Best Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
The real deal right in your own kitchen, this is the Best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich on the internet. Thinly sliced beef, melted Deli American, sautรฉed onions stuffed into a crusty rollโฆone bite and youโll think youโre hanging out in old South Philadelphia.
Philly Cheesesteak
Having lived in the Philadelphia area my entire life, Iโve been fortunate to have tried just about all the authentic Philly cheesesteaks up and down the east coast. From the original Philly cheesesteak meccas to the flashy guys across the street, there is a rival cheesesteak shop just about everywhere you look.
Most Philadelphians will tell you itโs not a cheesesteak if it isnโt ordered โWiz Witโ (thatโs processed cheese spread, like Cheez Whiz, with onions for those of you not in the cheesesteak know) but Iโm here to tell you I disagree. To me the BEST Philly Cheesesteak is made with White American cheese.
Head out further from the city center and most cheesesteak joints toss their sliced beef with a mixture of onions and melted American cheese. The result is melty cheese, beefy bliss that sort of melts onto your tastebuds like a cozy blanket on a cold winter day. You canโt get that with โwizโ. You just canโt.
Ingredients for a Philly Cheesesteak
- Steak โ I use thinly sliced ribeye steaks sliced across the grain with a sharp knife. Some grocery stores will sell shaved steak, normally sirloin steak, which is a great substitute for ribeye.
- Cheese โ I use American cheese for my own version of a Philly cheesesteak sandwich but we do love it with a sharp cheddar cheese sauce like Whiz. If you like cheddar or slices of provolone cheese, you can substitute the American with that.
- Onion โ Whiz Wit is how a real Philadelphian orders it and so I like to add caramelized onions to the mix. A sweet onion makes the best caramelized onions. The onions are fried quickly so theyโre not as melty as a true caramelized onion. We do not add bell peppers, ever.
- Rolls โ Only long roll or hoagie rolls will do. Seeded rolls are leveled up cheesesteaks which you find popping up more frequently at our local food trucks.
- Seasonings โ Kosher salt and black pepper, thatโs it. If you add onion powder, garlic powder or anything else, itโs not a real cheesesteak sandwich.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
The Philadelphia Cheesesteak (as itโs formally known), is a steak sandwich served in a long, crusty sub roll or hoagie roll and is popular in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The steak is usually made of ribeye steak and is topped or tossed with melted cheese and onions.
Most Philly Cheesesteaks are served with a processed cheese spread, also known as cheese whiz, and onions are totally optional but the best Philly Cheesesteaks are tossed generously with melted American cheese.
How To Make a Philly Cheesesteak
To make the best cheesesteak sandwiches, you must start with the highest quality ingredients. I like to have my butcher thinly slice a ribeye steak so the meat fries up quickly. Theyโre usually pretty happy to do it.
Otherwise, a lot of well-stocked grocery stores sell thinly sliced beef thatโs perfect for your sandwich. Itโs made from the ends of larger cuts so you wonโt need to worry about the grade of beef because itโs, most likely, a combination of all the good stuff. And I like to use sliced American cheese from my deli counter in just about any sandwich creation! Itโs creamy with a very mild flavor and the meltability canโt be beat.
- Add a bit of oil to a large skillet or cast iron skillet. Cook the onions over medium heat until they start to turn golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Transfer the onions to a bowl.
- Add the steak to the pan and cook until no longer pink, approximately 4-5 minutes. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the onions back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Place the cheese slices in a single layer on top of the steak mixture, reduce to medium-low heat and allow to melt, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Toss the steak with the slices to combine.
- Divide the steak evenly among 2 rolls.
- Serve immediately with hot sauce, if desired.
What cut of beef is used for Cheesesteaks?
Most, if not all, Philly Cheesesteaks are made with thinly sliced ribeye.
I have stumbled upon a few cheesesteak imposters that used ground beef like a chopped cheese sandwich (noโฆjust no), something that resembled beef but I still think it was not, and once, a whole flank steak was placed on a roll with a slice of cheese melted on top in a Texas sandwich shop.
Stick with ribeye. And if you canโt find that, thinly sliced sirloin will do the trick in a pinch as long as itโs sliced across the grain(as all sliced meat should be.)
What to Serve With Cheesesteaks
Most all of the Cheesesteak places have a variety of condiments to serve with your cheesesteak sandwich. Our favorite topping is a hot red pepper sauce that I believe to be just pureed pickled HOT cherry peppers.
