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A Roast Beef Po Boy is a Louisiana favorite, chock full of rich, fall-apart beef roast bathed in its own debris gravy, wrapped in crispy, light French bread and dressed to the nines with creamy horseradish, lettuce, tomatoes and Provolone cheese.

Looking for more favorites from my home state? Check out Louisiana Dirty Rice, Authentic Red Beans & Rice, Air Fryer Natchitoches Meat Pies, Classic Louisiana Pralines.

A hot Louisiana Roast Beef Po Boy Sandwich dressed with horseradish, lettuce, tomatoes and Provolone.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Savory, hearty and comforting are what the roast beef in this traditional po boy recipe is all about!
Flavor! Forget the seasoning packets. This recipe focuses on easy, real New Orleans flavor anyone can create using simple, real ingredients.
Oven or Crock Pot– whatever method suits you best!
The shredded roast used for this recipe is versatile, so I’ve got some delicious suggestions for beef roast leftovers when you’re done having pot roast sandwiches.
Plus, there are are tons of mouthwatering ways to cook a beef roast! For a little bit of variety, try Crock Pot BBQ Beef Pot Roast, Ultimate Mexican Pot Roast and Classic Southern Pot Roast.

2 roast beef po boy sandwiches served with kettle potato chips.

Is a Po Boy Just a Sub?

Nope, nope, nope. A po boy sandwich is not just another submarine sandwich. I mean, there’s that unique French bread, crisp on the outside and so soft on the inside. Then there’s the fillings, loaded with favorite local ingredients and bold flavors.

We’re talking a traditional New Orleans sandwich stuffed with oysters, shrimp, catfish or shredded beef roast and dressed with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, maybe a pickle or two and a good dose of mayonnaise, remoulade, horseradish or Creole mustard, all served on a light-as-air French loaf.

A roast beef po boy is also called a debris po boy, named after the bits and pieces of roast that fall off and cook in the saucy meat drippings of a large roast. Literally, next level goodness.

Ingredients & Recipe Overview

Ingredients for a Roast Beef Po Boy include Chuck Roast, beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper and garlic cloves.

I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!

Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.

chuck roast
beef broth
garlic cloves
thyme
bay leaves
yellow onion
Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
canola oil for searing the roast
French bread, lettuce, tomatoes, Provolone, mayo and/or creamy horseradish spread

Substitutions

If you can’t find fresh thyme, then 2 teaspoons of dried thyme will work. I also occasionally hear from readers who don’t like thyme. If that’s the case, try oregano for this recipe or, even better, a whole tablespoon of all purpose Creole seasoning.

See bread recommendations in the Tips sections.

How To Make Roast Beef Po Boys

How to sear a pot roast before cooking in a dutch oven.

How to cook a beef roast in a dutch oven and how to shred a beef roast for a po boy sandwich.

Season. With the tip of a sharp knife make 16 slits in the surface of your beef pot roast. Insert a halved garlic clove into each slit. Rub the salt and pepper on all sides of the roast until completely covered.

Sear. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a deep cast iron skillet, oven proof skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the seasoned roast and brown for 4-5 minutes on each side to sear the roast well.

Cook. Remove the roast from the stove top. Add the beef broth, onion, thyme, bay leaves and Worcestershire sauce around the roast. Cover the roast and place in the preheated oven to cook for 2 ½ hours or until fork tender.

Shred. Remove the cooked roast from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Use 2 forks to pull apart and shred the roast completely, removing the fat where necessary. Mix the shredded roast in with the debris gravy, or roast drippings, from the bottom of the pot until all the meat is coated.

Dress. Cut the po boy bread open lengthwise, without cutting it all the way through. Coat both sides with mayo or sauce or your choice. Add 2 slices of Provolone cheese to each, then stuff with shredded beef and extra debris gravy. Place back in the oven just to melt the cheese. Remove and dress the sandwiches with tomatoes, lettuces, pickles or peppers and a dash of hot sauce (if desired). Serve right away!

To cook your po boy shredded beef in the crock pot, just follow all of the instructions but cook in the crock pot with the lid on on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours

A bowl of shredded debris beef roast with debris gravy for New Orleans po boys.

Recipe Tips for an Authentic Roast Beef Po Boy

I think chuck roast is the best roast for po boys because it is shreds easily after being cooking while other cuts are better for slicing. See my Classic Southern Pot Roast recipe for a quick guide to the 3 types/cuts of roast.
Speaking of shredding, even though a roast beef po boy is called a “debris” sandwich, a completely cooked down, mushy sandwich isn’t the goal. Its okay to have some meatier, toothsome pieces of roast for a hearty sandwich that eats well!
I don’t recommend skipping the sear. The sear seals in the natural juices of the roast and creates a good base for your debris gravy, or au jus drippings, making for rich, savory, layers of flavor and a tender roast that is never dry.
The bread a po boy is served on is one of the things that makes it so special. If you don’t have access to authentic French bread made for po boys like they sell at Langlinaise Bakery in Lafayette, LA, try Bolillo bread (a Mexican bread sold at many grocery store bakeries) or the bread made for Banh Mi sandwiches and sold in Vietnamese groceries. Whatever you choose, the main thing is to choose a bread that is crispy outside and soft inside.

Serving Po Boy Sandwiches for game day with hot sauce and potato chips.

What to Serve With A Roast Beef Po Boy

Creamy Southern Cole Slaw
Southern Macaroni Salad
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Garlic Parmesan Sweet Potato Wedges
Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Soup
Remoulade Sauce (instead of mayo or horseradish sauce)

If you’re not in the mood for sandwiches, eat any leftover shredded beef roast over green chile rice, cream cheese mashed potatoes or baked gouda cheese grits for a super cozy leftover meal makeover!

Make and Take Suggestion for Tailgates

If you want to make up a bunch of roast beef po boys and take them to your next tail gate without them getting soggy, here’s what you do:

Coat the bread with your favorite sauce and stuff with cheese.
Add the warm shredded beef, letting it drain well so that you add as little debris gravy as possible to the sandwich.
Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil.
Bring your debris gravy (in a small crock pot), lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, peppers and hot sauce with you to your tailgate. Set up a po boy sandwich bar where guests can dress their own sandwiches and top it all off with a ladle of gravy!

An authentic New Orleans roast beef debris po boy with lettuce, tomato and homemade shredded chuck roast.

Making Ahead, Storing & Freezing

This recipe is a make ahead dream. Cook and shred the roast up to 2-3 days in advance of serving. Keep it in the debris gravy, covered tightly and refrigerated. The flavors only get better! Leftovers can last a week from the cook day if stored properly.

This shredded roast and gravy can also be stored in an air tight container and frozen for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating, covered with foil, in a 350° oven.

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