The entire sandwich is traditionally dipped in the juice the meat is cooked in before serving with a side of French fries.

The sandwich traces back to Italian American immigrants in Chicago as early as the 1930s, but the exact origin is unknown.

[3] A 1962 recipe calls for bay leaves, garlic powder, tomato paste, and crushed dried red pepper.

[9] Traditionally the sandwich is either ordered "sweet" with grilled or boiled bell peppers, or "hot" with spicy giardiniera.

The amount of juices added can be customized using terminology such as "dipped," "dunked," or "wet," but the definitions vary among restaurants.

An Italian beef can also be ordered "dry", with or without a side of juice in a cup, similar to a French dip.

[5] One possible origin is that the sandwich was invented by Italian American immigrants who sliced inexpensive beef cuts exceedingly thin to feed many people and to tenderize tougher cuts of beef that they were forced to buy due to discrimination.