Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches vs. Slow Cooker French Dips
Pressure cooker recipes are becoming very popular for a reason!! In this pressure cooker recipe, the most tender roast beef and tasty au jus makes the best French Dip Sandwiches. These can be made in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot for a quick and easy meal!
Should I make Pressure Cooker Recipes:
So when the Black Friday deals came around I finally decided it was time to join the craze/enthusiasm and get myself an Instant Pot. I keep seeing all these pressure cooker recipes around, but I’d always resisted a bit because it kind of seems like an “either or” thing… either you are an Instant Pot user or a slow cooker user. But, I decided it was about time to find out why. And to be able to test recipes side by side and figure out what the difference might be. So, today I am putting Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwiches vs. Slow Cooker French Dips to the test! Also, I figured there may be some circumstances in which one may be preferable over the other, like for making hard boiled eggs for example.
I’ve recently created some other recipes where you can use your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker. This Caribbean Pulled Pork is pretty awesome no matter how you make it!
So, back to French Dips… When I had this big hunk of rump roast, I figured the time was right to test out the slow cooker and the pressure cooker side by side and figure out if one would really be better than another. I cut the meat up and used the exact same recipe for both.
Watch the video:
After about 15-20 minutes of total prep time, one batch was ready for the slow cooker and one ready for the pressure cooker. It was about 10am at this point.
I set the Instant Pot to high pressure and the timer for 35 minutes. With time it took to come to pressure and then do the quick release on the steam, I think it took around 50 minutes total. This batch was done in time for lunch.
I set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours, meaning it then got done around 6pm, right in time for dinner.
Here is the version that came out of the pressure cooker. And let me tell you, it was delicious. Tender, flavorful and it totally fell apart when I went to shred it.
The finishing touch on these sandwiches, either way, it to brush some rolls with garlic butter, add provolone cheese, and melt.
Both versions have plenty of juice left behind that you can strain and serve for dipping.
Now, for the reveal you’ve all been waiting for (I had to wait all day!!) the slow cooker version!
Pressure Cooker Recipes vs. Slow Cooker Recipes – the results:
The difference? Pretty minimal. The flavor and the moisture content all felt the same. However, the slow cooker version was more solid if that makes sense? It was super tender, but I had to slice it instead of it just immediately falling apart with forks. As far as eating it, I made a sandwich with it as well, and it was just as tender, just as flavorful, the texture was just different.
So, my final thoughts on the Instant Pot, for this recipe only:
- Prep time is the same… say 20 minutes at most. If you do the prep work in the morning and add to the slow cooker, there’s really no waiting other than getting the rolls ready at dinner time, around 10 minutes. But you do have that extra time added to your morning routine.
- If you make the Instant Pot version for dinner, I would presume you would do the prep work at that time and then cook. So your total wait time would be about an hour or even a little more. If you get home late, or are tired, I think this could be an issue? It might for me, I tend to get a little lazy as the day goes on, so I need as little work as possible at dinner time.
- On the flip side, if you are super busy in the morning and don’t have time to mess with dinner prep, then you could still have a delicious dinner in a reasonable amount of time.
- I probably slightly preferred the Instant Pot version, mostly because I didn’t need a knife to finish up getting it ready to serve. It just fell apart. But, for my personal routine, the slow cooker would work best for me as I like dinner to be ready and prefer not to wait the extra 50 minutes it would take to cook.
So, what are your thoughts? Which would work better for you? I’d love to start a discussion here and to hear from both sides…. the slow cooker die-hards as well as the Instant Pot die-hards!
French Dip Sandwiches - Pressure Cooker and Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound beef rump roast
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 8 hoagie rolls (I prefer soft)
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cut roast into 2-3 inch chunks
- Mix together seasoning and coat roast
- Place in slow cooker or instant pot
- Whisk together broth, Worcestershire and balsamic and pour over roast
- For Instant Pot, seal, close steam release, and set on high pressure for 35-40 minutes. Once done, follow instructions for quick release of pressure
- For slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 8 hours
- Remove beef and shred or slice
- Strain juice to serve for dipping
- Mix together softened butter and garlic powder and spread on inside of rolls
- Add a couple of slices of provolone and broil until lightly browned and cheese melted
Nutrition
I don’t think I could give up my Ninja Multi Cooker for The Instapot.
