Easy French Dip Sliders Recipe (VIDEO)
French Dip Sliders with tender pastrami beef, melty provolone, and caramelized onion on a soft toasted sweet roll. Like our Cheeseburger sliders, these sliders are a fun and easy way to feed a crowd. These come together quickly and you’ll love the easy au jus dipping sauce.
We love warm homemade sandwiches, from juicy Smashburgers to crispy Chicken Sandwiches and gooey Grilled Cheese. As a child, I never liked cold sandwiches, but give me all the warm ones because they remind me of restaurant sandwiches.
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These French Dip Sliders are very satisfying and leftovers reheat well. You can also scale down the recipe easily for a smaller batch- sometimes the buns come in packs of 12 and that’s ok. My son loves these as an afterschool power snack.
French Dip Sliders Video Tutorial
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What are Sliders?
We translate our videos into many different languages and the word slider translates in the funniest ways. In Ukrainian, it translates to ‘povsoonky’ or a baby’s onesie. Actually, sliders are simply small-sized burgers or warm sandwiches made with a soft bun.
Ingredients for French Dip Sliders
- Beef – deli-sliced pastrami (what we used here), thinly sliced roast beef or even corned beef would work great for these.
- Cheese – we used a mild provolone. Avoid aged provolone since it adds weird flavors unless you like that sort of thing. You can also substitute with sliced mozzarella which melts beautifully.
- Buns – we used Hawaiian sweet rolls. I purchased the larger 16 count packs at Costco, but you can use the 12-count packs and put them side-by-side or scale down the recipe.
- Mayonnaise – adds moisture to the buns so they don’t get dry.
- Butter – adds moisture and flavor to the buns.
- Sesame Seeds – make the buns look cuter. You can skip them if you don’t have them on hand.
- Onion – yellow onion works well here. Use 1 large onion or 2 smaller ones. We add a sprinkle of sugar to caramelize onions faster. Keep in mind the onion shrinks up as it caramelizes.
- Au Jus Seasoning – this is a store-bought seasoning mix but you can also make your own (see note below).
How to Make Pastrami Sliders
- Saute onions – Heat olive oil and butter over medium/high heat. Add onions and saute 5 mintues. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sugar and saute another 5 minutes to caramelize. Transfer to a plate.
- Cut Buns – use a serrated knife to slice buns in half, cutting all the way through the layer to make top buns and bottom buns.
- Add toppings– spread mayo over the bottom buns then top with layers of pastrami and spread onions over the top. Add sliced provolone.
- Add top buns – place the top buns over the cheese and brush the top generously with melted butter. Immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds or layer pastrami in ribbons over the bottom buns and bake uncovered.
- Make sauce – in the same skillet that onions were cooked, add water to deglaze the pan and make the au jus according to the package instructions (add the mix to taste since it can get salty).
Pro Tip: If you don’t have sesame seeds on hand, you can also use Everything Bagel seasoning to sprinkle the tops before baking.
The best sauce for French Dip Sandwiches
Ideally, if you made roast beef, prime rib, or a pot roast yourself, you can use the pan drippings to create a lovely au jus dipping sauce. Since we’re using store-bought deli meat (a quick and easy substitute), we used a store-bought au jus seasoning mix. Au jus mix is pretty salty when made to the packet instructions so add the seasoning or water to taste.
You can also reduce down beef broth and create your own in the onion pan as we did with our Classic French Dip Sandwich Recipe.
Serve with
Sliders are unique in that they can be served as an appetizer (think Game Day!) or the main course. We love it as a main course paired with:
French Dip Sliders are great as an easy dinner or a party appetizer. These disappear fast and that cheese pull is irresistible.
Easy French Dip Sliders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large or 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 oz au jus mix, made according to package instructions
- 3 cups water, to make the sauce, or to taste
- 16 Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 lb deli pastrami or roast beef, thinly sliced
- 9 slices mild provolone cheese, not aged
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more to grease baking sheet
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place a large skillet over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp butter. Add sliced onion and Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp sugar and sautee uncovered 5 minutes until caramelized and golden, stirring often. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, add 2 1/2 cups water and scrape the pan to deglaze. Add the au jus seasoning (adding to taste*) then bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer according to package instructions. Add more water to taste if it’s too salty.
- Cut buns in half. Place the bottom half of dinner rolls on a buttered baking sheet and spread 1/4 cup mayo. Layer folded slices of beef evenly over the rolls. Spread caramelized onions over your sliders. Cover the beef with sliced provolone.
- Place the top of buns over and brush the tops with 2 Tbsp melted butter then immediately sprinkle tops with sesame seeds. Bake uncovered at 350˚F for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and tops are golden brown.
- Cut through the buns with a serrated knife to separate into individual sliders. Serve with warm au jus dip.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
So delicious and so easy!!! Everyone was pleased with this dish. I didn’t even use the sauce for dip and it was still so good
Sounds good, but recipes for these huge servings are impossible to cut down for 2 servings.
Thank you for your feedback, Florence. I recommend clicking “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post, it will take you to our printable recipe where you’ll have the option to change the number of servings. Hover over the number of servings highlighted in red and slide it to how many servings you would like to make. I hope that helps!
This is such an underrated recipe. I made these for the family for Sunday lunch after church and they were such a hit. And it was so easy to throw together which I certainly appreciate in a time crunch.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jane! I’m glad to hear it was a hit with the family!
Made these tonight and they were so delicious, my husband loved them especially the carmelized onions. Told my son I would be making a tray of them for his next party. The best part was they are so easy to make.
