Gooey, meaty and melty, a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich is delicious in its simplicity. This sandwich has transcended the borders of Philadelphia to become a universal comfort food and a regular at my dinner table.

All About the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
While this authentic sandwich has proved itself to be a street food favorite, it is also an excellent dish to make at home. When you prepare it yourself, you can experiment with different cheeses, veggies, bread and cuts of beef until you create your dream Philly Cheesesteak. The possibilities are endless and delicious!
What is a Philly Cheesesteak?
This classic sandwich was born when Pat Olivieri, a hot dog stand owner in Philadelphia, decided he was sick of having hot dogs for his lunch. He grabbed some beef from a local butcher, threw it on his grill and popped it in a hot dog bun. A cab driver drove by and caught a whiff of the sub and asked for one himself. And just like that, a local obsession came to be!

How To Make Philly Cheesesteak
Nutrition
A 7-inch Philly Cheesesteak clocks in at around 500 to 700 calories and packs a ton of protein. In my recipe, I like to add in sauteed vegetables to up the nutritional value. Because the beef is ultra-flavorful, my kids barely realize that they are getting a hefty serving of veggies!
If you would like a lower-calorie and carb-free version, check out my Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers.
Choosing the Right Ingredients for the Philly Cheesesteak
Besides the sauteed vegetables, the ingredients are right in the name. The key to making a great Philly Cheesesteak is picking the right beef and cheese.

Philly Cheesesteak Cheese Options
The debate on what cheese to use for an authentic Philly Cheesesteak may never end! I, however, love to use sliced provolone cheese. Provolone compliments the beef very well and doesn’t overshadow it. A runner-up for me would be Sliced White American. The key here is to not pick a cheese that is too sharp or intense.
Philly Cheesesteak Meat Options
Thinly sliced ribeye is the go-to meat choice for a classic Philly Cheesesteak. The high-fat content of ribeye is ideal because it will create a tender, easy-to-bite sandwich. Other cuts would work as well as long as you slice the beef very thinly.
Try my recipe for Perfect Cast Iron Ribeye and use the leftovers to make this yummy sandwich for dinner the next night!
Philly Cheesesteak Sauce
Mayo is a great option for a Philly cheesesteak sauce. If you are wanting a bit more adventure, add horseradish to the mix.
Other Cheesesteak Toppings
Some cheesesteak shops only add sauteed onions. Some like bell peppers or mushrooms. I love adding in all three! Figure out which veggies you like best and have it your way.

Philly Cheesesteak Hacks
Best Way to Cook the Sandwich
Whatever you do, don’t overcook the meat! The best part about this sandwich is that it melts-in-your-mouth. The meat should be so thinly sliced that you can quickly saute it. Consider investing in a mandolin slicer to shave the meat.
Making Philly Cheesesteak in the Crockpot
Don’t want to spend the big bucks on ribeye? Want cheesesteaks ready when you get home? Pop a chuck roast into the crockpot with a cup of beef broth, a touch of worcestershire and some salt and pepper. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. 45 minutes before serving, add in the veggies of your choice into the crockpot. Spoon the mixture onto your roll and add the cheese of your choice.
Making a Chicken Philly Cheesesteak
If beef is out of the question, substitute it with chicken. A lot of cheesesteak shops offer this option in Philly because it is delicious in its own way. Make sure you slice the chicken thinly and against the grain to get a similar texture.
A Few More Steak Recipes..
- Steak Sandwich Recipe
- Baked Steak with Vegetables
- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
- Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef
- 2 green bell peppers
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 lb mushrooms
- 1 lb provolone cheese slices
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Philly Cheesesteak. The key is to slice beef into very thin slices. Cut bell peppers into long strips, onion into half rings and mushrooms into bitesize pieces.
- Preheat the oiled skillet, add onions, bell peppers and mushrooms to the mixture. Cook on high heat until all veggies are golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add sliced beef to the same skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the beef is fully cooked. Add vegetables back to the beef, toss to combine everything together. Top it off with cheese slices and let it sit for a minute to let it melt.
- Fill the sandwich buns with meat mixture and serve while everything is still warm.
