Philly Cheesesteak with tender ribeye steak, melted gooey provolone, and caramelized onions hugged by a toasted garlic butter hoagie roll. This is the classic way to make a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich!
We love re-creating restaurant-quality sandwiches like French Dip and Burgers! This Cheesesteak recipe is easier than you think. Watch the video tutorial below and you’ll know why everyone is talking about it.
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What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
Philly Cheesesteak is a sandwich made with super thinly sliced ribeye steak, caramelized onion, and provolone cheese. That simple combination is the original classic as made popular on the East Coast. The Philly Cheesesteak has been modified on the West Coast to include bell peppers and mushrooms but a true “Philly” only has steak, onion and cheese served over a roll.
Which Cut of Beef Should I Use?
Ribeye is the steak of choice for Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. It is well-marbled and tender when cooked. Another cut that we have used with great results is flank steak which is lean but very tender when cut against the grain. You will need a little extra oil on your cooking surface if using flank steak.
The Best Cheese for Philly Cheesesteak:
The most popular cheese is mild provolone. We have tested a variety of provolone brands and the only one we didn’t enjoy was “aged” provolone from Costco. The flavor of aged provolone cheese was overpowering. Another popular option is white American cheese. Some restaurants in Philadelphia add a Velveeta-like cheese but we like provolone best.
Pro-Tips for Thinly Slicing Beef:
The key to a great cheesesteak is super thinly sliced pieces of beef. For easier slicing, cover and freeze your steak for 30-40 minutes (freeze a thicker steak for 40 minutes and a thinner steak for 30 minutes). Cut away any excess fat and silver skin (if present) then use a sharp knife to thinly slice against the grain. Watch Natasha demonstrate this in the video tutorial below.
Time Saving Tip: Ask your butcher to super thinly slice your beef. If you pre-plan this, they could place the steak in the freezer while you do your shopping to achieve those paper-thin slices.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak:
This is one of our easiest sandwich recipes with quick prep and even faster cooking. It is a 30-minute meal. You can cook this on the stove-top, flat cooktop or griddle.
- Butter hoagie rolls, dice onion and thinly slice beef
- Sautee onions and remove
- Sautee beef until cooked through and add back onions
- Divide into 4 portions, top each with 2 slices cheese
- Cover with buns and scrape into buns with a spatula
Creative Ways to Serve Philly Cheesesteak:
If you’re craving that beefy cheesy filling and want to skip the bun, there are so many fun ways to serve this mix including some fantastic keto (low carb) Philly Cheese Steak ideas!
- Over Cooked Pasta or stuffed into Shell Pasta
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
- (Low Carb) Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers
- (Low Carb) Stuffed into Portobello Mushrooms
More Top-Rated Sandwich Recipes:
- Breakfast Sandwiches – freezer friendly
- Salami Cream Cheese Sandwich – excellent to-go lunch
- Chicken Bacon Avocado Sandwich – restaurant copycat
- Chicken Sandwich Melts – picky eater approved!
Watch Natasha Make Philly Cheesesteak:
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Philly Cheesesteak
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ribeye steak, trimmed and thinly sliced*
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, or to taste
- 1 sweet onion, (large), diced
- 8 slices provolone cheese, mild (not aged provolone)
- 4 Hoagie Rolls, sliced 3/4 through
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 2-4 Tbsp mayonnaise, or to taste
Instructions
- Slice hoagie rolls 3/4 of the way through with a serrated knife. Dice onions and thinly slice beef.*
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp softened butter with 1 pressed garlic clove. Spread garlic butter onto the cut sides of 4 hoagie roll. Toast the buns on a large skillet, flat cooktop or griddle on medium heat until golden brown then set aside.
- Add 1 Tbsp oil to your pan/cooktop and sautee diced onions until caramelized then transfer to a bowl.
- Increase to high heat and add 1 Tbsp oil. Spread the super thinly sliced steak in an even layer. Let brown for a couple of minutes undisturbed then flip and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Sautee until steak is fully cooked through then stir in the caramelized onions.
- Divide into 4 even portions and top each with 2 slices of cheese and turn off the heat so the cheese will melt without overcooking the meat.
- Spread a thin layer of mayo on the toasted side of each roll. Working with one portion at a time, place a toasted bun over each portion and use a spatula to scrape the cheesy beef into your bun as you flip it over. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Ribeye was on sale, and I added sauteed mushrooms. This philly cheesesteak was incredible, and so much flavor! Better than some we had in restaurants, I’ll only make it at home, now. Thank you, Natasha!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, April!
