The Best Philly Cheesesteak Recipe

One bite of this Philly Cheesesteak, and you’ll feel like you’re in The City of Brotherly Love. It may be the best sandwich with steak strips stuffed in a toasted hoagie roll and smothered in caramelized onions and homemade cheese sauce.

This authentic Philly cheesesteak practically defines the Northeast. Just like a Shrimp Po’Boy and Reuben Sandwich, it’s an iconic sandwich that only gets better with crispy French fries, creamy coleslaw, and an ice-cold beer on the side.

The Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

Few sandwiches are as legendary as the Philly cheesesteak. Legend has it that back in the 1930s, Pat Olivieri, a hot dog vendor, threw some thinly sliced steak on his grill and stuffed it into a roll. Word spread fast, and Pat’s steak sandwich had a loyal following before long. Pat’s is still one of Philadelphia’s most famous cheesesteak joints today.

Steak sandwiches aren’t all created equal. However, an authentic Philly cheesesteak is as simple as satisfying: thinly sliced ribeye, caramelized onions, and gooey melted cheese piled onto a soft roll. It’s one of my all-time favorite sandwiches—right up there with my Roast Beef Sandwich and Jibarito—because it’s meaty, cheesy, and just plain delicious. 

It’s American comfort food at its finest, perfect for game days, casual lunches, or feeding a hungry crowd. While the authentic Philly version is often served with Cheez Whiz, I prefer to make my homemade cheesesteak sauce. I promise it’s way better than anything out of a jar.

Ingredients and Substitutions

For the Cheesesteak Sauce:

• Cheese – The best cheese for a cheesesteak is a mix of shredded sharp cheddar and American cheese. Sharp cheddar is rich and tangy, while the sodium citrate in American cheese keeps the sauce ultra-smooth. You can also use mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, or Velveeta. You can also substitute the cheese sauce for provolone cheese slices.
• Cornstarch – The cornstarch makes the cheese sauce thick and spreadable.
• Seasonings – The cheese sauce is seasoned with ground garlic granules, ground dry mustard, and sea salt.
• Evaporated Milk – This almost syrupy canned milk thickens the sauce and gives it a richer flavor than heavy cream or whole milk. 

For the Sandwich:

• Clarified Butter – Caramelizing the onions in clarified butter instead of regular melted butter prevents them from burning and gives them a rich, buttery flavor. Feel free to use regular unsalted butter if that’s all you have.
• Onions – Sliced yellow onions are caramelized to bring out their natural sweetness.
• Steak – Ribeye is the traditional and best choice for a Philly cheesesteak. It’s well-marbled, so it stays juicy and tender. If you prefer a leaner option, filet mignon, top sirloin, strip steak, or flank steak are also excellent.
• Buns – Soft hoagies or sub rolls are sturdy enough to hold the juicy steak and cheese sauce without falling apart. French bread, ciabatta, or brioche buns would also be great. For extra flavor, consider brushing the buns with melted garlic butter.

How to Make The Best Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

To make the cheesesteak sauce, add all the ingredients to a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sauce is smooth, thick, and velvety. Keep it warm while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.

Heat the clarified butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally. 

Once caramelized, transfer the onions to a plate and set aside.

In the now empty pan, melt the remaining clarified butter. Spread the sliced steak in an even layer and sear until lightly browned and cooked through.

Add half of the cooked onions to the pan with the beef and season with salt and pepper.

Place the sliced buns cut side down on the other side of the pan or flat-top and toast them lightly. 

To assemble the cheesesteak sandwiches, divide the steak strips between the buns and top each with the remaining caramelized onions. Generously drizzle them with the warm cheese sauce, then serve hot.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can caramelize the onions and sear the meat 2 to 3 hours before assembling the sandwiches. Keep them warm in a crockpot or a pan over low heat. 

How to Store: Transfer the meat, caramelized onions, and cheese sauce to separate airtight containers. They will keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. The cooked meat and onions also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: Heat the desired amount of steak and onions in a small frying pan over low heat or in the microwave. The sauce can be warmed in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. 

