New Orleans Roast Beef Po'Boy
New Orleans roast beef po'boy sandwiches have a generous serving of tender shredded roast beef topped with melted provolone cheese and juicy lettuce, tomato slices, and pickles on top.
While I'm a shrimp po'boy lover myself, my husband is hands-down all about the hearty roast beef po'boy situation.
Piles of tender shredded roast beef with melted cheese on a crusty sandwich roll? Heavens, yes.
If you're looking for a winner to serve up for the Big Game or a festive Mardi Gras party, this would be the perfect Crock Pot sandwich option to keep warm on a buffet table.
Jump to:
- Why This is the Best Recipe
- Ingredients
- Prep the Chuck Roast
- Sear the Beef
- Cooking Instructions
- Assemble the Po'Boy Sandwiches
- Make Your Own Meal Kit
- Serving Suggestions
- More Easy Sandwich Recipes
- Roasted Pork Sandwich {Oven or Air Fryer}
- Open Face Turkey Sandwich with Gravy
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Sandwich {Oven or Air Fryer}
- Grilled Turkey Reuben Sandwiches
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why This is the Best Recipe
It's been a long running family joke that my husband could make a sandwich out of anything. But when I serve a dinner that is actually meant to be a sandwich? It is always a huge success.
I think this is the best New Orleans roast beef po'boy recipe because:
- Make Ahead Friendly: Roasting the beef for this recipe takes a little time but is very hands-off once you put it in the oven to slow cook. Get that work out of the way ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer for easy-peasy sandwich making later.
- Hearty and Filling: Even the hungriest of dinner guests will go home happy with this stick-to-your-ribs sandwich. But with all the delicious toppings? There is tons of flavor, too.
- Not Too Spicy: The beef is seasoned well but the final sandwich isn't too spicy. If you love things hot and fire-y, go ahead and top yours off with some Louisiana hot sauce for good measure.
Ingredients
All roast beef po'boys need to start with the homemade roast beef. This step of the recipe is easy and only requires the following ingredients:
- Boneless Chuck Roast: You'll need about 3 - 4 pounds, my daughter managed to find a nearly 5-pounder at the grocery store, so the roast in my photos will look a little bit bigger than what you will end up having.
- Minced Garlic
- Creole Seasoning: I used a blend from my pantry. Creole seasoning isn't especially spicy but it does have a lot of flavor. It normally includes paprika, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, black and white peppers, and cayenne pepper.
- Onion
- Vegetable Oil
- Beef Stock: I used Better than Beef Bouillon with water.
Prep the Chuck Roast
To ensure your shredded beef is bursting with tons of flavor at the end, it is important to season it well at the start.
Make 1/4-inch deep shallow cuts all over the surface of the chuck roast.
Add the minced garlic on top and rub it in. Work the garlic down into the sliced crevices as you go. This prevents the garlic from burning when you sear the beef.
Then sprinkle the roast with salt, pepper, and the Creole seasoning. Set it aside to rest.
Sear the Beef
Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat.
When the oil is nice and hot, sear the chuck roast on all sides.
I cooked the roast for 3 minutes before turning so it would get nice and dark brown.
You'll see in this pic, I have the roast turned up on one side. You don't just want to flip it, you want to get all the edges and surfaces all around the roast.
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Once you've seared the beef, reduce the heat to medium-low and remove it from the Dutch oven. Place it on a baking sheet to rest.
Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook until softened.
Add the beef stock and bring to a boil.
Use the stock to deglaze the pan. Scrape all the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan up with a cooking spoon.
Then add the beef back to the pot and cover.
Cook the beef for 4 hours or until it is so tender it falls apart with a fork.
Be sure to check on it half way through cooking. You want there to be at least 1 inch of cooking liquid in the bottom of the pot at all times.
Add additional water or beef stock as needed to keep it moist.
NOTE: This is an especially fragrant dinner that will make your house smell so yummy. But, if you are ready to "erase" the aroma and move on, you might want to set this simmer pot for cleansing on your stovetop. The fresh lemons and rosemary will help freshen up your home while this beef slow cooks away.
