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Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Whether you scoop it onto a toasted hoagie to make a delicious sandwich, or eat it as is, this easy Philly cheesesteak skillet is a dream dinner, and it’s ready in 30 minutes.

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bell peppers, onions, steak and melted cheese in a cast iron skillet for a philly cheesesteak skillet

Philly Cheesesteak Skillet—Any Takers?

Raise your hand if you are a Philly cheesesteak sandwich lover? The flavors of this iconic sandwich take me back to summers in LA. My sisters and I would grab a cheesesteak and some garlic fries from a hole-in-wall restaurant, and hit the beach with no SPF and our straps down. Digging into that thinly cut steak, mushrooms, peppers, onions and melted cheese all warm and saucy in a toasted hoagie roll while laying on the beach in that warm SoCal sun?

I’ve taken those memories and turned America’s most famous sandwich into melty, cheesy, steak-and-veggie-packed one-pan skillet dinner. (That just so happens to also be low-carb). Excited to add this to your weekly dinner rotation? So are we.

Close up of Philly Cheesesteak Skillet dinner recipe

What Cut of Meat is Best for a Philly Cheesesteak Skillet?

The best cut of meat for this cheesesteak skillet is going to be the exact same as a traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich: ribeye. However, ribeye tends to be on the pricier side when it comes to cuts of meat so we recommend using either skirt steak or flat iron. Whatever cut you choose—ribeye, skirt steak or flat iron—look for lots of marbling. Sliced super thin, any of these three cuts of beef will yield gorgeously tender results.

Ingredients laid out for Philly cheesesteak, cheese, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic.

How to Make a Philly Cheesesteak Skillet.

Perfecting the Vegetables

Starting with a hot skillet—we prefer cast iron—add mushrooms to a dry pan. No need for oil or butter—trust us on this one! Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until just golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the onions and bell peppers. Continue cooking just until onions and peppers begin to brown. You want them to still have a little bite, so a long sauté isn’t necessary.

How to Cook Steak for Cheesesteak

As we mentioned, achieving tender bites of meat has a lot do with the cut you choose from your butcher. Cutting the steak as thin as possible helps as well. Our trick for super-thinly sliced steak? Freeze the meat for an hour or two before slicing. Freezing the meat will make it much easier to slice. A super-sharp knife helps, too.Lastly, a cast iron skillet is key. Cooking steak in a cast iron skillet allows you to cook the meat at a very high heat, yielding tender bites of steak with deliciously crispy edges. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, now is a great time to purchase one.

The Cheese in Cheesesteak

Provolone or cheese whiz are the two most traditional Philly cheese steak cheeses. But, for the sake of using what we—and probably most people—already have on hand we’re going with a still-gooey, melty combo of mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the cheese on top of your finished cheese steak skillet and put under the broiler until the cheese is good and bubbly.

Mushrooms sautéing in a pan
Steak searing in a pan
red and green bell peppers with steak in a pan
steak, red and green bell peppers mushrooms and onion in a pan

Cheesesteak Skillet or Sandwich?

One of our favorite parts about this one-pan dinner is its versatility! If you’re on the hunt for a one-and-done low-carb dinner, this meat-and-veggie loaded cheese steak skillet is your new best friend. As for the rest of the population, this skillet dinner is ideal for batch-cooking cheese steak sandwiches. Simply toast some hoagie rolls, spread with a little mayonnaise, then evenly divide the prepared dish into the warm bread and enjoy. We’ve also got a great classic Philly Cheesesteak recipe if that’s more your style.

Cheese sprinkled over steak, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions in a pan.
Cheese melted over steak, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions in a pan.

Equipment Needed to Make this Cheesesteak Skillet

More One-And-Done Dinner Ideas:

We all love a good one-pan dish. Easy to make and easy to clean. Hard to beat that, especially when cooking for a crowd. Here are three of our current go-to one-pan dinners:

Philly Cheesesteak Skillet dinner with a serving spoon
close up of Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

One-Skillet Dinner Never Had It So Good.

Blown away by this one-pot wonder? Well, we hope you snap a photo of your finished dish and maybe even a video of the beautiful person you share it with. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  30 min
  • Calories: 500

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds rib eye, skirt, flank, or flat iron steak, very thinly sliced
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ pound mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 thinly sliced green onions (optional)
  • 6 hoagie rolls, toasted (optional)

Method

  1. Season the steak all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper.

  2. Heat a medium, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms to the dry skillet. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet. When the oil is glistening, add the onions and bell peppers and cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions and peppers begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.

  3. To the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the steak in small batches, cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until browned, transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining steak. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Return the vegetables and the steak, along with any collected juices, back to the skillet and stir to combine.

  4. Top evenly with mozzarella and parmesan. Turn on the broiler with a rack in the center position. Place the skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Sprinkled with green onions, if using.

  5. Serve warm, divided between the hoagie rolls, if using.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories500
  • Protein36 g
  • Carbohydrates8 g
  • Total Fat36 g
  • Dietary Fiber2 g
  • Cholesterol20 mg
  • sodium1009 mg
  • Total Sugars4 g

Philly Cheesesteak Skillet

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Becky

    do you put the minced garlic with the peppers and onions?

    The garlic is added in step #4 when you add the veggies back into the skillet! Enjoy!

  • Linda

    This was so easy to make but tasted like it was a whole lot of work. Will definitely make it again. Also, already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!

    Thanks so much, we are so happy you loved it Linda!

  • Barbara

    Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious and incredibly simple to make. I served it on toasted kaiser rolls. Definitely going to be my go to recipe when I need a cheese steak.

    Thanks Barbara, so glad you enjoyed it! Love to hear it's your new cheese steak go-to!

  • Jennifer

    We made this tonight and it was super tasty! I was scavenging the pan for the bits on the bottom. Will definitely again!

    Yay! Thanks so much for letting us know!