Smoked French Dip Sliders
Pair the smokiest and most flavorful thinly-sliced beef with cute and tasty slider buns and an au jus that’s show-stoppingly delicious, and you’ve got Smoked French Dip Sliders. Fun to make and eat, dig into flavor today!
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Who can resist a soft bun piled high with tender smoked roast beef or that savory beefy jus for dipping? I sure can’t, and that’s what these Smoked French Dip Sliders are all about. These sammies are a labor of love – you need to wait for the beef to smoke low-and-slow for the best flavor, and then wait for it to chill so you can thinly slice it. But the best part about this dish is you can do all the hard work the day before, and then dive in when you’re ready to feast.
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We are big sliders fans. I love the bun-to-meat ratio, and the smaller buns fit nicely into ramekins to soak up all that beefy jus. And, when you make the jus from scratch, you can go to town on that broth, soaking it all up into each mouth-watering bite.
What You’ll Love about Smoked French Dip Sliders
- They’re perfect as an appetizer or main dish and are delish party eats!
- Make the beef and jus ahead of time, then assemble and serve!
- Crazy beef flavor in both the meat and jus!
What Are Sliders?
Think of sliders as mini sandwiches. They burst onto the culinary scene a while ago, and now every restaurant has a version of them on their menu. Traditionally served as mini burgers, sliders are so much more versatile. You can make mini versions of all your favorite sandwiches, including a French dip.
Ingredients
You’re going to make this Smoked French Dip Slider recipe in a few steps unless you’ve already got the meat smoked and sliced.
For the Beef:
- Smoked Eye of Round – You’ll need about 1.5 pounds to make hearty sliders. Instructions on how to Smoke Eye of Round can be found here.
For The Jus
- Butter – I use salted butter.
- All-purpose flour – Just scoop the flour and level it off without tapping it.
- Beef broth – Use good beef broth, and look for low or no-sodium added.
- Red wine – Optional, but adds great depth of flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory depth. Don’t skip it.
- Garlic powder – Not garlic salt, or it will be salty.
- Onion powder – Not onion salt, or it will be salty.
- Beef base – I use Better Than Boullion Beef Base. You can find this in the soup aisle of most grocery stores, or grab it from Amazon.
For The Sliders
- Bakery fresh slider buns – A good choice are Kings Hawaiian sliders, or use your favorite sliders.
- Mayonnaise – Mayo is optional, but to amp up the flavor even more, use this spicy garlic aioli.
- Onion jam – Optional. Buy a jar of this tasty condiment and add a spoonful to your sliders.
- Cheese – Cheese is also optional, and I prefer to go cheeseless. If you do like cheese on your Smoked French Dip Sliders, opt for a mild cheese like provolone or gouda.
How To Make The Best Smoked French Dip Sliders
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
For instructions on how to smoke eye of round (the best cut for sandwiches), follow this link: Smoked Eye of Round.
Slice the meat with a meat slicer, ensuring thin (but not paper thin) slices if it isn’t already sliced. Prepare the au jus by melting the butter in a skillet or saucepan and whisking in the flour. Cook the flour-butter combination for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
Drizzle in the beef broth in a thin stream, whisking as you go to avoid lumps. Add the red wine, then turn the heat back to medium and bring the jus to a simmer.
Whisk in the beef base, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder while waiting for the jus to simmer. Simmer the jus for about 10 minutes.
Spread a layer of mayo or spicy garlic aioli on the cut sides of each bun, then layer them with slices of beef. Top with a dollop of onion jam (optional) and cheese (optional). If you’re using cheese, pop the sliders open-faced under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese.
Serve the Smoked Beef French Dip Sliders with jus and enjoy!
How To Reheat Smoked Sliced Beef for French Dip Au Jus
If you don’t want cold beef on your sandwich, there’s a simple way to infuse more flavor into the beef and to heat up the meat: dunk it in the jus. Heat the jus to a simmer, then turn off the heat and add the sliced beef to the jus. Don’t boil it – the residual heat from the jus will warm the beef.
Then just use tongs to fish out the beef slices, load them onto your slider buns, and you’re good to go!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- I buy the full-packer cryovaked eye of rounds to make sandwiches like these French dip au jus. I trim them up myself, then smoke the whole thing. They come in around 8-10 pounds. I smoke and then chill the meat, then slice it and freeze it in portions to make tasty eats like these Smoked French Dip Sliders.
- If you’re going to be doing a lot of smoking, having a good slicer on hand is essential. It makes quick work of pastrami, pork, and more.
- What is beef base? Beef base is a highly concentrated, less salty Bovril or bouillon alternative. Keep it in the fridge. You can use it in sauces, gravies, soups, and more.
Make It A Meal
There’s no reason not to roll up your sleeves and dig into a meal just of these meaty sliders, but if you want to serve them with sides, here are some tasty picks: fries, Corn Fritters, mac and cheese, this chili recipe, or a leafy salad with a great dressing, and don’t forget about dessert!
Storage
Once assembled, Smoked French Dip Sliders are best eaten fresh. However, you can package the meat and jus separately in airtight containers and pop them into the fridge for 3-4 days. The buns will stay fresh in the freezer. To eat the leftovers, heat the jus to a simmer, then turn the heat off. Warm the leftover meat in the jus, thaw the buns, assemble, and dig in!
Smoked French Dip Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 slider buns
- 1.5 pounds smoked eye of round sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise optional
- 1/2 pound sliced cheese optional
- 1/2 cup *onion jam optional
For the Jus
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups no-sodium added beef broth
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons beef base
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the jus:
- Melt the butter in a skillet or saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook the flour-butter combination for 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
- Drizzle in the beef broth in a thin stream, whisking as you go to avoid lumps.
- Add the red wine, then turn the heat back to medium and bring the jus to a simmer.
- Whisk in the beef base, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder while waiting for the jus to simmer.
- Simmer the jus for about 10 minutes.
To assemble:
- Spread a layer of mayo or spicy garlic aioli on the cut sides of each bun, then layer them with slices of beef. Top with 2 teaspoons of *onion jam (optional) and cheese (optional). If you're using cheese, pop the sliders open-faced under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese.
- Serve the Smoked Beef French Dip Sliders with small cups of jus and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- I buy the full-packer cryovaked eye of rounds. I trim them up myself, then smoke the whole thing. They come in around 8-10 pounds. I smoke and then chill the meat, then slice it and freeze it in portions to make tasty eats like these Smoked French Dip Sliders.
- If you’re going to be doing a lot of smoking, having a good slicer on hand is essential. It makes quick work of pastrami, pork, and more.
- What is beef base? Beef base is a highly concentrated, less salty Bovril or bouillon alternative. Keep it in the fridge. You can use it in sauces, gravies, soups, and more.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.