Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are our go-to when we need dinner on the table asap! It’s quick, easy, and customizable to everyone’s tastes! The secret to a great Philly cheesesteak is thinly sliced, almost shaved, meat. These sandwiches are our family’s favorite weeknight meal.
Read the full post below the recipe to learn how to easily slice paper thin beef slices, which steak cut to choose, and how to make it ahead. You’ll also find step-by-step photos, keep scrolling…
Need a quick weeknight meal that’s still delicious? Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are our go-to when we need dinner on the table asap! It’s quick, easy and customizable to everyone’s tastes!
Just like the classic grilled cheese, a Philly cheesesteak is an American staple! And it’s our family’s favorite dinner that always leaves us full and satisfied.
What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
It’s a simple shaved beef sandwich on a hoagie bun, smothered with provolone cheese. Traditionally, the sandwich includes bell peppers and onions, as well. There’re a lot of debacles around what should and shouldn’t go on a Philly cheesesteak, but we’re not here to claim authenticity. We’re all about the flavor!!!
Easy Philly Cheesesteak Ingredients
- Hoagie rolls – Long and flat rolls perfect for sandwiches.
- Butter or mayo – I love the convenience of mayo for smearing on the rolls before toasting. It also adds nice flavor. Softened butter also works fine.
- Vegetables – (onions and peppers) are optional and you can also use frozen ones, if you had some in the freezer as your meal prep routine.
- Steak – Both ribeye steak, or top sirloin steak work perfectly for this recipe. It’s crucial to slice the steak into thin slices, almost like shaved.
- Cheese – Provolone cheese is a classic for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
Best Bread for a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
When choosing your bread, a hoagie bun is the way to go! A hoagie bun or roll is a hearty piece of bread that won’t fall apart when loaded with heavy steak, cheese and veggies!
Best Cheese for Philly Cheesesteak
And when it comes to cheese choices, you can use Provolone or American cheese, but Provolone definitely gets my vote!
Best Meat for Philly Cheesesteak
Ribeye is ideal for this recipe, but top sirloin works just fine, too. In fact, I often use top sirloin steak on regular dinner nights.
TIP: The secret to a great Philly cheesesteak is thinly sliced, almost shaved, meat.
I’ve shared how to slice meat thinly here. But in a nutshell…
To get that super thin slice, freeze the meat for 30-45 minutes, or until mostly firm. Using a sharp knife, shave off thin slices against the grain. Be careful when you are cooking! Thinly sliced meat cooks in minutes.
Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe Tips
If you’re a Philly cheesesteak purist, you only do cheese, peppers and onion. But, you can add so much more!
Customize your sandwich with other vegetables like mushrooms, red onions, pickles, or add mustard, steak sauce…whatever you like!
MAKE-AHEAD TIP:
Wrap the assembled sandwich in foil and refrigerate. When ready to serve, place the wrapped sandwich in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes , or until fully heated through and cheese is melted. It’s a great grab and go for a quick meal!
How to make Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Step 1. Toast the rolls
- Begin by slicing the hoagie rolls horizontally, but only about ¾ of the way through. It should look like a giant hotdog bun!
- Smear butter, or mayo inside of each roll. Place each roll cut-side down on a hot skillet and toast until golden.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 2. Cook the vegetables and meat
- Heat the oil in the same skillet. When oil is hot, add diced onion and bell peppers and cook until shiny and soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture onto a small plate.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium high heat. Then, add the sliced steaks, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, no more than 2 minutes.
- To the same pan, return the cooked bell peppers and onion, and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can reserve the bell peppers and serve on the side as a topping.
Step 3. Assemble the sandwiches
- Remove the mixture from the heat and divide the meat into equal parts in the skillet. Place 2 slices of provolone cheese over each steak piles. Cover the pan and let the steam do it’s work!
- When the cheese has melted, place a toasted hoagie roll on each steak pile. Slide a spatula under the meat and flip the sandwiches one at a time. Serve immediately.
How to serve Philly Cheesesteaks
Serve hot Philly cheesesteaks right away. I like to serve the vegetables separately so that everyone can customize their sandwiches for their liking. Crispy baked steak fries make a perfect side dish for these sandwiches too!
Philly Cheesesteak Recipe Easy Storage
Philly cheesesteaks are ideal for serving immediately. Thinly sliced meat cooks in no time, and reheating the steak toughens them. That being said, store the leftover sandwiches in the refrigerator.
Easy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe FAQs
Classic Philly cheesesteak consists of shaved steaked cooked on a hot griddles over toasted hoagie roll and topped with American or provolone cheese.
The secret is in the shaved steak that’s cooked on a screaming hot griddle until perfectly tender with nice crispy pieces. Toasted roll and melty cheese is an icing on the cake!
American and Provolone cheeses are the classics, so is Cheez Whiz.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese are perfect for Philly cheesesteak fans!!
- BBQ Chicken Sliders – perfect 30-minute meal with leftover chicken.
- Easy Pulled Pork Quesadillas are another great weeknight meal!
Easy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 hoagie rolls
- 4 tablespoons butter or mayo
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- ½ white onion chopped, optional, (Note 1)
- ½ green bell pepper diced, optional
- ½ red bell pepper diced, optional
- 1.5 lbs 675gr thinly sliced ribeye steak, or top sirloin steak (Note 2)
- 1 garlic clove pressed
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices Provolone cheese
Instructions
- To prepare the rolls, slice hoagie rolls ¾ way and smear 1 tablespoon of butter, or mayo inside of each roll.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. (I used 12-inch skillet.)
- Place the rolls cut-side down on hot skillet and toast until nice and golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
- To cook the vegetables, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet you toasted the roll. When oil is hot, add the diced onion and bell peppers and cook until nice and soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onto a small plate.
- To cook the meat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced steaks, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, no more than 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked bell peppers. (Alternatively, you can reserve the bell peppers and serve on the side as a topping.)
- To assemble, remove from heat and divide the meat into 4 equal parts in the skillet. Place 2 slices of provolone cheese over each steak piles. Cover and let it melt for a minute or so. Then place toasted hoagie roll on each steak pile. Slide a spatula under the meat and flip the sandwiches one at a time. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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