This easy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe is the ultimate game day fare! Tender bites of sirloin, sautéed peppers and onions, and melted provolone cheese are all cooked up in one skillet and loaded on toasted hoagie rolls.
If you love a good Philly Cheesesteak and have always wished you could create this delicious classic at home, you are in the right place!
I cook for six here so I’m painfully aware of the need to streamline my cooking processes and always make a concentrated effort to limit cleanup. Especially with recipes that will be happening when I’m entertaining or in the case of this weekend, watching the big game (go Niners!). We may not be in California anymore but it’s still all about the 49ers in this house.
This recipe cooks up enough Philly Cheesesteak filling to load up 8 hoagie rolls and it’s all done in one skillet on the stove.
I love to add bell peppers and onions to add a burst of color and a ton of flavor to these tasty cheesesteaks.
My family inhaled these.
Table of contents
The Best Cut of Beef for Cheesesteaks
It’s important to use a cut of beef that does not require a long cooking time to get tender. Ribeye is a common choice but the cost is beyond what I’m willing to spend, especially considering this recipe calls for 2½ to 3 pounds of beef.
My favorite cut of beef for this Philly Cheesesteak recipe is sirloin, specifically petite sirloin. Top sirloin is a wonderful choice but petite sirloin is less expensive and still plenty tender enough to create a fabulous Cheesesteak. It’s also a thinner cut so there is a bit less slicing involved.
I’ve been able to pick up value packs of petite sirloin for less than $4 per pound at my local Safeway. You just can’t beat that!
You’ll need a good, sharp knife to slice the sirloin as thinly as possible against the grain. Once sliced, cut the beef into very small (¼-inch-ish) pieces.
Pro Tip
Place your sirloin in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to make it easier to slice.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteaks with Peppers and Onions
The process is easy! You’ll need a large, deep sauté pan to start. If you don’t have any large sauté pans, a Dutch oven will do the trick.
- Sauté thinly sliced onion and bell pepper in vegetable oil over medium-low heat. You want to avoid browning the peppers and onions so if they do begin to brown, reduce the heat under the pan a bit. When they are nice and tender, transfer them to a large dish and set aside.
- Add additional oil to the pan and then add half of the chopped sirloin to the hot pan. Season with a little Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or your favorite all-purpose seasoning, and a little garlic pepper. Cook and stir until browned and then transfer this first batch of browned beef to the dish with the peppers and onions.
Repeat the process with the remaining beef and seasoning. Transfer the second batch of browned beef to the dish and drain any juices from the pan.
- Return the pan to the heat and transfer the cooked veggies and beef to the pan. Place sliced provolone over the top and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt (note – the recipe calls for 7 slices of provolone but these process photos were scaled down a bit.)
- Use tongs to mix the melted cheese throughout the beef and veggie mixture and it’s time to load up those hoagie rolls!
How to Prepare the Hoagie Rolls
This is an important step for a good quality Cheesesteak!
Whenever making any substantial sandwiches with warm ingredients it is always a good idea to toast the rolls first. You’ll have just the right amount of time to take care of this task while the cheese is melting into the beef and veggie mixture.
- Split the rolls but do not separate them. Lightly butter the inside and place them, opened up, on a baking sheet.
- Pop the baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree F oven.
- Divide the Philly Cheesesteak mixture between the toasted hoagie rolls and you are ready to serve.
These are substantial sandwiches that will satisfy your hungriest guests and spot-on perfect for Super Bowl Sunday! That being said, I think they are pretty darned perfect for any day.
More Sandwich Recipes You’ll Love
- Slow Cooker Drip Beef Sandwiches
- Italian Sausage Sandwich
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches
- Crock Pot Italian Beef Sandwiches
- Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)
- Italian Turkey Meatball Subs
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Philly Cheesesteak Recipe with Peppers and Onions
Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (or as needed)
- 1 sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (2-inch slices)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2½ to 3 pounds petite sirloin, thinly sliced sirloin
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or other all-purpose seasoning, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic pepper, divided
- 8 hoagie rolls
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- 7 ounces sliced Provolone cheese, (7 1-ounce slices) I used Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut
Instructions
- Before starting, place beef in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. This will make it easy to slice thinly.
- Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large, deep (14-inch) sauté pan and place over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Add onion and bell peppers. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender. If they are beginning to brown, turn the heat under the skillet down a bit. While the veggies are cooking, prepare the steak, returning to stir every now and then.
- Remove steak from freezer and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim edges of excess fat and then slice it as thinly as possible across the grain. Chop the sliced steak into very small pieces. Keep chopping until you can chop no more! You want little ¼-inch-ish pieces. Check on those veggies periodically while you're prepping the beef.