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
Tried this for the first time tonight and it was amazing. I varied the instructions a little, though, by putting the top and bottom roll pieces cut side up under the broiler to toast it before building the sliders. That gave the sliders a little more crunch. And I added peppers 🙂
Thank you for sharing that with us! 🙂
These are fantastic!!! I made them for football Sunday and they were a huge hit! I used roast beef.
Thanks for the great feedback and review, Mary!
Hi. I found Sharky in your oven mit.
So glad I found your site. I love your videos and especially I love the recipes. Keep up the good job.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. 🙂
Just WOW!!! I made these for my family tonight using London broil instead of pastrami (bc that’s what my deli had) and my very picky eater family DEVOURED them! So delicious!
Love it! Thank you for sharing, it’s always inspiring to see great feedback about my recipes.
Hey Natasha, can you assemble these ahead of time and refrigerate for a few hours and then bake?
Hi Jan. That should be fine. I would wait and brush them with butter and sesame seeds prior to baking. Also, these reheat great!
I did this sandwich on regular sub rolls. My husband is diabetic, so Hawaiian bread is not on the menu. They were excellent! A mother great recipe!
I’m so glad it all worked out, Amy! That’s so great!
Easy and super tasting recipe. I love your smile and your new kitchen 🙂
You’re so nice! Thank you, Ted!
I love your recipes & videos Natasha but some of your American ingredients are new to me (I’m in uk) What is ‘au jus mix’? I’m assuming it some sort of powdered flavouring. 👩🍳
Hi Clara, Au Jus is a French cooking term that means “with juice.” It refers to a light gravy made using fat drippings from meat like beef.
I’m a huge fan and have made so many of your recipes (lasagna is my favorite so far). Can these leftover French dips be frozen? I have London broil to use up before we go on vacation in 2 days and I know we can’t eat it all. Hoping the freezer is a saver.
Hi Mimi, I haven’t tried freezing them to advise. You may refrigerate them a day ahead and reheat but I have never tried freezing them.
Sharkie was the potholder. Thank you for your recipes. They are always restaurant quality. I love the recipes you post along with the videos! Love your sense of humor too!
Thank you!
Great catch! Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback, we appreciate it!
This was soooooo good and so easy! I’m glad I picked your recipe over other similar ones. Will be making them often 🤤 thank you!!
That is great! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review.
Shaky showed up at the 4:58 +- minute mark in the potholder.
Nice one!
Delicious! A hit at home! So easy! I love pastrami. This will be a go to party food at home from now on.
Yes, it makes a great party dish! 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!!!! I wouldn’t change a thing! We used pastrami. On top we used everything bagel seasoning which was very tasty!
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review.
I love pastrami sandwiches. Can’t wait to try these. I saw Sharky when you took the Au Jus sauce from the stove.
I hope you love this recipe, Kris! It is so good!
Hi Natasha!
I made these for dinner tonight. I took your advice and made them with pastrami. OMG! They were wonderfully delicious! We will make them again since they were so easy!
So good with pastrami! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe, JD!
I made these sliders. They were fabulous. All your recipes are simply fabulous. I’ve made so many, no failures, lots of compliments. Thank you Natasha. Keep ‘‘em coming!
Thinking of your Ukrainian comrades at this time
Hi Jill! Thank you so very much for the excellent review. I am happy to hear that you enjoy my recipes. I really do try to keep them simple and easy to follow. I appreciate your support.
would it be possible to feature Ukrainian recipes during this Ukrainian crisis. I think people need to be able to identify with these beautiful souls through their cooking. Thank you
Hi Lucy, thank you for your thoughtful comment! You can find our Ukranian Recipes HERE. ❤️
Natasha!
These look so delicious. Can’t wait to make them. I have been making so many of your recipes lately! I’ve made your Banana Pancakes (heavenly), Spinach and Artichoke Dip,(sooo creamy) and your pie crust (so flaky) all in the past week!
I and my family are constantly impressed by your recipes! They are well written, simple, and always scrumptious. Your videos are always hilarious and you are so funny! 🙂
Thank you so much for everything you do.
<3
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rosie!
I cannot abide those sweet Hawaiian rolls for a savory dish.
Sliders look amazing especially with the French dip🦈 ! I spotted Sharky as you grabbed the handle on the pan with the dip! 😋 love your recipes and your personality is fun 💞
Thank you, Therese!
Looks so good!!! I saw sharkie on your hand while you were take the dipping sauce from the stove and pouring it into the glass measuring cup.
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Look so Yummy Can’t wait to try Just have to pickup the ingredients Reminds me of the Beef and Dip we have in Canada
I hope you enjoy this recipe, Catherin!
My family loves sliders because they’re just so fun to eat, and this was a great way to change up our usual flavors. Everyone loved them so much that there were no leftovers…next time I’ll have to double the recipe!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Samantha! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
These sandwiches were so tasty! My family absolutely loved them and are begging me to make them again.
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
Wow amazing! These look yummy and I want to try these someday.. love the videos, Natasha! Keep them coming!
(Day 4 of asking for taco shells from pantry staples)
Also, Natasha used Sharky to get the pan off the stove!
(If you don’t know what im talking about, watch the video)
Hi, can I use sliced deli meat like chicken or turkey, I don’t eat beef or pork because of all the salt in it. Only poultry or anything besides beef and pork. Thanks and keep the good recipes coming!
Yes, that would be fine.
We love sliders. These ones were quite delicious! The caramelized onions were a perfect addition.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, April!
Sharky was around the handle of the fry pan when Natasha was taking the dipping sauce off the stove.