French Dip Sliders

taking a piece of french dip sliders from casserole dish

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5 from 3 votes

French Dip Sliders feature tender meat, caramelized onions, and melted cheese, baked in buttered buns until golden.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: sliders

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

Sliders

15 ounces (12-count) package of slider buns (Martin’s brand Potato Rolls)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided into 4 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons
3 cups thinly sliced yellow onion from 1 large onion
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves divided into 2 teaspoons and 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons grated garlic from 2 cloves, divided in half
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt divided into ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1½ pounds thinly sliced deli roast beef cut into 1-inch wide strips
½ pound Swiss cheese thinly sliced

Au Jus dipping sauce

10.5 ounces can French onion soup Campbell’s brand
1½ cups water
1 ounce packet of Au Jus mix

Instructions

Sliders

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place the bottom half of your slider buns in a single layer into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Reserve the tops on a separate plate.
15 ounces (12-count) package of slider buns
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the thinly sliced yellow onions, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 cups thinly sliced yellow onion, 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons grated garlic, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Allow the onions to cook and caramelize for 10-15 minutes or until the onions have turned a golden brown and reduced by almost half. If your onions are browning too fast before softening, then you can turn the heat down to medium to allow the onions to caramelize evenly.
Once the onions are done, add the strips of thinly sliced roast beef and gently toss the sliced roast beef with the caramelized onions until evenly distributed. Be sure to break up any large chunks of the roast beef. Remove from the heat.
1½ pounds thinly sliced deli roast beef
Top the bottom layer of slider buns with an even layer of the roast beef and onion mixture. Tongs work great for this step.
Layer the sliced Swiss cheese over the entire surface of the roast beef.
½ pound Swiss cheese
Top the Swiss cheese layer with the tops of the slider buns.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for 30-40 seconds. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon of grated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to combine.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons grated garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt
Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the slider buns with the melted butter mixture.
Bake these French dip sliders for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the buns are golden, and the cheese is melted. While your sliders are baking, you can make your au jus dipping sauce.

Au Jus dipping sauce

In the skillet used to caramelize the onions on medium heat, add the French onion soup, water, and packet of au jus mix.
10.5 ounces can French onion soup, 1½ cups water, 1 ounce packet of Au Jus mix
Whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer while the French dip sliders are baking. This should take 10-12 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it into a serving bowl or small individual serving bowls.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: I do not suggest freezing these French dip sliders.
To Reheat: You can reheat individual sliders in the toaster oven or microwave for 30 seconds or just until warmed through.

Tips:

I like to have my deli counter person slice the cheese thin to ensure I have enough to cover the entire surface of the sliders. If needed, add any extra cheese slices as a second layer.
If you do not have a small zester for the grated garlic, you can very finely mince the garlic instead. I just don’t like the texture of the larger minced garlic in the butter topping for the buns, so I just grate all my garlic for ease of use in the recipe.
You can pre-cut the individual servings of the French dip sliders using a serrated knife before placing them into the oven. This is not necessary but helps for easy serving when the sliders are still hot.

Nutrition