Philly Cheese Steak Sliders

These Philly Cheese Steak Sliders have been on our dinner rotation long enough that my kids now just call them “the sliders” — which tells you everything you need to know. Thin-sliced sirloin, sautéed peppers and onions, provolone melted into every corner, all piled onto King’s Hawaiian rolls and baked until the tops are glossy and golden.

They’re the kind of thing you make once and then spend the next month fielding requests.

What makes these work for both weeknight dinners and game day spreads is how straightforward they actually are. No special equipment, no fussy technique — just good ingredients layered in the right order and finished in a hot oven.

The hardest part is keeping people from pulling them apart before you’ve had a chance to cut them properly.

Helpful Tips

• Freeze the steak briefly before slicing. 20–30 minutes in the freezer makes thin slicing dramatically easier. If you’re starting from a cold refrigerator steak, you might be okay with a very sharp knife, but the freezer trick is reliable.
• Ask your butcher to slice it. If you’re buying from a meat counter (not pre-packaged), most butchers will run the steak through their slicer at no extra charge. Just ask for “shaved” or “thin-sliced” sirloin.
• Don’t skip the mayo step. I know it sounds like an odd addition, but it’s what keeps the bread from going dry in the oven. The amount called for is genuinely light — you won’t taste it as a mayo flavor, you’ll just notice that the bread is still soft when it comes out.
• Cheese placement matters. Lay the provolone slices so they cover as much of the steak surface as possible. Gaps mean dry patches. If your slices are small, tear and overlap them.
• Use a snug baking dish. If the rolls have too much room to spread, the tops won’t hold their shape when you pour the butter. A 9×13 is right for a 12-pack.
• Let them rest 2 minutes before cutting. Not longer than that or they’ll lose heat fast, but a brief rest lets everything settle so the filling doesn’t pour out when you slice.
• If your rolls brown too fast in the final uncovered phase, tent the foil loosely rather than sealing it back down. That lets steam escape without over-browning the tops.

Variations Worth Trying

The base recipe is solid as written, but here are a few directions that work well:

• Add mushrooms. Slice cremini mushrooms thin and sauté them with the peppers and onions. They add an earthiness that fits the Philly flavor profile well.
• Swap the cheese. Provolone is classic here, but white American cheese melts even smoother if you want a creamier result. Pepper jack adds heat if your crowd likes spice.
• Use a Worcestershire butter glaze. Add a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to the melted butter before brushing it on top. It deepens the savory flavor and makes the tops a shade darker and richer.
• Add banana peppers. A handful of drained sliced banana peppers scattered on top of the steak layer before the cheese goes on adds a tangy, mildly pickled note that cuts through the richness.
• Go with chicken instead of steak. Thin-sliced chicken breast cooked the same way makes a respectable substitute. The garlic powder and provolone carry it well.

Serving Ideas

These are a complete thing on their own, but if you’re putting together a full spread:

• A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness nicely
• Kettle chips or waffle fries alongside if you’re feeding a crowd and want something easy
• Pickles on the side — dill pickles specifically — if your people like them
• For a game day spread, set out a tray of these next to something cold and fresh (raw veggie platter, fruit) so there’s contrast

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Leftovers

Storing leftovers

Let leftover sliders cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for up to 3 days.

The rolls will soften as they sit — this is expected and doesn’t mean they’ve gone bad.

Reheating

The oven is the best option. Place the sliders in a baking dish, cover with foil, and heat at 325°F for 10–12 minutes.

This warms the filling through without making the rolls tough. The microwave works in a pinch — 30–45 seconds on medium power, covered with a damp paper towel — but the rolls get softer and slightly gummy.

Fine for lunch, not ideal if you’re serving again.

Make-ahead options

You can prep these ahead in two ways:

Option 1: Cook the steak and vegetables up to a day ahead. Store them separately in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready, assemble and bake as directed — add 5 minutes to the covered bake time since the filling will be cold.

Option 2: Assemble the entire pan, including the butter and onion topping, and refrigerate uncovered for up to 4 hours before baking. Cover with foil right before it goes in the oven and add 5 minutes to the initial covered bake time.

I’d caution against fully assembling and refrigerating overnight — the rolls absorb moisture from the filling and can get mushy by the time they hit the oven. A few hours is fine; overnight isn’t.

Freezing

You can freeze the cooked filling (steak and vegetables) separately for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and assemble fresh when you’re ready.

I don’t recommend freezing assembled or baked sliders — the rolls don’t recover well from freezing and thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of steak works best for Philly cheese steak sliders?

Boneless sirloin strip is called for here and works well — it has enough marbling to stay tender without being overly fatty. Ribeye is a richer option and also excellent.

Flank steak can work but needs to be sliced very thin, strictly against the grain, or it can be chewy. What you want to avoid is a lean, tough cut like top round — it doesn’t have enough fat to stay tender at slider scale.

Can I use pre-shaved beef from the grocery store?

Yes, and it actually saves time. Many grocery stores sell pre-shaved beef (sometimes labeled “beef for Philly” or “shaved beef”) in the meat section.

It works well here and skips the slicing step entirely. The texture is slightly finer than hand-sliced, but the end result is good.

What’s the best cheese for Philly cheese steak sliders?

Provolone is the call here — it melts smoothly, has a mild sharpness, and doesn’t overwhelm the steak. White American cheese is another solid choice if you want something creamier and milder.

The original Philadelphia debate pits Cheez Whiz against provolone against American — all three work in sliders, though Cheez Whiz is more of a drizzle-before-serving move than a bake-in option.

Can I make these without King’s Hawaiian rolls?

You can, but the sweetness of King’s Hawaiian is genuinely part of what makes these work. If you substitute a plain soft dinner roll, the filling becomes the only flavor and you lose that contrast.

Potato rolls are a decent substitute — they’re soft and slightly rich without the sweetness. Brioche slider buns also work.

A plain white dinner roll will be fine but not quite as interesting.

Why do you put mayo on the rolls before baking?

Two reasons: it adds a gentle tang that works with the savory filling, and it keeps the cut sides of the rolls from drying out during baking. The 20 minutes in the oven would otherwise pull moisture out of the bread.

You won’t taste mayo distinctly — it becomes part of the background flavor. Keep the layer thin and even, not thick.

How do I keep the sliders from getting soggy on the bottom?

A few things help: don’t overload the filling (stick to the amounts called for), make sure your steak and vegetables aren’t releasing a lot of liquid into the pan (cook them until that liquid evaporates, not just until they’re done), and don’t assemble too far ahead. If you’re making them for a party, assemble and bake right before serving rather than letting them sit assembled for hours.

The mayo actually helps here too — it creates a slight barrier on the bread surface.

Amazon Picks for This Recipe

A couple of tools that make this easier:

• Silicone basting brush — For spreading the melted butter evenly across the tops of the rolls. A good silicone brush is easier to clean than bristle and doesn’t shed.
• 9×13 ceramic baking dish — A snug-fitting baking dish keeps the sliders supported during assembly and baking. Ceramic holds heat evenly and cleans up well.
• Serrated bread knife — You’ll use it twice here: once to slice the rolls as a slab, and again to separate the sliders after baking. A long serrated blade handles both tasks cleanly.

Related Recipes

• Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes — Same flavor profile, even more weeknight-friendly
• Philly Cheese Steak Crock Pot Recipe — The slow cooker version that’s been pinned over 221k times
• Hot Ham and Cheese Rolls — If someone in your house prefers ham to steak, this is the slider for them