Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

By
Pete Scherer
ghi
Pete Scherer
Pete Scherer is a longtime food writer, self-taught cook and baker, and recipe developer based in Los Angeles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/4/21
cheesesteak sliders on a plate

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 8 sliders
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1233 Calories
75g Fat
52g Carbs
84g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 1233
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 75g 96%
Saturated Fat 28g 139%
Cholesterol 259mg 86%
Sodium 1084mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 52g 19%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 84g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 634mg 49%
Iron 8mg 46%
Potassium 1083mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Cheesesteak sliders present both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity lies in their excellence as smaller versions of a beloved sandwich, a shareable and fun food. You can fix up a great big pan of steak and cheese, drop it on some buns, and you're all done.

The challenge, however, lies in making them authentic enough to earn the Philly moniker. The right kind of thinly-sliced steak (usually ribeye) and cheese (typically Cheez Whiz or provolone), you see, is not enough. True Philly cheesesteaks are served on fresh Italian-style rolls. These rolls are made from lean dough, which eschews rich ingredients such as butter, milk, eggs, and sugar, the very things that many hamburger and slider buns rely on for their soft texture and tender crumb.

The best place to find ingredients for Philly cheesesteak sliders that fit the bill is an Asian market. While they might not carry the provolone or the whiz, they often have a great selection of thinly sliced cuts of beef such as ribeye, New York strip, and sirloin, which are normally destined for things such as Korean barbecue and shabu-shabu. Asian markets also usually carry an array of slider-sized rolls. For the most authentic Philly taste, look for bread that's low in fat and sugar.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons oil or butter, divided

  • 1 small onion, sliced into half-moons

  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms

  • 2 pounds steak, thinly sliced (such as ribeye)

  • 8 slices provolone cheese

  • 8 slider buns

  • cheese sauce, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    cheesesteak sliders ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil or butter in a griddle or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened.

    onions and butter in saute pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Add the mushrooms and another 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté with the onions for 2 or 3 minutes.

    mushrooms and onions sauteeing

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Add the sliced steak. Use a spatula to break apart the meat as it cooks, mixing with the mushrooms and onions.

    steak in pan with onions and mushrooms

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. When all the steak has browned, lower the heat and lay the slices of provolone down evenly over the steak, mushrooms and onions.

    cheese slices on top of cooked steak and onions/mushrooms

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. When the provolone is half melted, turn off the heat. The residual heat will keep melting the cheese.

    cheese melting in pan on top of meat and onions/mushrooms

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Pile the steak mixture onto slider buns, top with optional additional cheese sauce, and serve immediately.

    cheesesteak sliders on buns

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

    Variations

    It's not uncommon to serve a cheesesteak in Philly with a few other additions, so here are some ideas if you want to amplify the flavor of your sliders

    • This recipe uses fried onions and mushrooms, but it's not necessary as the default Philly cheesesteak order is steak and cheese on a roll. Fried onions are the most common addition, but people also like peppers and mushrooms, too.
    • Use Cheez Whiz if you want the most authentic taste; it's what traditionally tops a cheesesteak. You can also use provolone as this recipe does, or American.
    • If you can't find slider rolls that are the right consistency, improvise. Buy Italian bread, or hoagie or sub rolls and make a full-sized cheesesteak. Instead of cutting it in half, cut it into slider-size increments, every 3 to 4 inches or so.