Instant Pot French Dip

Instant Pot French Dip with tender roast beef on a toasty bun, melty cheese and sauteed veggies makes one mouthwatering dinner sandwich!

Dinner usually doesn’t involve sandwiches at our place, but my family went crazy for this Instant Pot French dip.

No need for all day slow cooking, these sandwiches are ready in a fraction of the time for a laid-back Sunday dinner or feeding a crowd on game day. I just love Instant Pot recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Hands off: I seared and pressure cooked the roast in my Instant Pot, it practically shreds itself.
• Healthier: We add sauteed onions and bell peppers, and make a homemade au jus without any packets.
• Crowd pleaser: Juicy beef, toasty bread, and melted cheese gets everyone excited for dinner.
• Versatile: Make it your own with your choice of buns, type of roast, and cheese.

Ingredients for Instant Pot French Dip

There are two parts to this Instant Pot French dip recipe – the roast and the sandwiches, both made with simple, flavorful ingredients.

• Roast: You’ll need a 2.5 pounds thawed chuck roast, sirloin tip roast, or rump roast without twine.
• Onion: We slice a large white or yellow onion and divide it between the savory sauce and sauteed veggies.
• Au jus: Low sodium beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried thyme create a much tastier and healthier dip compared to a packaged mix and enhances the beef’s flavor.
• Buns: You want sturdy buns. Chewy outside baguette style buns are nice because they will be softened with au jus anyways. Long sandwich buns, hoagie rolls or Spaccatelli buns are great too.
• Provolone cheese: Provolone brings a classic touch to Instant Pot French dip sandwiches and melts easily. Swiss cheese is another great option.
• Bell peppers: Sauteed red and green bell peppers add a sweet and tangy taste.
• Butter: I went with salted butter to brush on the bread for an extra burst of flavor. You can use unsalted butter if you like.
• Oil for frying: Olive oil or avocado oil.

How to Make French Dip in Instant Pot

Here’s a quick overview how to make French dip in Instant Pot.

There is a full recipe card below.

• Prep au jus: In a medium bowl, mix together beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme. Whisk and set aside.
• Sear roast: Select Saute on the Instant Pot and wait for the display to read Hot. Season the roast with a touch of salt and pepper on all sides, then add oil to the Instant Pot. Sear the roast for approximately 2 minutes per side. Transfer it to a plate.
• Saute onion: Drizzle a little extra oil in the Instant Pot and add onions. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Hit Cancel. Place the roast on top and pour the beef broth mixture over it.
• Pressure cook: Seal the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and press the Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 1 hour. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally, which usually takes about 30 minutes.

• Saute veggies: As the roast cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Toss in onions and bell peppers, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper, and sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Set them aside.
• Toast buns: At the same time, partially cut through the buns, leaving them attached, and butter each side on the inside. Arrange them on a large baking sheet and broil open faced until they turn golden brown.
• Assemble sandwiches: Using 2 forks, shred the meat directly in the Instant Pot. With tongs, scoop some meat while pressing to remove excess juice and place it on one side of the bun. Top it with 2 overlapping slices of cheese. On the other side, add sautéed onions and peppers. Distribute the meat and veggies evenly among all the buns.
• Melt the cheese: Place the baking sheet on the middle rack under the broiler and bake until the cheese has melted, then remove from the oven.
• Serve: Put them open-faced or folded on a plate. Spoon some of that delicious au jus from the Instant Pot into little ramekins and serve it alongside each sandwich. Best enjoyed hot right away!

What Cut of Meat Can I Use?

Traditionally it’s chuck roast but I’ve been having a hard time finding it in stores so I used sirloin tip roast. It is more lean but it turned out wonderful with one hour of pressure cooking.

I actually enjoyed using sirloin tip roast more than chuck roast because it is more lean, resulting in less fat in the au jus for dipping.

You can also use rump roast or if you come across chuck roast, go ahead and use it. It’s a tough cut, but thanks to the efficiency of the Instant Pot, it will come out perfectly juicy and tender.

Any of these cuts of meat work well for French dip in pressure cooker, they’re budget-friendly and will feed the whole family. Just remember to remove the twine.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips to perfecting French dip in Instant Pot.

• Be sure to sear the roast: For flavor because it will be part of our au jus and we do not use packets.
• Deglaze the pot: Loosen any bits after searing the roast and sauteeing the onions to avoid Burn message. Deglazing also enhances the flavor with those savory browned bits.
• Let pressure release naturally: Natural release ensures your meat is tender and easily shreddable as the fibers have more time to relax.
• Toasting the buns: Traditionally slathered with garlic butter and then toasted, I just used butter. One time I sprinkled garlic powder on top. You can also use your tried and true garlic butter recipe.

What to Serve Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches with?

There are plenty of delicious and easy side dishes that pair perfectly with French dip sandwiches.

Kids and adults alike enjoy dippable sides such as French fries, air fryer sweet potato fries, or tater tots.

In the warmer months I love whipping up a cauliflower potato salad or coleslaw for a cool and crispy contrast. Depending on my mood, I’ll make my favorite coleslaw recipe or creamy healthy coleslaw.

If you’d like to add for more veggies, parmesan roasted brussels sprouts, crock pot corn on the cob, or healthy mashed potatoes topped with au jus would be delicious.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Keep any leftover roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best juiciness, store it with the leftover au jus. Make sure both are cooled before transferring to the storage container.

Freeze: Let the beef and au jus cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container with room for expansion. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight then gently warm the beef and au jus on the stove over low heat or in a microwave safe dish, heating in 1-minute intervals until warmed through. Strain off the liquid from the beef, save it for dipping, and assemble sandwiches.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Beef Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot pot roast
• Instant Pot sirloin tip roast
• Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast
• Instant Pot beef stew
• Instant Pot corned beef
• Instant Pot beef and barley soup