Cheesesteak Variations
While I donโt usually like to mess around with a classic, we do, on occasion dress up our cheese steak to mix up the monotony. Here are a few ideas to try.
- Pizza Steaks โ Swap out the American cheese and add provolone cheese with mozzarella. Top with pizza sauce.
- Cheesesteak Hoagies โ Make the cheesesteak as directed and spread a bit of mayonnaise on a toasted hoagie roll. Top the sandwich with shredded lettuce, onion and tomato.
- Mushroom Swiss Cheesesteak โ When sautรฉing the onions, add sliced mushrooms to the pan. Swap out the American cheese for Swiss cheese. You can even add green bell peppers the onion mixture.
- Chicken Cheesesteak โ Replace the beef with chicken steak (chicken breasts) cut across the grain for a lower calorie cheesesteak option.
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
- Philly Style Roast Pork Sandwich
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cheesesteak
- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
- The Best Chopped Cheese Sandwich
- Pastrami Sandwich
- Italian Grinder Sandwich
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Get the Recipe: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 pound thinly sliced ribeye, or other thinly sliced steak cut across the grain.
- 5 slices American Cheese
- 2 6- inch long rolls, sliced horizontally but not all the way through.
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Transfer the onions to a bowl.
- Add the steak to the pan. Cook until brown and no longer pink, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Drain the fat off the pan and return to the heat.
- Stir the onions into the steak.
- Turn off the heat. Arrange the Deli American slices in a single layer over the steak and allow to melt, approximately 1 minute.
- Stir the steak and the slices combine.
- Divide the steak mixture evenly between the two rolls.
- Serve immediately.
Video
14 Comments on โBest Philly Cheesesteak Recipeโ
I have been making cheesesteaks for years using the exact ingredients. Only difference is I add a pat of butter in addition to a good olive oil, slice up the onions and lay my chip steak on top. Let the meat and onions cook together for a bit then start to toss around in my very hot cast iron pan. As soon as the meat is cooked in a few minutes I add in the american cheese or provolone and toss again until thoroughly melted. Get a good Liscio roll and youโre all set! Of course salt and pepper while cooking is added! My NC family loves when I visit and bring a few lbs of the best chip steak and rolls from Phl which is something they canโt get down South.
Sounds delicious!
Sounds good but if itโs not on an Amoroso roll, itโs not a good Philly Steak. ๐
True, true. Unfortunately, a lot of people in the country donโt have access to Amoroso rolls. Iโm sad for them. ๐
This is the first time someone ever said that a cheese steak is just the steak, the cheese and the roll. I have had it WizWit and with American cheese and I have also had it with Cooper Sharp and itโs all good just no stupid peppers in it. I miss my Philly cheese steaks, live too far to get one.
Now you can make them at home! I hate peppers and mushrooms and all the other stuff people throw in their โPhillyโ cheesesteak. You can order Amoroso rolls online!
As a native Philadelphian, thank you for not putting peppers on this! This is exactly how I like my plain cheesesteaks, American cheese and all!
OMGโฆโฆright? What is with all these people and their peppers???? Thank you for your comment! Go Birds!
Okay, so, never heard of real American cheeseโฆ was always under the impression that โrealโ American cheese was that plastic rubbish you get in little plastic squares โ having spent many years making stilton, cheddar, double Gloucester, red Leicester etc (โproperโ cheese) i would be very interested to try this real American cheeseโฆ I wonder where I can get itโฆ
Hi John, Iโm not sure American Cheese is available in the UK but Edam would be a good substitute or a very mild white cheddar cheese would do nicely.
Thank Goodness finally a post that is correct and there are no green peppers! I agree American is good but I still like whiz better. Born and raised in Philadelphia. I think you canโt say you from unless you pay the wage tax
True story about the wage taxโฆ..but once you pay it you can say youโre a true Philadelphian even if you move to the burbs. ๐
Thank you. FINALLY a genuine Philly gal who has posted a genuine Philly cheese steak recipe. I too prefer American or provolone but โwit wizโ IS the original.
Now originally being from the other end of the state, we put fries on top of everything. Go โStillers!โ I see youโre an โIggleโ fan.
Iโm going to be dreaming about this gorgeous sandwich! I havenโt had the real deal in ages โ guess Iโll just have to make it at home! Thank you!