Set a lit candle beside your cutting board. This burns off the gasses from the onions and stops the tears.
No way, thanks for the awesome tip, Faith! 🙂
Could I slice brisket in place of ribeye?
Hey Amanda, for sure. The flavor will be slightly different but I think it will be incredible.
I haven’t tried making it yet, but I wanted to ask before trying. Do you use hot dog buns or sub buns? I feel like with the amount in the pictures, it’s too big for a hot dog bun.
It was a larger bun, probably more of a subway or for a giant hotdog. They did taste similar to hotdog bun 🙂
I see the question asked but not answered...does the chuck roast go into the crockpot sliced or whole? I know it goes in the sandwich sliced but is it sliced before or after cooking in the crockpot?
I would cook it as a whole and later pan-fry slices on high heat. The browning would give it a nice flavor.
I’m making this tonight for the fourth time in a month! My husband and I both love it and it’s easy too! Thank you!
I'm so glad it has become a staple, that is so good to hear!
Wow. This was seriously delicious.
Thank you very much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
This was absolutely delicious! My husband and I both enjoyed our easy dinner for two. My only suggestion is to not add cheese to the entire skillet to make for easier reheating. Other than that, simply amazing!
Hey, I am so happy to hear this feedback! Makes my day. Thank you for sharing!
I am going to try this recipe today. It looks amazing. I have a chuck roast I’m going to cook In the crock pot. Do I slice it into strip before I put it in the pot or after it’s cooked whole. I was worried about it shredding instead.
Katie, my mouth is watering! We love chuck roast and this sounds so delicious!
Oooookkkkk. That’s hardly an answer to my question but ok. Thanks.
Oh darn, I got so carried away with thinking of the flavors. sorry! You can add it shredded into the sandwich. I would fully cook veggies and toss beef to just warm it up and top it off with cheese.
This is a great recipe, but the only thing I would say is add more seasoning!! But over all the recipe what great!
Thanks for sharing this feedback. I am so happy to hear this!
This recipe was a great starting format but me being me I had to create something wich I can call my own I sliced top sirloin paper thin marinaded in hickory liquid smoke,Worcestershire sauce, chopped garlic, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, a mayo. I cooked the peppers and onions with butter and adobo then cooked the meat. I then combined and sautéed with velvetta cheese. I used french bread hero’s because they are a little more solid than a lot of breads so it prevents any soggyness, loaded the hero’s topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and pig in oven for 10 min to toast and melt.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ OMG this was literally the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had thank you for the base recipe and the idea 👍🏻
Omg Ryan, who are you!!! I love all the tips and toppings you added. Now I want to try your version. Knowing that the simple classic version is so good, I bet yours is even better!
Me too! I have been adding double cheese to the recipe, but I think I'll just stick a half slice of provolone on top of each and broil them! Thanks for this idea!
Great tip!
Thank you so much for the recipe! Tried it tonight but used venison. It was a huge hit!
Michelle, this is so good to hear. Thank you for sharing!
Could i be able to use a mixture of green red and yellow bell peppers?
Hey Tanya, yes, you definitely can. It will change up the flavors a little but it will still be amazing.
Man I'm glad i found this, I'm from Finland and have never seen Philly cheese steaks sold anywhere and I've wanted to try them for a long time. I'll definetly make these since it's so easy, thank you!
Oh, I am so happy you found the recipe because it's incredible. You will love it!
My boyfriend has been on a Philly Cheesesteak kick for about a month, and it's really been taking a toll on my budget! LOL! I am so happy to have found this recipe and am impressed by it's ease and MANY positive reviews!! I am going to the store to purchase ingredients now so I can surprise him for dinner. Thank you for this!
Amelia, I really hope that it lives up to the standards. Keep me in the loop. Hope you love it.
I have made this recipe 6 times now. For his preference we double the amount of cheese. I cook the vegetables for different amounts of time each time to find the texture he likes the best. He is absolutely in love with this recipe and we haven't gone out for a Cheesesteaks since. He has said that "my" Cheesesteaks are WAY better than any restaurant. Thank you so much for the recipe and for responding! We are major fans now!