Chef Notes + Tips

• Cooking the onions and meat on a flat-top griddle gives you enough surface area to cook everything. A large frying pan or cast-iron skillet also works well if you don’t have one.
• Feel free to skip the cheese sauce and add a few slices of provolone to the beef as it’s finished cooking. Then mix it in and watch it melt right into the meat.
• You’ll also need a metal spatula to chop, mix, and flip the steak as it cooks.
• I recommend shredding the cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese.
• To avoid a grainy cheese sauce, keep the heat low and stir it frequently. If the sauce thickens too much, whisk in a splash of evaporated milk until it reaches the perfect consistency.
• Freeze the ribeye steak for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. Also, slice it against the grain for maximum tenderness.
• I personally think caramelized onions are a must on a Philly cheesesteak. If you ever find yourself ordering a cheesesteak in Philly, you can customize it by saying “wid” (with onions) or “widout” (without onions).
• Classic Philly cheesesteaks aren’t made with sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms but are common add-ins.
• Other popular cheesesteak toppings are a spoonful of pizza sauce, a sprinkle of mozzarella, hot cherry peppers, pickled jalapeños, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

More Sandwich Recipes 

• Monte Cristo Sandwich Recipe
• Meatball Sub Sandwich Recipe
• Crab Cake Sandwich Recipe
• Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches Recipe
• The Ultimate Homemade BLT Sandwich

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The Best Philly Cheesesteak Recipe

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5 from 18 votes

One bite of this delicious Philly Cheesesteak, and you’ll feel like you’re eating in The City of Brotherly Love.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the Sauce:

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded American cheese
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• coarse salt to taste

For the Sandwich:

• 3 tablespoons clarified butter, or ghee
• 2 peeled and sliced yellow onions
• 2 pounds thinly sliced ribeye steak
• 4 8 ” buns
• coarsesalt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• For the Sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a medium-size pot and cook over low heat stirring often until hot and thick. Keep warm.
• Add 1 ½ tablespoons of clarified butter to a large frying pan or flattop over medium-high heat and cook the onions until lightly browned and soft, about 10 minutes. Set to the side.
• Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of clarified butter to the pan and add in the sliced steak.
• Cook for 2-4 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked throughout.
• Add ½ of the cooked onions to the top of the beef, season with salt and pepper and mix together until combined.
• To Serve: Add the sliced buns cut side down onto the other side of the pan or flat top to heat up and lightly toast.
• Evenly divide the sliced cooked steak between the lightly toasted buns and top off with the remaining caramelized onions and cheese sauce.
• Serve hot.

Notes

Make-Ahead: You can caramelize the onions and sear the meat 2 to 3 hours ahead of assembling the sandwiches. Keep them warm in a crockpot or a pan over low heat. 

How to Store: Transfer the meat, caramelized onions, and cheese sauce to separate airtight containers. They will keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. The cooked meat and onions also freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat: Heat the desired amount of steak and onions in a small frying pan over low heat or in the microwave. The sauce can be warmed in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cooking the onions and meat on a flat-top griddle gives you enough surface area to cook everything. A large frying pan or cast-iron skillet also works well if you don’t have one.

Feel free to skip the cheese sauce and add a few slices of provolone on top of the beef as it’s finished cooking. Then mix it in and watch it melt right into the meat.

You’ll also need a metal spatula to chop, mix, and flip the steak as it cooks.

I recommend shredding the cheese yourself rather than buying pre-shredded cheese.

To avoid a grainy cheese sauce, keep the heat low and stir it frequently. If the sauce thickens too much, whisk in a splash of evaporated milk until it reaches the perfect consistency.

Freeze the ribeye steak for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice. Also, slice it against the grain for maximum tenderness.

I personally think caramelized onions are a must on a Philly cheesesteak. If you ever find yourself ordering a cheesesteak in Philly, you can customize it by saying “wid” (with onions) or “widout” (without onions).

Classic Philly cheesesteaks aren’t made with sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms but are common add-ins.

Other popular cheesesteak toppings are a spoonful of pizza sauce, a sprinkle of mozzarella, hot cherry peppers, pickled jalapeños, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 1298kcalCarbohydrates: 109gProtein: 72gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 212mgSodium: 1423mgPotassium: 854mgFiber: 4gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 443IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 443mgIron: 36mg

Course: lunch, Main

Cuisine: American

Author: Chef Billy Parisi