Real French Dip Sliders are King’s Hawaiian Rolls layered with tender, slow-cooked beef, caramelized onions, and melted provolone cheese, brushed and baked with a garlic butter topping. Then, the sliders are served with au jus for dipping, bringing even more flavor to each bite! These can be enjoyed as the main dish or as a delicious appetizer. These are based on my French Dip, a sandwich made on a hoagie bun with tender, slow-roasted chuck roast.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Onion: A yellow onion is caramelized in butter to really step up the flavors of this slider recipe. It takes a little extra time, but so worth it! If you are not a fan of onions, you could leave them out, but I encourage you to try the onions on at least half of the sliders!
Hawaiian Rolls: As with my other slider recipes, I used King’s Hawaiian Rolls for their super soft texture and slightly sweet flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, make homemade Hawaiian rolls to use! My Easy Dinner Rolls would also be a good option for sliders.
Roast Beef: For the most flavorful sliders, use my oven-roasted beef from my French Dip sandwich. Be sure to save the beef juices for dipping (au jus). You could also check out my Easy French Dip Sliders which are made with deli meat and a package au jus mix if you are shorter on time.
Cheese: Although not always added to classic French Dip sandwiches, many people do add cheese. I love provolone. You could also use Swiss, Gruyere, or experiment with your favorite kind of cheese. Or, leave off the cheese if preferred.
Garlic Butter Topping: For more flavor, do not skip the garlic butter topping! Made with just melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, and salt, it makes the sliders stand out even more when it comes to taste!
Can I Make The Roast Beef Ahead Of Time?
Yes! I called these sliders ‘real’ French Dip Sliders because I used oven-roasted beef (instead of deli meat), which takes some extra time. But, you can get it made in advance so it is ready to use when you are craving these sliders. Seriously, once you bite into one of these, you will want to make them on repeat! Once the beef has been cooked and cooled, shred or slice it. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. You can warm it up a bit before assembling the sliders if preferred.
Homemade Au Jus
If you don’t want to buy au jus or you want to make this slider with store-bought roast beef, you will need to make up a quick au jus dipping sauce. This is an easy recipe that will work perfectly with this slider.
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add flour and whisk until the butter and flour come together, creating a roux.
- While whisking, slowly add the beef broth to the flour mixture. Whisk for 3-5 minutes.
- Once the beef broth is incorporated, add the Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes or until barely thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste(optional, beef broth is quite salty unless you get sodium-free).
How To Serve French Dip Sliders
French dip sliders can be served as the main dish or as appetizers. Here are some creative ways to serve the sliders:
- Arrange the sliders on a platter with tongs for easy grabbing. And, provide individual servings of au jus for guests to use for dipping.
- Provide utensils. Yes, these are technically a little sandwich, but they can be messy and you want to enjoy every last morsel of the goodness!
- Offer condiments like mustard, horseradish sauce, or mayonnaise.
- If the sliders are the main course, serve with side dishes like air fryer french fries, homemade potato chips, roasted Brussels sprouts, or coleslaw, just to name a few.
How To Store French Dip Sliders
To store French Dip Sliders, first, let them cool completely. Next, wrap them in plastic wrap or keep them in an airtight container. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Store the au jus (dipping juice) in a separate container in the refrigerator. Reheat the sliders in the oven or in the microwave. Warm up the au jus in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
French Dip Sliders
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, halved, sliced
- 1 package (12-count) King's Hawaiian Rolls
- 2 cups (460 g) shredded or thinly sliced roast beef, with juices (au jus) for dipping (storebought or homemade au jus, see post for quick recipe)
- 8 slices provolone cheese, divided
Garlic Butter Topping
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are tender and caramelized to a rich, golden color.
- Keeping the Hawaiian rolls attached, use a serrated knife to cut through the middle of the rolls, dividing the top and bottom halves.
- Place the bottom halves of the rolls into the prepared baking dish. Top with 4 slices of provolone cheese, roast beef, caramelized onions, and remaining slices of cheese.
- Top with the top halves of the rolls.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, parsley, and salt.
- Brush the garlic butter generously over the tops of the rolls.
- Cover the sliders with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Remove foil, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to toast the tops of the sliders.
- Remove from the oven. Slice and serve with au jus for dipping.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Wow! What a great way to use up left-over french dip meat! These sliders are meaty and cheesy, filled with so much flavor!
Elizabeth
These are fantastic! I was impressed with our French Dip, so was really excited to try the sliders, too. They are amazing with so much flavor!
Annabelle
These sliders are absolutely delicious! They're tender, flavorful, and moist. Best of all, the au jus seriously elevates these sandwiches!
Bella
This is a delicious slider that everyone will enjoy! It is savory and cheesy!
Rachael
These were amazing! The homemade beef roast for the French dip is a game changer. Restaurant-level deliciousness!