Amelia, this is so good to hear! Thank you for sharing! I totally can see how you can add more cheese, there can never be too much of it. 🙂
Awesome!!
Perfect 👌 way to make this recipe good job. From Chef Barbie
Thank you Chef Barbie! I love the name too! 🙂
You are an awesome cooking instructor and some people say that if you leave your onion in the refrigerator it's really icy cold it won't give off the gas that makes you cry when you cut them this much
I heard that it dampens the flavor of the onion if it's stored in the refrigerator... So I just put my onion in there about an hour before I need it 😉
Hey Dusty, great tip. I am trying it for sure! 🙂
Oh you are so sweet. I need to try that tip with the onion because I am so fed up lol 🙂 thank you for sharing!
This recipe is amazing. Almost my favorite place in Philly
Laurie, so happy to hear this! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is amazing. Almost like Ishkabibble’s. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! SO happy that we live up to real Philly standards!
Just made cheesesteak sandwiches for the first time and they were awesome! Better than anywhere I’ve tried. No joke!
Hey Jude, wow, what a flattering comment. Thank you for sharing!
I made the cheese steaks last night and they were delicious!
Nutrition information is wrong =). 8 grams of carbs is way off. You're looking at least 45 to 70 grams of carbs depending on the roll. That adds 180 to 280 calories extra.
WE LOVED THIS! Delicious & easy to prepare. As good as the one I had in Philly. 😊
Hey Sherry, sadly I had never tried one in Philly (bucket list item) but Seattle food trucks have a darn good one. But nothing beats homemade for sure. So glad you loved the recipe!
I will be making this w/ ur recipe for lunch tomorrow, hubby & kids cannot wait . Thank u
I am so excited for you! Hope everyone loves it!
These are so close to mine, with the exception that I use a marinade while cooking the meat called Dale's Steak Sause to add a little kick to it. With Dale's, salt and pepper are not necessary. Also, I have a source for individual rib eyes that are already packaged thinly sliced and cook them four at a time in frying pan medium high, about two minute on each side flash searing them whole. I don't use olive oil, instead I melt a pat of butter along with the Dale's to cook them. With the right marveling to the cut and the marinade they cook quick and are always tender without having to cut the meat into smaller pieces. Two work well for a regular roll along with mushrooms and carmelized oinions.
Hey Tamara, I love all the details you shared in this recipe. Love the idea of using butter, I think I will try it next time. Thank you for sharing!
This was the first recipe sight I ever commented on and I appreciate your positive reply. Going to try your chicken noodle soup this weekend. Thanks 🙂
Tamara, I love hearing from people, makes blogging so fun. I hope you love the soup. 🙂
Would flank steak cut thinly work? And should I marinade it first?
Yes, flack will work really well. No need to marinate it, just season well as cooking.
Pretty good overall
Some changes..
I added some onion powder, garlic salt, and a few sprinkles of worchestirchire to meat.
Buttered buns and did quick broil in oven before serving
Hey Anna, it sounds like you changed up the recipes. Thank you for sharing the ideas with everyone. Have a great day! 🙂
The recipe was very easy to make loved the flavor I added a little garlic powder and onion powder to my beef also. Delish
Kay, thank you so much for sharing this! It makes me so happy that you loved the recipe. I hope you try other recipes.
Best philly cheesesteak recipe ever. My husband doesn’t care for Philly cheesesteak but when he tried this one he said make this again please 😉
Thank you for awesome recipes you are amazing 😉
Anya, I am so honored to hear this. I am thrilled because I am bringing two more versions of Philly Cheese Steak to the blog and they are amazing.
I can’t wait 😉 your recipes are amazing and I tried a few I just keep forgetting to leave reviews because we eat and go into food coma because they are all so amazing 😉
Can’t wait to try the rest of them 😍
🙂 You are too nice. Thanks for commenting, this is how I know if you guys like something.
Wat kind of beef did u used
The high-fat content of ribeye is ideal because it will create a tender, easy-to-bite sandwich. Other cuts would work as well as long as you slice the beef very thinly.