These chicken philly cheese steaks are the easy sandwich that saved my dinner routine. Sliced chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, and melted cheese get piled on toasted hoagie rolls. That's it. Comes together in about 30 minutes with simple ingredients and tastes just like the famous Philly cheese steak but with chicken. I make these chicken philly cheese steaks whenever I need philly chicken cheese steak recipe that's filling, flavorful, and actually feeds the whole family without complicated steps.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
Real talk, this chicken philly cheese steak recipe is one of the easiest beef recipes easy style dinners I've made and my family requests it constantly.
What Actually Works: This chicken philly cheese steaks recipe slices chicken breasts thin, sautés them with bell peppers and onions until caramelized, tops everything with melted provolone cheese, then serves on toasted hoagie rolls. One skillet, simple ingredients, about 30 minutes total. Tastes like authentic philly cheese steak from Philadelphia but uses chicken instead of beef. My kids eat every bite including the vegetables. These philly cheese steak chicken sandwiches prove you don't need complicated techniques for restaurant quality results.
The thing that changed everything: Understanding that you need to slice chicken thin for chicken philly cheese steaks. My first attempt I cut thick chicken pieces thinking they'd be juicier. The chicken took forever to cook and didn't have that authentic cheese steak sandwich texture. Started slicing chicken into thin strips like steak and suddenly got those tender, quick cooking pieces that actually taste like real philly cheese steak. That thin slicing is what transforms regular chicken sandwiches into authentic philly chicken cheese steak recipe everyone craves.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
- What You'll Need for Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
- How to Make Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
- Top Tip
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Storage and Reuse Instructions
- What to Serve With Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
- My Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe Journey
- Similar Easy Sandwich Dinners Worth Making
- FAQ
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
Basic ingredients you probably have. This is the easiest philly cheese steak you'll make this month.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken breasts
- Hoagie rolls or sub rolls
- Bell peppers (green and red)
- Onion
- Provolone cheese or cheese whiz
- Olive oil or butter
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Optional Add-Ins
- Mushrooms
- Hot peppers
- Mayo
- Pickles
- Extra cheese
Exact measurements in the Recipe card.
How to Make Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
This best philly cheesesteak recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. The technique is simple but makes all the difference.
Step 1: Slice the Chicken
Slice chicken breasts into very thin strips, about ¼ inch thick. Freezing the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes makes slicing easier for your chicken philly cheese steaks.
Season chicken strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Thin slicing is crucial for authentic philly cheese steak chicken texture.
Step 2: Prep the Vegetables
Slice bell peppers and onions into thin strips. Keep them similar size so they cook evenly with your chicken philly cheese steak recipe.
The peppers and onions are what give philly cheese authentic flavor. Don't skip these vegetables.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Heat oil or butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add seasoned chicken strips in a single layer without crowding.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Remove to a plate for your philly chicken cheese steak recipe.
Step 4: Sauté the Vegetables
Add more oil to the same skillet. Add sliced peppers and onions. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized.
The caramelized vegetables are essential for best philly cheesesteak recipe flavor. Let them get golden and sweet.
Step 5: Combine and Add Cheese
Return cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Toss everything together to combine well.
Top the chicken mixture with sliced provolone cheese or cheese whiz. Cover skillet with lid for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts completely over your chicken philly cheese steaks.
Step 6: Toast the Rolls
While cheese melts, slice hoagie rolls and toast them in a separate pan with butter or under the broiler until lightly golden.
Toasted rolls hold up better to the juicy filling for these cheese steak sandwich classics.
Step 7: Assemble and Serve
Scoop generous portions of the cheesy chicken and vegetable mixture onto toasted hoagie rolls. The cheese should be melted and stretchy.
Serve immediately while hot. These philly cheese steak chicken sandwiches are best fresh with plenty of napkins.
You'll have incredible chicken philly cheese steaks with tender chicken, caramelized vegetables, and melted cheese that tastes just like the real thing.
Top Tip
Slice chicken Thin for chicken philly cheese steaks:
- That thin slicing is what makes philly chicken cheese steak recipe actually taste like real philly cheese steak
- Made this mistake twice cutting thick chicken chunks
- The pieces took forever to cook and felt like regular chicken sandwiches
- Started slicing chicken into thin ¼ inch strips like actual steak
- Froze the chicken for 15 minutes first to make slicing easier
- Suddenly got that authentic tender texture that cooks fast
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
The base chicken philly cheese steaks recipe is perfect but you can customize for different flavors.
Different Proteins
Use ground turkey philly cheesesteak style by browning ground turkey instead of sliced chicken. Thinly sliced beef works for traditional best philly cheesesteak recipe. Ground beef makes easy philly cheese steak sandwich recipe.
Cheese Options
Try cheese whiz for authentic Philly style in your philly cheese chicken. American cheese melts smoothly. Mix provolone and mozzarella for extra melty chicken philly cheese steaks.
Add Mushrooms
Sauté sliced mushrooms with the peppers and onions for earthy flavor in your chicken philly cheese steak recipe. Mushrooms are traditional in many philly cheese steak variations.
Make It Spicy
Add sliced jalapeños or banana peppers with the vegetables. Use pepper jack cheese instead of provolone. Drizzle with hot sauce for spicy philly chicken cheese steak recipe.
Bowl Style
Skip the bread and serve over rice or cauliflower rice for chicken philly cheesesteak bowl. Great for healthy philly cheese steak bowl version.
Slow Cooker Version
Make slow cooker chicken philly sandwiches by cooking everything in a crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours. Add cheese at the end for slow cooker philly cheese steak.
Pasta Version
Toss the chicken and vegetables with cooked pasta for philly cheese steak pasta ground beef style. Add extra cheese sauce for creamy version.
