A chicken cheese steak (or a “chicken Philly” as it's sometimes called) is my zesty twist on a Philly cheese steak. It's loaded with bold flavor, easy to prepare with just a few ingredients, and utterly cozy and comforting to take bite after bite out of!
Chicken Cheese Steak, a Mighty Tasty Chicken Sandwich
The Philly cheese steak is certainly thing of culinary delight. How could one possibly do better than thinly shaved beef quickly seared and then topped cheese, or a combo of cheese, bell peppers and onions, all stuffed into a soft roll?
While it's hard to beat, it definitely does serve as a spectacular inspiration when it comes to creating another delicious sandwich, namely this juicy chicken cheese steak prepared with lots of colorful and flavorful toppers reminiscent of those in the original, yet slightly different.
How to Make Chicken Cheese Steak
For me, a succulent chicken cheese steak recipe has a little hint of smokiness, a touch of savory-sweetness, and lots of delicious, gooey cheese.
The more flavorful and colorful the ingredients the better, so I'm adding tasty toppers to my chicken cheese steak in the form of red and yellow bell peppers (in place of green,) caramelized onions, and some creamy provolone.
This offers lots of varying textures and makes this sandwich extra juicy and tasty!
Here's my chicken cheese steak recipe at a glance (or just jump to the full recipe below...):
- For starters, I liberally season and sear up skinless, boneless chicken breasts for a hint of smokiness; then, I slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Next, I allow the peppers and onions to caramelize in a hot cast iron skillet to bring out their natural sweetness and extra flavor from a bit of char around their edges.
- I like a nice, soft hoagie or French-style roll, so I split those in half before piling on the chicken, toppings and cheese, then quickly place the whole sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is nice and melted.
Voila! The result is my personal version of one irresistibly scrumptious chicken cheese steak, aka a “chicken Philly”! 😉
Recipe
Chicken Cheese Steak
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 4 (a total of 4 sandwiches)
Nutrition Info: 433 calories (per sandwich)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (2-3 larger breasts)
• Avocado oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 white onion, sliced thinly
• 4 hoagie or larger French rolls, split in half lengthwise
• 4 slices provolone cheese
- Season the chicken breasts with a generous drizzle of avocado oil, a hefty pinch of salt and pepper, and the smoked paprika and granulated onion.
- Place a cast-iron or other heavy bottom skillet over medium heat, and once the skillet is hot, place the chicken breasts in and allow them to sear on the first side for about 6-8 minutes, then flip and finish cooking/searing on the other side for about 6-8 minutes, or until cooked through; set the chicken aside on a plate to rest.
- Turn the heat under that same skillet to high, drizzle in a bit more oil, then add in the sliced peppers and onions in as much of a single layer as possible; sprinkle over a hefty pinch of black pepper (hold off on the salt until the end) and leave undisturbed for about 3-4 minutes to create some char and caramelization; then, stir, and once again leave undisturbed for a couple of minutes.
- Cook the peppers until soft and deeply golden-brown (about 10 minutes total), season with some salt, then turn the heat off. (You can leave this in the skillet, or spoon into a bowl to hold.)
- Slice the chicken breasts very thinly into strips, almost “shaving” them.
- Preheat your broiler on high.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, and assemble the chicken cheese steaks: place the bottom half of the roll on the baking sheet, add equal portions of the thinly sliced chicken breasts, top with generous portions of the caramelized peppers and onions, then place a slice of provolone over top.
- Place these under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gooey; remove from oven, cover with the top half of roll, and serve hot with savory potato chips or fries!
Tips & Tidbits for Chicken Cheese Steak:
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts: Using a couple of larger skinless, boneless chicken breasts for this chicken cheese steak recipe is perfect. Allow for a couple of extra minutes of searing if they’re thicker to ensure they’re cooked through, then slice or “shave” into the thin strips.
- Go for the colorful, sweet peppers: While you can certainly substitute green bell peppers if you prefer to go the more traditional route, I love the color and slight sweetness of red and yellow bell peppers. They also happen to be slightly easier to digest—bonus! 😉
- Create some char: For that extra flavor and slight smokiness, allow the peppers and onions to sear and char in the skillet. You can achieve this by getting the skillet nice and hot to begin with, then when you add the peppers/onions, have them in a single layer as much as possible, and do not disturb them for a few minutes as to help create that char.
- Hoagie rolls, or soft French rolls: If you can find good size hoagie rolls, then those are perfect. Otherwise, you can use larger size soft French rolls, or your preferred roll. (Just try to stay away from a roll that's too dense and firm.)
- Prep ahead for easy chicken cheese steak: You can grill off your chicken and slice it up nice and thin ahead of time, as well as sear/saute your peppers and onions. Then, on the day you'd like to assemble and serve the sandwiches, simply reheat the chicken, peppers and onions; and then, add that mix to the rolls, top with cheese, and melt!
Hungry for more fun, “twisted up” recipes? Check out this Philly Cheesesteak Stew, these Italian “Drunken” Noodles, this Chili Cheesesteak Stew, or these Thai Nachos!
Leave a Reply