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This tender, herb roast beef french dip sandwich with its rich, savory au jus and spicy mustard sauce brings restaurant-quality French dip right to your kitchen.


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What makes this dish special
After living in Los Angeles for 26 years, I finally got to try the famous Phillipe's restaurant in Downtown. This restaurant has been around for ages and has been named the best original french dip sandwich. They serve lamb, beef, or turkey french dip sandwiches that can be double-dipped in a savory au jus. The lines can go out the door, but it's all worth the wait.
I can always go for a tasty roast beef French dip sandwich, but since I can't always go to Phillipe's, I decided to make my own at home. It may not be the original French dip sandwich, but this recipe sure delivers!
Ingredients

- Sirloin roast: Provides the perfect balance of tenderness and beefy flavor without being too fatty. It's lean enough to slice cleanly when cooked to medium-rare, yet still flavorful.
- Herbs: Use a combination of fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme to infuse the meat with robust flavors. You can use dried herbs instead.
- Creamed horseradish: Adds a sharp, sinus-clearing heat to the spicy mustard sauce.
- Dry sherry: Used in the au jus to add a subtle sweetness and nutty flavor.
- Sandwich rolls: Use sturdy rolls such as hoagie rolls, submarine rolls, or french rolls, which won't fall apart from the au jus and yet are still soft enough to bite through easily.
Substitutions and variations
- Cheese: You can add sliced cheese to the sandwich, such as sliced provolone or sliced Swiss.
- Toppings: You can add extra toppings such as pepperoncini, caramelized onions, or pickled peppers for a gourmet sandwich.
Recipe
Roast Beef French Dip Sandwich
Ingredients
Roast beef
- 2 pounds sirloin roast
- salt and pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Spicy mustard
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons creamed horseradish
Au jus
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 14 ounces beef broth
- 4 sandwich rolls toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Pulse until herbs and garlic are finely chopped. Season roast with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, and pour the garlic herb marinade on top, spreading to cover all sides. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Place beef on a roasting rack and cook in the oven until the internal temperature is 125-130 degrees F, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spicy mustard. Mix dijon mustard with spicy brown mustard and creamed horseradish. Set aside.
- Remove roast from the oven and let rest 20 minutes. Thinly slice and reserve the juices.
- Make the au jus. Melt butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add minced shallots and saute for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add flour, whisking to combine. Add sherry, beef stock, and reserved beef juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Season au jus with salt and pepper.
- Spread mustard on toasted rolls and lay thinly sliced roast beef on top, followed by the top bun. Serve with au jus on the side.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Season roast
Roast beef french dip sandwiches are made from two ingredients: the beef and the bread. Given that it's such a simple sandwich, it's best to use top-notch ingredients.
When choosing the beef for the sandwich, I suggest using sirloin roast or top loin. You can also use bottom, top, or eye of round for a less expensive option.
Now, we could go basic and just season the beef with salt and pepper for a traditional roast beef. But we're not here for boring. If we're going to make the effort, we might as well make it as delicious as possible, right?

To infuse the beef with as much flavor, we're going to pulse together garlic, fresh herbs, and olive oil in a food processor until well combined. Season the roast with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and pour the garlic herb marinade on top.
Let the roast sit for 30 minutes to marinate and to come to room temperature, allowing it to cook more evenly.
Step 2: Roast
Place the marinated beef on a roasting rack and transfer it to the oven to cook. Meanwhile, prepare the spicy mustard. Although you don't have to make this condiment, it does go perfectly with the roast beef french dip sandwich.
When cooking your roast, check the internal temperature halfway through the cooking process. If your particular cut is thinner than other roasts, it can be done sooner. You're aiming for between 125-130 degrees for medium-rare. If you prefer medium, cook until the internal temperature is 135-140 degrees F.

Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes to let the juices circulate. Don't skip this step because it's going to allow the roast to continue to cook and become extra juicy.
Step 3: Assemble sandwiches
Now comes the tricky part, slicing the beef. To make a true roast beef french dip sandwich, you want to slice the beef as thin as you can. A slicer would come in handy right about now, but since I'm no fancy sandwich maker, I'll have to rely on my skills.
The most important thing to remember when slicing is to slice against the grain. If you slice with the grain, the beef can be chewy and difficult to bite into.

Save those beef juices to add to the au jus for extra flavor. I like to make the au jus while the roast is cooking and add the beef juices later to avoid having my sliced beef sit out too long.
Spread the mustard sauce on the rolls and stuff them with a good amount of roast beef. Serve with au jus on the side, and you have yourself an excellent roast beef french dip sandwich. Sure, there's a lot of work that goes into this sandwich, but you can almost call it art to produce such a great meal. It's a classic sandwich that can never go wrong!
For another twist on the classic french dip, check out this Chinese braised beef dip sandwich!

Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The roast beef can be cooked 1-2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat gently in the au jus or warm oven before serving.
- Store: Leftover roast beef and au jus will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat gently to avoid overcooking the beef.
Frequently asked questions
Let the roast rest fully, then slice against the grain as thinly as possible (⅛ inch or less) using a sharp carving knife. If you have a slicer, this would be the time to use it!
Yes, though it won't be as flavorful. Consider adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce for extra depth.
I enjoy this sandwich with Cajun beer battered fried pickles, Nashville sweet potato balls, or potato mushroom croquettes.
More beef sandwich recipes
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Kyra says
The entire family loved this sandwich. I think I need to make double batch next time because we wanted more the next day!
Christine Ma says
I'm so glad your family enjoyed it!