French Dip Sliders Recipe with Au Jus

Name: French Dip Sliders
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter (divided); 2 small onions (or 1 large onion, thinly sliced); salt and pepper (to taste); 1 cup beef broth; 12 Hawaiian rolls; 1 pound thinly sliced roast beef (approximately 12-15 slices); ½ cup Swiss cheese (shredded); 9 slices provolone cheese; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (optional)

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These French dip sliders are the perfect party food. Made with thinly sliced roast beef, melty Swiss and provolone cheeses, caramelized onions, and served with a homemade au jus, they’re a total crowd pleaser!

Close up of Hawaiian Roll French Dip Slider.

Whether you’re hosting a game day get-together, a party, or a holiday gathering, you just can’t miss with this easy French dip sliders recipe. Made with simple ingredients and ready in just 40 minutes, they also make a great weeknight dinner after a busy evening with the kids.

You’ll start with soft Hawaiian sweet rolls and pile them high with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, juicy roast beef, and provolone cheese. The cheese gets gooey and melty in the oven, and the buttery buns get the perfect amount of crispness and aren’t soggy at all. Don’t like onions? Just leave them off. Want to try a different cheese? Go for it! But don’t skimp on making the homemade au jus — it’s the perfect dipping sauce for these tasty sliders.

Hand holding French dip roast beef slider and dipping it in au jus sauce.

If you need to make a bunch of food, you should also try these yummy Italian Hawaiian roll sliders with prosciutto, salami, and pepperoni!

But for now, let’s grab what you need to pull these roast beef sliders together.

Ingredients

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Butter — Used to cook the onions, make the au jus dip, and coat the slider buns to make them nice and buttery. Salted or unsalted butter will work for this recipe.
Onions — Add the cooked onions to your sandwiches, with a little reserved for the au jus. They give these sliders and the dip wonderful flavor! I typically use Vidalia or another sweet onion.
Salt and Pepper — Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Beef Broth — This will be used to make the homemade au jus for dipping the sandwiches.
Hawaiian Rolls — Soft, fluffy, King’s Hawaiian rolls are perfect for making a bunch of sliders at once. Plus, they’re super easy to cut in half!
Roast Beef — Thinly sliced deli roast beef works best.
Swiss Cheese — I prefer to shred the Swiss cheese for this recipe, but you can use slices if you’d like.
Provolone Cheese — You can use regular slices of provolone cheese or smoked provolone for a flavorful twist.
Worcestershire Sauce — This ingredient is optional, but recommended, to add umami flavor to the melted butter used to brush the tops of the slider buns.

Equipment Needed for Easy French Dip Sliders

To make French dip sliders, you’ll need to grab these tools from the kitchen:

Measuring cups and spoons
Bread knife
Cutting board
Cheese grater
9 x 13 baking dish
Skillet
Aluminum foil

How to Make French Dip Sliders

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add sliced onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and caramelized. Set all but roughly 2 tablespoons of the onions aside.

Step 2: Add more butter and beef broth to the onions remaining in the skillet to make the au jus. Let the liquid simmer for about 10 minutes or until it’s reduced by half.

Two image collage of caramelized onions in cast iron pan. In second image butter and beef broth are being added.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and prep your baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 4: With a large knife, cut the entire package of rolls in half crosswise to separate the top buns from the bottom buns. Put the bottom half of the rolls in the baking dish.

Step 5: Top the buns with the onions you set aside, followed by the Swiss cheese, roast beef, provolone cheese, and the top of the buns.

Step 6: Combine the remaining butter with Worcestershire sauce and heat in the microwave. Brush the butter over the tops of the rolls.

4 image collage of french dip slider assembly in a glass casserole dish. First caramelized onions and shredded swiss are added to the tops of the buns, then roast beef, next provolone cheese, and lastly the tops of the Hawaiian roll buns.

Step 7: Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake the sliders for 20-25 minutes until the cheese melts, the tops are golden brown, and the sandwiches are heated through.

Step 8: Serve the French dip roast beef sliders with homemade au jus sauce on the side for dipping. Enjoy!

Metal spatula removing Hawaiian Roll French Dip Roast Beef Slider from pan.

What to Serve with French Dip Sliders

To round out your meal, serve your mini French dip sandwiches with our crispy air fryer roasted potatoes, a few of these quick dill pickles, or a heaping helping of this old-fashioned potato salad.

You could also go with a salad or steamed veggies for a lighter option or chips if you’re looking for something quick and easy. French onion soup is another tasty pairing, especially on a chilly day.

Storage and Freezing

Refrigerator: Store leftover French dip sandwiches in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Reheat them in the microwave or covered with foil in the oven at 350 until warmed through.

Freezer: Wrap the roast beef and cheese sliders in foil and place them in a plastic bag to freeze them for up to 2 months.

Tips and Tricks for Hawaiian Roll French Dip Sliders

Don’t pull the Hawaiian rolls apart. Instead, cut them in half all at once by running a serrated knife (or bread knife) through the middle coming from the side. This will separate the tops from the bottoms while leaving the group together, making it easier to layer the ingredients.
Butter can burn easily, so make sure you keep the heat to medium when caramelizing the onions.
Don’t skip the foil. This allows you to get the cheese nice and melty without burning the tops of the buns.
To caramelize the onions faster, sprinkle a little sugar over them about halfway through cooking.
Fresh cut deli meat works best, but you can also use packaged roast beef.

French Dip Sliders with au jus sauce for dipping.

Additions and Variations

Try a different type of cheese. Don’t have the right type of cheese on hand? No problem. These are equally delicious with some melty mozzarella slices, sharp cheddar, or pepper jack if you like things a little spicy. Any kind of melty cheese works great.

Substitute a different type of deli cut beef. Try sliced pastrami or corned beef for a slightly different flavor on these roast beef sliders.

Reduce the sodium. To cut down on the salt content of this recipe, use low-sodium beef broth for the au jus. You can also omit salt when cooking the onions.

Top with sesame seeds. Add some texture to the top of the rolls by adding some sesame seeds to the butter and Worcestershire sauce mixture.

French Dip Slider Recipe FAQ

What is a French dip sandwich made of?

These French dip roast beef sliders are made using butter, onions, beef broth, roast beef, Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and Hawaiian rolls. You can simplify it if you’d like by using only one type of cheese and omitting the Worcestershire sauce.

Can I make these sliders gluten-free?

Absolutely! Swap out the Hawaiian rolls for gluten-free buns, and use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce to combine with the butter to brush over the top of the buns. Of course, you should also make sure all of the other ingredients are indeed gluten-free as well.

What’s the best way to reheat sliders?

While you can reheat them in the microwave, the best way to reheat leftovers is to cover the pan with foil and heat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes.

Can I freeze sliders with roast beef?

Yes, you can. Wrap them in aluminum foil and then place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat as directed above.