Steak Sandwich Recipe
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This Steak Sandwich recipe is built around quality ribeye and a few ingredients done right. I grill the meat, roast the vegetables, and finish it with cheese and garlic aioli on a toasted hoagie bun. I love that it’s ready in under an hour and perfect for lunch or casual backyard get-togethers.
There’s just nothing like a good sandwich when the day’s packed and you need something quick. I love how easy they are to make, and you can mix and match different toppings and cheeses to suit whatever you have on hand. If you’re into sandwiches like I am, try my Kentucky hot brown or the classic Reuben sandwich next.
Steak Sandwich
A steak sandwich consists of hot or chilled cooked beef served inside a bun or hoagie with assorted toppings and a sauce. It can also include greens such as lettuce or microgreens. A steak sandwich can be customized any way you like, from the type of beef to the bread, toppings, or sauce. There are no boundaries.
Like you probably know by now, I always like to share a little backstory behind the recipes I make. Fun fact, turns out the steak sandwich traces back to Louis’ Lunch in Connecticut, where they served something called a “hamburger sandwich.” It’s kind of like an old-school patty melt, with a burger, cheese, and toppings on plain white bread.
So here’s how I do my steak sandwich. I pile on bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions, those are my favorite veggies. Melted cheese is non-negotiable, and I skip the plain white bread for a proper hoagie roll. I grabbed a nice ribeye from my local butcher and wow… it turned out so juicy and tender. Honestly, it was the perfect pick for this sandwich. I hope you give it a go too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this steak sandwich recipe, I stuck with all the basic ingredients you’ll see listed below. I’m also sharing a few easy swaps, which is one of the things I really like about this recipe. You can keep it classic or change it up depending on what you have around.
- Beef – I used fresh ribeye steak, but you can also substitute it with New York strip, flank, or skirt steak; just keep in mind that New York strip is lean but can be tough depending on the grade, while flank and skirt are leaner cuts that should be cooked to medium-rare to stay tender.
- Fat – Olive oil or butter work great for cooking the beef.
- Vegetables – I use red and green bell peppers, but orange and yellow can also be used. In addition, you’ll need a white, sweet, or yellow onion.
- Mushrooms – Regular button mushrooms work well for this. Cremini mushrooms are also an option for this steak sandwich.
- Sauce – I use my famous homemade garlic aioli sauce on the sandwich.
- Cheese – Mozzarella or provolone cheese work very well. I like to use a combination of to make this extra cheese.
- Bread – A good hoagie roll is what you’ll need.
How to Make a Steak Sandwich
Roast the onions: I start by cooking the onion rings in a pan with a bit of butter over medium-low heat. I let them go for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until they turn golden brown. Once they’re done, I set them aside.
Roast the peppers and mushrooms: In the same pan, I add a little more butter and toss in the sliced peppers and mushrooms. I cook them over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re nicely browned.
Season the steak: I sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steak, making sure it’s evenly coated and ready for the grill.
Grill the steak: I heat the grill to around 450° to 550°, or use a grill pan on medium-high heat with a little olive oil. I cook the steak until grill marks form and it reaches the doneness I’m looking for.
Assemble the sandwich: I place the grilled steak onto the hoagie bun, then layer on the cheese, followed by the roasted peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
Bake the sandwiches: I pop them in the oven at 400° for about 5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the bun is lightly toasted.
Serve: I take the sandwiches out of the oven and serve them warm with a generous spoonful of garlic aioli on the side.
chef tip + notes
I highly recommend for making my steak sandwich recipe to always slice the steak against the grain. It’s one of those small technique-driven steps that really changes the texture of the meat. You get tender and easy-to-bite pieces every time, and it really takes the sandwich to the next level.
- Season and sear: I season the steak well and sear it to a juicy medium-rare. You can cook it a little longer if you prefer it more done.
- Other cooking methods: I either pan-roast the steak by heating oil until it starts to smoke and searing it on both sides over medium-high heat, or I use the broiler on high and cook it for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Both methods work well depending on what setup I have going.
- Don’t rush the onions: Low and slow is the way to go. Letting them cook for a full 20 minutes brings out all that natural sweetness and gives you that deep golden color.
- Layer while everything is still warm: I assemble the sandwiches while the steak and veggies are still hot so the cheese melts a bit before they even go in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
When I’m putting these steak sandwiches together, I always like to add a few easy sides. French fries or sweet potato fries are usually the first thing I think of, my daughter’s all about the sweet ones, so they make it to the plate more often than not. Potato wedges or a handful of fried onions work great, they add a salty crunch that pairs perfectly with a juicy steak sandwich.
If I’m going for something a little fresher, I’ll toss together a cucumber salad or add some vinegar-based coleslaw for a bit of crunch. My homemade pickles are always welcome at the table, I personally love adding pickles to my sandwich along with the rest of the veggies, so you’re welcome to try it too.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This steak sandwich is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking. If you keep the sauce, veggies, mushrooms, and beef separate, you can make this up to 2 days ahead of time.
How to Store: It is best to cover the sauce, cooked beef, bread,veggies, and mushrooms separate. If it is already assembled, cover the sandwich with plastic and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days. This recipe will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Place the desired number of sandwiches on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake them in the oven at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until warm. If you kept the main components of the dish separate, follow the procedures of the recipe for reheating.
More Sandwich Recipes
- Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup
- Roast Beef Sandwich
- Monte Cristo
- Shrimp Po’Boy
Steak Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large peeled and thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1 each seeded and large sliced green and red bell pepper
- 1 pint sliced button mushrooms
- 4 10-ounce boneless ribeye steaks, each sliced into 3 slices
- 4 hoagie buns
- 8 mozzarella cheese slices
- 4 provolone cheese slices
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 garlic aioli recipe
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the onions until well browned, which takes about 20 minutes. Set them aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large frying pan and cook the peppers and mushrooms over medium-low heat until browned, which takes about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Season the ribeye steaks well with salt and pepper on both sides and cook on a hot grill or in a grill pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until grill marks have formed and the desired internal temperature is achieved. It will take about 2 to 3 minutes per side for a medium-rare internal temperature.
- Divide the cooked sliced ribeyes between the 4 sliced hoagie buns and layer each sandwich with 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, 1 slice of provolone cheese, roasted onions, peppers, and mushrooms.
- Add the sandwiches to the middle rack of the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bun is lightly toasted.
- Serve the hot sandwiches along with the aioli.
Holy moly, mama this was good. I did mix the olive oil and butter together to sauté the vegetables and butter the hoagie. I did everything on the grill and it seemed to work out pretty good, of course being from New Mexico. I added green chile. Thanks 🙏 for the recipe.
Why not a prime top sirloin?
sure. feel free.
I often identify recipes my grandchildren can make as they develop their culinary skills. The loved the ease of the recipe and the delicious flavor! Win Win!
excellent!
Almost tastes like Philly. Yum.
nice.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
perfect!!
The best sandwich in America made even better by followIng your recipe. If you’re on a budget, I’ve found that using very thinly sliced top sirloin is more than acceptable….
Perfect!
Oh Wow, It is 4:10 am here in California and This sandwich looks amazing. I could go for one of these right now. I have everything but the bread here at the house right now, maybe I’ll make this for dinner tonight. The meat I have is Rib eye that has bee cut already to make Cheese steak sandwiches. Would that work or does the meat have to be a little bit thicker cut? I’m going to try this and see what the Family thinks. Thank you Billy for this great recipe, it looks so delicious…..