I made these last night and they were truly amazing. Didn’t change a thing!! My husband of 30 years asked me to marry him again…of course I said yes, but only after he did the dishes! lol….keep sharing your awesome recipes!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Kim. I’m all smiles!
Hi Natasha!
I really enjoy your recipes and videos!
This recipe is very similar to mine. I add thin slices bell pepper and mushrooms to mine! It is a family favorite!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dawndi!
I went to college in Philly. The classic sandwich is much as you made it, except for toasting the roll, in Philly they remove most of the soft inner bread (and give it to you with the sandwich) to make room enough for lots of filling. Also, they do not use mayo, they use olive oil, and sometimes a shake of oregano, or in some deli’s some homemade Italian dressing.
But the biggest problem for me today is I can’t get the rolls in the Midwest, and without the right sourdough hoagie roll, they just don’t taste authentic. They’re good, and my kids love them, but to me they just aren’t the real deal.
One more thing is that in Philly, many people put fried or pickled banana peppers on theirs, or they may serve it as a cheese-steak sub, where the cheesy beef and onions are put on a bed of chopped Romaine lettuce and very thinly sliced dead ripe tomatoes in the bun. That’s actually my favorite way to have one, but it still won’t taste right without the right bun.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
The real hoagie rolls are Amaroro brand & it’s believed it’s the water that makes them so special. You can order them online.
Amoroso. Oops, sorry. You can buy them online Expensive, but worth it.
This was very very good! And the steak oh sooo yummy … it was worth the $40 I had to pay. I only wished I used different buns … couldn’t find hoagie so I settled for WW sub buns. Thanks for the recipe I’ll be making it again but maybe next time I’ll wait till the steak is on sale
Hi Sandra, I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that with us.
The real hoagie rolls are Amaroro brand & it’s believed it’s the water that makes them so special. You can order them online.
I made the philly cheesesteak and everyone LOVED it!! I also made the lemon chicken pasta and your pesto pasta. And they turned out great!! I love watching your videos. I’m going to make the chocolate cake next. Thank you for making it easy to follow.
You’re welcome, Jackie! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Natasha, where did you get those good looking hoagie rolls? No matter what brand I buy, they just are not that good.
Hi Karen, I found them in the bakery section of Fred Meyer.
Yum! My family and I really enjoyed these. Great recipe, thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that Melissa! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
Amazing! It looks so delicious, thanks for sharing this detailed recipe. Keep blogging!
I’m happy you enjoyed that Shruti!
Natasha, these were delicious! My whole family devoured them! Thank you! This is definitely a keeper!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I make these quite often and my husband and I both love them… I do everything the same except that we add bell peppers and no mayo!! So yummy!!
I love the idea of adding bell peppers! That is a great way to sneak some veggies into the classic Philly Cheesesteak.
Of all the tweets to the original Philly cheesesteak smothered with Cheese Whiz, the is the BEST. Congratulations Natasha, you have nailed it.
Thank you so much Barry!! That means so much to me!
thank you share so looks yummy.
you’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed that!
My entire family LOVED these! They were so great… thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
I follow your recipe except I add bell pepper and sliced mushrooms. It make delicious even more delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Holy cow, that is making my mouth water – I NEED!!
I hope you try it soon, Kimberly! Thank you for that great review!
My Hubby loved these! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Anna!
The guys are going to love this for game day! So filling!
So perfect for game day!
Hi Natasha,
I am from Mumbai (India), I watch your recipes and love the way you make them sound so easy to try out and your ever smiling and happy disposition makes me want to see smiles on the faces of my family. My family and I are strictly non vegetarians, we love all kinds of meats and especially fish. There is one snag, I may not be able to get all the ingredients here in Mumbai especially since beef is a banned meat in India, but can I substitute it for chicken?
I will certainly try out your recipes, starting with the easy ones. Hope I can at least do a decent job when cooking the same.
Regards,
Shiraz Gotla
Hi Shiraz, I haven’t tested that with chicken but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Shiraz – if I were going to try this with chicken I would use boneless skinless small pieces and maybe add one chicken bullion cube to make the sauce have a richer taste. Bullion cubes are salty so be careful not to ruin your dish if you add more salt. Do not omit the sour cream! Serve over egg noodles. I think it will be great
Hi Natasha.. just want to ask you where you buy this kind of bread rolls for this sandwich? Thank you 😊
Hi Oksana, I found them in the bakery section of our local Fred Meyer. They came in a bag of 6 🙂