- When the veggies are tender, transfer them to a dish and return the skillet to the heat. Add additional oil and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add half of the chopped steak and cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until no pink remains. Season with ¾ teaspoon seasoned salt and ½ teaspoon garlic pepper while cooking. Transfer the first batch of steak with a slotted spoon to the dish with the onions and peppers, leaving the juice behind in the pan. Add additional oil, if needed and repeat with remaining steak and seasoning.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Split open the hoagies rolls but do not separate them. Spread them with the softened butter and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
- Drain off all of the juices from the pan and return to the stove. Add back all of the steak and the onions and peppers. Place 7 provolone slices over the mixture in a circle and cover the pan. Cook on MEDIUM until cheese melts, about 4 to 5 minutes, then stir and use tongs to transfer to the toasted sandwich rolls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Can olive oil be used?
You could, although I typically reach for a neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil, which have a higher smoke point than olive oil. I find this is the best choice when I’m searing meat and not looking to add flavor.
This was delicious! I Pin recipes based on 2 things.
1. They are quick and easy.
2. They taste good.
This checks both boxes.
I followed the recipe as directed. I used Old Neighborhood Beef Shaved Steak from Aldi. Great choice as I had to do nothing but stir it and break it up in my skillet. I used Lowry’s all seasoned salt and an Adobo seasoning on the beef, as well as the veggies (onions and green peppers.) The cheese (provolone slices) melted perfectly in the time I had set for the hoagie rolls. An alternative for f=doing this in the future would be using mayo in place of butter on the rolls.
I agree, may not be “authentic Philly cheese steak,” but I like sliced onions, sliced peppers, & sliced mushrooms on my Philly cheesesteak sammich.. I’m going to make this tonight, but I’m out of bell peppers.. So sliced, seeded, jalapenos it is. For the cheese, I’m going to put some sliced. Smoked extra sharp chedder along with my sauteed jalapeno peppers.
Love mushrooms! Hope they turned out great for you, Alan 🙂
Hi. My family and I just finished dinner. I made this dish. And it was fabulous! The only thing that they had to say constructively was that they would have liked it to be a little more juicy. So the next time, I will be making a French dip style Sauce to go on the side. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
We really enjoyed the taste, the pepper still had a little crunch which I prefer. I used mozzarella cause that was what I had in hand. For sure it’s a keeper.
Great recipe.
Toasting the bread in the oven with butter is an excellent tip. We used hot dog buns because that’s what we had.
Melting in the cheese is also a good step. After throwing in all the provolone we had, we added some mozzarella to get enough cheese. (Obviously, the only planning ahead we did for this meal was to have the shredded beef, thawed.)
I usually increase the onions. Here, instead of one, I used two.
Rave reviews at the dinner table. It really is a fast, easy meal.
Excellent. Served to guests who raved!! I agree with Char: sauté peppers and onions separately…minor detail, though. I used pepper jack cheese and substituted a yellow pepper for the green. I would add a little more seasoned salt—personal preference. I’ll make again.
Just a FYI. We here in Philly do not put peppers in our cheese steak. If there are establishments that do here in Philly, we are not appear.
Maybe not authentic but easy and delicious! We love these sandwiches with peppers.
Go 49ers!!. I needed alarge recipe to feed a army. Gonna try soon
We ain’t in Philadelphia, we’re in TEXAS. So I made Texas cheese steaks. With bell peppers and onions. And I didn’t follow her recipe exactly. And they are delicious. Family already wants them again.
I recall the recipe entitled “Valerie’s Kitchen: Philly Cheesesteak Recipe with Peppers and Onions”…not Mercedes’s blog to put a delicious recipe down, add anything of substance or even trying to match the recipe in deliciousness. Thank God my family is Pittsburgh all the way…good people, good food & Black & Yellow all the way. No room for more negative ablebodied snobs in this world who genuinely have nothing positive to add. Thank you, Valerie, for making a disabled mother of growing boys feel capable of delivering drool worthy meals to my family & showing me I’m capable of achieving far more with my disabilities & limitations then selfish ablests who add the word “Authentic” to every recipe posted online…when I’m just trying to live my Authentic best life in a broken, disabled body. Get off your high horses and learn to be thankful for your abilities and worry less about making others feel less than, because I guarantee you, you couldn’t survive a day in my life with such selfish, lazy, entitled, “authentic” attitudes. Valerie, thank you for sharing your kitchen with people such as myself!! Giving me hope that I haven’t lost all abilities, and making cooking a new healthy interest for myself & my family, cutting back on food that is not clean & hopefully my family will grow healthier & stronger together.
Thanks for your encouraging words, Heather. You are an inspiration!
You loose me at a season salt….Lazy. Not authentic.
This recipe is meant to be an easy choice for making in your own kitchen. Maybe not 100% but authentic but definitely 100% DELICIOUS!
This recipe was excellent. Next time I will probably sauté the peppers separate from the onions. It takes the peppers a lot longer to get “soft” than it does the onions. Thus my onions were a little over done. But overall it was great and will be making again.
Great, simple recipe. I used gluten free buns and put some greens on top from one of those bagged salad mixes. Delish!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I made enough for an army very delicious. The only change I made was using two Hungarian Chile peppers in stead of a green pepper. And a marinara on the side.