Hi I’m excited to try my instant pot. It’s been a bit intimidating to try. But I’ll start with this recipe next week! One question…. What brand/ kind of rolls did you use? Thanks
I like to get the fresh baked rolls in my grocery store bakery 🙂
This was a major disappointment. Take my advice and keep looking for a better recipe. The sugar made everything sweet – totally ruined the au jus.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Janet. Thank you for the feedback.
I would try again and leave out the sugar, it turned out great!
Made as directed with 4lbs in Instant Pot. So easy and perfect! Family loved!
Hi Chad! So glad you loved it!
Hi Jennifer – I love, love, love the look of this recipe. French Dip is practically unheard of in Australia but we’ve lived in countries with an American influence and I’ve come to think it’s a wonderful dish. This seems like a super easy way to make it :-). I have the Aussie equivalent of an Instant Pot and I can’t recommend it highly enough – I’ve given away my slow cooker and my rice cooker! Hip Pressure Cooking has been a great resource. Persevere with your rice -coz it’s perfect when you hit the right spot. I’ve made traditional (read: labour intensive) risotto for years and I now even make THIS in my IP equivalent! Plus soups, curries, bolognese sauce, corned beef, “roast” chicken, casseroles…the list goes on. And I COULD use the SC function if I ever got around to it 🙂
Thanks June! I will keep at it and keep you posted on the results 🙂
Love this post! Great comparison. I use my slow slow cooker all the for soup, pot roast, etc. I used a pressure cooker in the dark ages when we were married 49 years ago to tenderize the inexpensive meat we ate during our poor years! I’ve ordered a 4 qt electric pressure cooker (only my husband and me now) and am waiting for it to arrive. I’ve been collecting recipes on Pinterest but have one question. Most recipes are for 7+ quarts Instant Pots. I don’t need that size anymore. I know ratio of meat, etc. to fluid is important. I’m wondering how to adjust to my smaller pot or if it’s even necessary? Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Kathy!! Thanks so much! I have so much to learn about pressure cooking but I think it can come in useful for so many things. I honestly don’t know the answer to your question and don’t want to steer you wrong but I do know that Laura at Hip Pressure Cooking is a pro!! I would check out her site and see if she can help you out! The recipe I made was in a 6 quart, I didn’t even know they made the 4 quart size. I’ll have to check it out.
I’m trying this in my new Instant pot. I have about 2 pounds of beef. Should I half the rest of the ingredients or keep them the same?
yes, I would cut the rest of the ingredients in half. Let me know how it turns out!
Came out tasty and tender. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I am sad that when I try to Pin recipes from this site to Pinterest it says that the site will not allow Pins. Might have something to do with way site is designed? I cannot wait to try this recipe though…printed it instead. Have a great day.
Hi Deborah! You shouldn’t have any issues with Pinning anything from my site, I actually have a pin button right at the top of every post and I just checked and it appears to be working. What browser are you using and I can troubleshoot? Perhaps it’s an isolated issue that I can get fixed.
Hip Pressure Cooking is the place to go for recipes and expert advice for the Instant Pot. I have a tiny kitchen and my slow cooker is buried in the garage while my IP takes up valuable space on my counter. I got it in July and agree there is a learning curve. Now I make hard-boiled eggs and tons of chicken/rice dishes. I do basmati rice for 3 minutes and it is amazing. I think the Hip P C site is the one I got a recipe for bone-in chicken that is cooked then taken out and the rice is cooked in the remaining liquid. It is truly amazing bc the broth flavor is great in the rice. The best part about the IP is that you can brown the meat before cooking it in the same pot. Thx for your recipe!
Thanks for all the info Erica! Sounds like you’ve got an awesome groove going with your Instant Pot!
I think I would prefer the slow cooker for this meal. I like to slice the meat for french dips! Just wanted to step in about the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot, I haven’t tried it yet, but my understanding is that is falls far short of being a good slow cooker.
I really need to try the slow cooker function and compare it to my favorite slow cooker and see how it turns out!!