoned chuck roast and onions are prepared in your Pressure Cooker and served on a hoagie roll with melted provolone cheese. Serve with Au Jus for an authentic French Dip experience!
It was only a matter of time before we made a French Dip Sandwich in an Instant Pot! As you probably know by now, Instant Pots are an ingenious kitchen appliance that makes just about any recipe quicker, easier and more delicious. From DESSERTS to YOGURT to SOUPS, there really isn’t anything you can’t make in your Pressure Cooker.
But where the Instant Pot really shines is when you want to make super tender, juicy meat dishes but don’t have time to let it sit in a Crockpot all day. I’m not joking when I tell you that you can get Slow Cooker quality meat in a fraction of the time when using your Pressure Cooker.
I’ve seen it done with:
- INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
- INSTANT POT CORNED BEEF
- INSTANT POT FAJITAS
- INSTANT POT MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST
- INSTANT POT PORK CHOPS
- INSTANT POT PULLED PORK
Get the idea? You should really try to make your next meat dish in an Instant Pot! And, if you are in the mood for a French Dip Sandwich…..? Yep, get out your Pressure Cooker!
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich
These French Dip Sandwiches are the ULTIMATE in Comfort Food. There just isn’t anything like the tender meat on a crusty bread with tons of provolone cheese. Then dip it in the Au Jus? Yum!
And making French Dip Sandwiches in your Pressure Cooker is an absolute breeze! For step-by-step instructions, check out the printable recipe card below. But here are the ingredients that you’ll need:
- VEGETABLE OIL – To sear our beef and saute our onions.
- BEEF ROAST – We use a chuck eye beef roast for this recipe.
- SALT – To taste. There will be more salt included with the beef broth so don’t overdo it. If you are on a low sodium diet, you may want to omit this for now. You can always add it later.
- GARLIC POWDER
- ONIONS – We used yellow onions for their sweeter, milder flavor. But you can use red onions if you’d like.
- BEEF BROTH – Again, if you are watching your sodium intake, you can use low sodium beef broth.
- BAY LEAF
- HOAGIE BUNS – Or any other soft, longer sandwich bread that you’d like.
- PROVOLONE CHEESE – To make this an authentic, classic French Dip, we suggest sticking with provolone. But you could also try out mozzarella cheese or even swiss cheese. Any soft, white cheese that will melt well can work.
- BUTTER – This is to slather on your hoagie roll and toast it. This part is optional, but we suggest doing is so that the bread holds up a little better.
Do You Need To Sear The Beef First?
As you will see in the recipe card below, we instruct you to set your Instant Pot to Saute and to sear your beef on all sides. We highly recommend doing this, as it really helps seal in all the delicious juices during cooking time. And it will give the beef a nice crust. But, if you are really short on time, you CAN skip this step.
When searing your beef in the Instant Pot, we’ve found that it’s helpful to use long tongs that help you grip and rotate the roast.
Can I Use Frozen Meat For French Dip Sandwiches?
One of the best parts of cooking in your Instant Pot is that you can put frozen meat into it. Have a chuck roast just hanging out in your freezer? Yes, you can put a frozen beef chuck roast into an Instant Pot. But, you will not be able to sear it. Also, it will take anywhere from an extra 10-30 minutes to come to pressure. So plan accordingly.
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich: Notes and Variations
- SUBSTITUTE CHEESE – French Dips are most commonly served with Provolone. But feel free to substitute cheese as you see fit. I’ve seen some with Swiss Cheese. Or add Pepper Jack for a little kick!
- ADD SOY SAUCE – Add Soy Sauce? Some recipes add 1 tbsp of Soy Sauce to give the broth a little flavor and salt. Go for it!
- MAKE SURE YOU SCRAPE ALL THE BROWN BITS OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE POT – After you add the beef broth, use a wood spoon to loosen up all the leftover bits of food from when you sauteed the beef and onion (those bits are called Fond, bet you didn’t know that!). This is where all the flavor is!
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot French Dip Recipe! They make a great weekend lunch or a delicious snack to enjoy while watching the big game. Let me know how it turns out for you in the comment section.
Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 chuck eye beef roast about 2.5 to 3 lbs (mine was 3.18lbs)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 large onions sliced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 hoagie buns
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- butter
Instructions
- Add oil to instant pot and set to saute. Add beef roast and sear on both sides until browned. Carefully remove meat from pot and set aside.
- Add onions and continue to saute until tender.
- Add broth and bay leaf. Use wooden spoon to scrape up brown bits of onions and beef from bottom of pan. Return meat to pot and add seasonings.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and seal shut. Close the pressure release valve and seal shut. Set the pot to manual, high pressure for 100 minutes.
- When cooking cycle is complete, let pressure naturally release for 30 minutes. Open pot and carefully remove meat and shred.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute and let the remaining cooking broth come to a boil. This will be your Au Jus.
- Add meat to a hoagie bun and top with a slice of cheese. Add butter to the top bun and broil for 2-3 minutes until bun is crispy and cheese is melted. Serve with au jus for dipping.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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