Storage and Reuse Instructions
Refrigerator: Store leftover chicken philly cheese steaks filling in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Toast fresh rolls when ready to serve.
Freezing: The chicken and vegetable mixture freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge and reheat. Make fresh for best philly cheesesteak recipe quality.
Make-Ahead: Cook the chicken and vegetables up to 2 days ahead. Store in fridge and reheat with cheese when ready to assemble your philly cheese steak chicken sandwiches.
What to Serve With Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe
These chicken philly cheese steaks are filling but pair great with simple sides.
Classic Options: French fries or sweet potato fries complete the meal. Onion rings work great with these cheese steak sandwich classics.
Fresh Sides: Coleslaw balances the richness perfectly. Pickle spears add tang to your philly chicken cheese steak recipe. Side salad lightens the meal.
Complete Dinner: Serve with chips, pasta salad, or potato salad for full sloppy joes dinner style spread.
My Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks Recipe Journey
First time I made chicken philly cheese steaks I cut the chicken into big thick pieces thinking they'd be more substantial. Cooked them and they took forever, stayed tough, and didn't taste anything like real philly cheese steak. My husband took one bite and said it was just a regular chicken sandwich.
Tried again but didn't caramelize the vegetables enough. The peppers and onions were still crunchy and raw tasting, not sweet and tender like authentic philly cheese. Not the easy philly cheese steak sandwich recipe I wanted.
Then I sliced the chicken paper thin, let the vegetables cook until golden and caramelized, and melted real provolone cheese over everything. Suddenly got those perfect sandwiches that actually tasted like we'd ordered from Philadelphia. My kids who'd ignored the first version each ate two of these chicken philly cheese steaks.
Now I make this chicken philly cheese steak recipe twice a month because I know the secret. Thin chicken, caramelized vegetables, melted cheese.
Similar Easy Sandwich Dinners Worth Making
If you love these chicken philly cheese steaks, you'll definitely want to try my other quick sandwich recipes:
- Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes – Ground beef with peppers and cheese for sloppy joes recipe meets philly cheese steak
- Italian Chicken Sandwiches – Seasoned chicken with marinara and mozzarella for easy philly cheese steak sandwich recipe variation
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches – Shredded chicken in tangy barbecue sauce for chicken steak sandwich recipe vibes
All three use similar techniques to these philly chicken cheese steak recipe but bring different flavors to your sloppy joes dinner rotation.
FAQ
What meat is used for Chicken Philly Cheesesteak?
Chicken philly cheese steaks use boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced very thin into strips, about ¼ inch thick. The thin slicing is crucial because it mimics the texture of traditional philly cheese steak made with thinly shaved ribeye beef. Some recipes use chicken thighs for more flavor and moisture. For easiest prep, freeze the chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing to make cutting thin strips easier. The seasoned chicken gets sautéed quickly with peppers and onions for this philly chicken cheese steak recipe.
What kind of cheese is good on chicken cheesesteaks?
Provolone cheese is the most popular choice for chicken philly cheese steaks because it melts smoothly and has mild flavor that doesn't overpower the chicken. Traditional philly cheese steak often uses cheese whiz for authentic Philadelphia style. American cheese works great and melts perfectly. White American cheese is common in Philly. Mozzarella creates a stretchy melty topping. For best philly cheesesteak recipe results, use cheese that melts well and add it at the end so it gets gooey over the hot chicken and vegetables.
What type of cheese is used in the chicken Philly?
The most authentic cheese for chicken philly cheese steaks is provolone, cheese whiz, or American cheese. Provolone is the most popular because it has great flavor and melts beautifully without being too strong. Cheese whiz gives you that classic Philly experience. White American cheese is what many Philly restaurants actually use. For philly cheese steak chicken sandwiches, avoid pre-shredded cheese as it doesn't melt as smoothly. Sliced provolone or cheese whiz are the best options for this chicken philly cheese steak recipe.
What is the secret ingredient in Philly cheesesteak?
The secret to great chicken philly cheese steaks is properly caramelized onions and peppers. Most home cooks don't cook the vegetables long enough. Let them cook for at least 6 to 8 minutes until they're soft, golden, and sweet. The caramelization adds depth that makes philly cheese steak special. Another secret is slicing the chicken very thin so it cooks quickly and has tender texture. Season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic. Use good quality hoagie rolls and toast them. These details make the difference in chicken philly cheese steak recipe quality.
More Recipes You'll Love
Once you've mastered these chicken philly cheese steaks, try my Hot Honey Chicken Cutlets for crispy fried chicken with sweet spicy glaze. My Cheesy Garlic Chicken Wrap makes easy lunch with melted cheese and creamy garlic sauce. And my Parmesan Crusted Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner brings one pan meals with roasted vegetables and crispy parmesan coating.
Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice chicken breasts into very thin strips about ¼ inch thick, freezing for 15 to 20 minutes first makes slicing easier.
- Season chicken strips with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, tossing to coat evenly.
- Slice bell peppers and onions into thin strips, keeping them similar size.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add seasoned chicken strips in a single layer.
- Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and lightly browned, then remove to a plate.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet, then add sliced peppers and onions.
- Cook vegetables for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized with golden brown edges.
- Return cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables and toss everything together to combine well.
- Top the chicken mixture with sliced provolone cheese, cover skillet with lid, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until cheese melts completely.
- While cheese melts, slice hoagie rolls and toast them in a separate pan with butter or under the broiler until lightly golden.
- Scoop generous portions of the cheesy chicken and vegetable mixture onto toasted hoagie rolls and serve immediately while hot.
Nutrition
Notes
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Philly Cheese Steaks:
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