Our family’s favorite sandwich is a Philly cheesesteak, and it’s no wonder! They’re so delicious with the gooey cheese and sautéed peppers and onions. I developed this easy Philly cheesesteak recipe for convenience, so I can make them for lunch or dinner in the blink of an eye. Both my kids and my husband regularly ask for them for a quick dinner in the car when we are headed to sports practice. What I love is that I can prep the meat mixture in advance, cook it in minutes, and put it on a toasted roll with minimal mess.
We also love to serve these Philly cheesesteaks to a crowd for a picnic or tailgate. They’re the perfect shareable meal for easy entertaining. I just wrap the sandwiches in foil and keep them warm in the oven or the colder part of a grill until it’s time to dig in! If you love a sandwich, be sure to also try our Philly cheesesteak grilled cheese or ribeye steak sandwich.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Classic sandwich in less 30 minutes. We love the simple flavors of this cheesesteak. It’s a great way to prepare steak in a new way that the whole family will love.
- An authentic Philly cheesesteak easily made at home. Forget needing to go to a restaurant, you can make a great cheesesteak with our recipe that’s fresh, cheesy, and delicious with minimal ingredients and tools.
- Fun to serve to a crowd. We’ve set up a toppings bar for a tailgate or a party to let everyone make their own cheesesteaks with all of the topping options.
Tips for Busy Cooks
The secret to a great Philly cheesesteak is thinly sliced, shaved, meat. I’ve shared how to slice meat thinly here. But 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.
What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
It’s a simple shaved beef sandwich that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on a hoagie bun, smothered with provolone cheese. Traditionally, the sandwich includes bell peppers and onions as well. There are a lot of debacles around what should and shouldn’t go on a Philly cheesesteak, but with our easy version we have the basics covered.
Key Ingredient Notes
- 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.
- Onions and peppers are optional, and you can also use frozen ones if you have some in the freezer from your meal prep routine.
- Steak – Both ribeye steak and top sirloin steak work perfectly for this recipe. It’s crucial to slice the steak into thin slices, almost like shaving, to make the cheesesteak authentic.
- Provolone cheese – This is the classic cheese for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Some restaurants also add a cheese sauce or cheese Whiz depending on where you are served.
How to make easy Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
Toast the rolls
- Slice 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 each roll.
- Place each roll cut-side down on a hot skillet and toast until golden.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the vegetables and meat
- Heat the oil in the same skillet.
- Add the diced onion and bell peppers when the oil is hot. And cook until shiny and soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture onto a small plate.
- 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.
- Return the cooked bell peppers and onion, and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can reserve the bell peppers and serve them on the side as a topping.
Assemble the sandwiches
- Remove the mixture from the heat and divide the meat evenly in the skillet.
- Place 2 slices of provolone cheese over each steak pile.
- Cover the pan and let the steam do its 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.
Expert 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!
- Use frozen peppers and onions to cut down on prep time. You can buy them in the freezer section or meal prep them yourself in advance.
- Toast the buns and cook the veggies before cooking the steak. This way when the steak and melted provolone are ready, you already have warm toasted buns as well as cooked onions and peppers for quick assembly and eating.
- Cook the steak in a large skillet or griddle. This way you can make individual piles of the meat to top with the cheese for easy melting all in the same pan before you top the toasted buns!
- If you want to serve any of the sandwiches to a crowd, assemble the sandwich and wrap in foil just like they do in a restaurant. It will stay warm for a while!
Serving easy Philly cheesesteaks
Serve hot Philly cheesesteaks right away. We 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!
Storage
Philly cheesesteaks are ideal for serving immediately. Thinly sliced meat cooks in no time, and reheating the steak toughens them. You can store the leftover sandwiches in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Just reheat in the microwave or oven until just warmed through, it only takes a couple of minutes.
To make the sandwiches in advance, wrap the assembled sandwich in foil and refrigerate for up to a couple of hours. When ready to serve, place the wrapped sandwich in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes , or until fully heated through and cheese is melted. It’s a great grab and go for a quick meal!
FAQs
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!
And when it comes to cheese choices, you can use Provolone or American cheese, but Provolone definitely gets my vote!
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.
Classic Philly cheesesteak consists of shaved steak cooked on a hot griddle over a toasted hoagie roll and topped with American or provolone cheese.
More easy sandwich recipes
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 ½ lbs ribeye steak or top sirloin steak thinly sliced 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 used to toast the roll.
- When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and bell peppers, and cook until they are 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 them on the side as a topping.)
To assemble
- Remove from the heat and divide the meat into 4 equal parts in the skillet. Place 2 slices of provolone cheese on top of each steak pile. Cover and let it melt for about a minute or so.
- Then, place a toasted hoagie roll on top of each steak pile. Slide a spatula under the meat and flip the sandwiches one at a time. Serve immediately.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– Philly cheesesteaks are ideal for serving immediately. Thinly sliced meat cooks in no time, and reheating the steak toughens it. You can store the leftover sandwiches in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Just reheat in the microwave or oven until just warmed through; it only takes a couple of minutes.
– To make the sandwiches in advance, wrap the assembled sandwich in foil and refrigerate for up to a couple of hours. When ready to serve, place the wrapped sandwich in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, or until fully heated through and the cheese is melted. It’s a great grab-and-go for a quick meal!
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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