Assemble the Po'Boy Sandwiches
Once the roast beef has been shredded, it is time to build the po'boy sandwiches.
For this step of the recipe, you will need:
- Fresh Bread: We have long sub sandwich loaves at our grocery store bakery. Use a fresh crusty bread that you love.
- Provolone Cheese
- Horseradish Sauce: Mayonnaise is more traditional but gosh do I love that kick of horseradish in here!
- Shredded Lettuce
- Sliced Tomato
- Pickle Slices
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Slice the bread and lay it open face. Spread the horseradish sauce (or mayo) on both sides.
Top with shredded beef and then the provolone cheese slices.
Bake for 2 - 3 minutes or for the cheese to melt.
Top the hot sandwiches with shredded lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes, and pickles slices and enjoy!
Make Your Own Meal Kit
The shredded roast beef needed to make these roast beef po'boy sandwiches can be prepped ahead up to one week in advance and stored in the fridge.
Simply reheat the meat and the juices gently in a saucepan on the stove. Then building the sandwiches should just take minutes.
You could also make sandwich meal kits for the freezer by dividing up the meat into smaller containers for single-serving reheating.
This would be a great option for smaller families or those with hungry teens that might need a hearty after-sports "snack."
Serving Suggestions
When I served these New Orleans roast beef po'boys for dinner, all we needed was a handful of potato chips on the side.
You could serve them as a fun Mardi Gras dinner or a football party sandwich.
If you wanted to serve them for an open house party, you could keep the shredded roast beef warm in a Crock Pot on the "Keep Warm" setting and set out the build-your-own sandwich toppings for your guests.
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
If you love warm sandwiches for dinner like we do, you won't want to miss these easy recipes:
📖 Recipe
New Orleans Roast Beef Po'Boy
Ingredients
For the Roast Beef and Gravy:
- 1 (3 - 4 pound) chuck roast
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cups beef stock or 2 teaspoons Better than Beef Bouillon mixed with 2 cups water
For Building the Po'Boy Sandwiches
- 6 5-inch French sandwich rolls
- 1/4 cup horseradish sauce
- Sliced provolone cheese
- Very thinly sliced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Thin dill pickles
- Hot sauce we enjoy Texas Pete but Louisiana Hot Sauce is more traditional
Instructions
Roast the Beef:
- Preheat your oven to 300°F.
- Make several shallow cuts across all surfaces of the chuck roast. Spread the minced garlic over the surface and gently push it into the crevices. Sprinkle the Creole seasoning and salt and pepper over the top and rub it into the meat so that it is very well seasoned. Set it aside.
- Add the vegetable oil to a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the prepared chuck roast to the pan and sear it for 3 - 5 minutes on each side. Really thoroughly brown the meat, the darker it is the more flavor your dish will have. Don't worry about the bottom of the pot getting dark, it will deglaze during the next step.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and transfer the browned roast to a clean dish. If the pot is dry, add one more tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- Add the sliced onion to the pot and stir. Cook until the onions have softened.
- Pour the beef stock or beef bouillon and water into the pot. Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with your cooking spoon.
- Return the chuck roast to the pot and cover the Dutch oven with a lid. Bake for 3 - 4 hours or until the roast can fall apart easily. You may need to add additional beef stock or water as it cooks if too much of the cooking liquid evaporates.
- Shred the beef using two forks to pull it apart. Stir the meat into the cooking juices. Let the beef cool slightly, it will absorb the gravy as it sits.
Assemble the Po'Boy Sandwiches:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Slice the bread rolls in half lengthwise and lay them flat, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Spread the horseradish sauce over the top of each side of the bun.
- Spoon the beef and juices over the top of the buns and then add the sliced provolone cheese. Bake for 2 - 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the buns have warmed through.
- Before serving, add the shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and pickles. Sprinkle with hot sauce as desired. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead Tips
The roast beef and juices can be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving. Before serving, gently warm the beef and juices in a saucepan on the stovetop. Then assemble the sandwiches as directed.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
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