As we continue our trend of transforming famous sandwiches into pizzas, we’ve once again partnered with A Food Lover’s Kitchen to bring you a recipe that’s both comforting and bold. Our Philly Cheesesteak Pizza recipe combines the savory indulgence of a cheesesteak with the crispy-chewy goodness of pizza dough, making it the ultimate hybrid for sandwich and pizza lovers alike.
Philadelphia is known for its rich history, passionate sports fans, and, of course, the iconic Philly cheesesteak. And since Philly doesn’t have it’s own pizza (or none that we’ve discovered), we wanted to explore what happens when you take one of the most famous sandwiches in the world and turn it into a pizza.
Spoiler alert: It’s pretty much pure magic!
Whether you’re a cheesesteak purist or a pizza fanatic looking to try something new, this recipe is the perfect way to shake up your next pizza night.
A Brief History of the Philly Cheesesteak
The Philly cheesesteak is more than just a sandwich—it’s a Philadelphia institution. According to Wikipedia, its origins date back to 1929 or 1930 when Pat (and Harry) Olivieri, who were hot dog vendors, decided to grill some beef and serve it on a roll. Apparently, while Pat was trying his new creation, a taxi driver caught a whiff of the sizzling steak and insisted on trying it – after which, he suggested:
“Hey…..forget ’bout those hot dogs, you should sell these.”
https://www.patskingofsteaks.com/history
Which they did (although initially still out of the hot dog stand). That sandwich became an instant hit, and soon after in 1930, Pat opened Pat’s King of Steaks, which remains a landmark to this day.
However, another contender for the title is McGillin’s Old Ale House. When we visited in 2015, they said it was the original, but the website doesn’t make that claim today (maybe . But it was our first stop after the Liberty Bell!
Cheese wasn’t added until later, with provolone being the original choice (still used at McGillin’s).
Over time, the sandwich evolved, and different variations appeared—some topped with Cheez Whiz, others with American cheese, and many with sautéed onions, peppers, or mushrooms.
What Makes a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Special?
A traditional Philly cheesesteak is all about simplicity and quality: tender steak, melty cheese, and the perfect balance of toppings. Translating this to a pizza means we’re keeping those key flavors while adding a crispy crust to support the juicy, cheesy goodness. The combination of savory steak, caramelized onions, and gooey cheese creates a pizza that’s indulgent yet approachable.
How to Make our Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Recipe
Like all recipes, Philly cheese steak pizza is best when you choose high-quality ingredients. A good tender steak will go a long way to make the best sandwich…or pizza.
Cheese & Toppings Debate:
There are a number of acceptable cheeses you can use for this pizza. Our collaboration pizza uses Cheez Whiz, but you can also use Provolone cheese or another cheese – even cheese sauce.
A cheese steak can have peppers, onions, and/or mushrooms. Customize to fit your preference.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make our Philly Cheesesteak pizza recipe on a 12-inch pizza:
- 10 ounces of pizza dough
- store-bought, we recommend trying Trader Joe’s pre-made dough
- homemade: to mimic the classic Philly roll, try our Easy Peasy dough recipe
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 5 ounces ribeye steak or sirloin, thinly sliced
- (or deli roast beef for a shortcut)
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Mushrooms, thinly sliced or diced
- 1/2 cup Cheese Whiz
- 1/4 cup shredded Provolone cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Preheat Your Oven
- Preheat your oven to the temperature recommendation of your pizza dough.
2. Prepare the Steak and Toppings
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until softened and slightly caramelized, about 5 minutes
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add another splash of olive oil, followed by the sliced steak, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just browning, about 2-3 minutes. Remember that the steak is going to get cooked further in the pizza, so don’t overcook.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool.
3. Prepare Your Dough
- Make sure your dough is at room temperature.
- Stretch or roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface.
- Place the dough on your peel or pizza pan.
4. Parbake the Pizza Crust
- Because the dressing is pretty wet, this pizza benefits from parbaking it – which means partially cooking it.
- Depending on your pizza recipe and cooking temperature, the length of time for parbaking will vary.
- I recommend parbaking for 1/3 of the total cooking time. So if your dough recipe says 18 minutes, parbake for 6, then take it out to top it. If it’s a Neapolitan at 800+ degrees, you can parbake for about 30 seconds.
5. Top Your Pizza
- Spread the Cheez Whiz evenly on the pizza dough. This is certainly the most tricky part, so having parbaked the crust will help! So will having the Cheez Whiz at room temperature.
- Then add the onion and green peppers, then the beef strips. Then top each pizza with mozzarella cheese.
6. Finish the Bake
- Transfer the topped pizza back to the oven.
- Continue to bake for the remaining 2/3 of the time (per the dough recipe), and until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly on top, and the crust underneath is browned and firm.
- Allow the pizza to rest on a cutting board for 3 to 5 minutes for the cheese to set.
- Slice and serve immediately!
Tips for the Best Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
- Choose the Right Steak: For an authentic flavor, use thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin. Freezing the steak for 20 minutes before slicing makes it easier to cut thinly.
- Customize Your Cheese: Cheese Whiz is an iconic option, but Provolone is also classic. And/or mozzarella adds stretch, and a sprinkle of Parmesan can give it a savory boost.
- Parbake for Extra Crispness: To prevent tearing the dough while spreading, I recommend partially baking your dough first. Want SUPER crispy? Add a little bit of olive oil to the top before parbaking!
- Try a Garlic Butter Crust: Brush the crust with garlic butter after baking for an irresistible aroma and taste.
Variations to Explore
- Spicy Kick: Add thinly sliced jalapeños or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
- Vegan Twist: Use plant-based steak alternatives and dairy-free cheese to make a vegan version that still hits all the right notes.
- Italian Fusion: Add marinara sauce for a Philly-meets-pizza take on the classic.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This Philly Cheesesteak Pizza captures the heart of a beloved sandwich and reimagines it in pizza form. It’s easy to make, endlessly customizable, and guaranteed to impress at family dinners or game-day gatherings. Plus, combining steak and cheese with crispy dough feels like the ultimate indulgence—because it is!
What’s your favorite sandwich-to-pizza transformation? Share your creations on social media and tag us along with our friends at A Food Lover’s Kitchen.
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Outdoor pizza oven Optional
- 1 Pizza stone/Pizza steel/Pizza Pan Also optional for cooking your pizza in your indoor oven
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
Pizza Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pizza crust Either use a pre-made dough or refer to one of our dough recipes such as our Rye Pizza dough: https://satisfyingslice.com/rye-pizza-dough/
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 5 ounces rib eye steak thinly sliced
- ½ Green bell pepper sliced
- ¼ Onion sliced
- ¼ cup Mushrooms thinly sliced or diced
- 2 pinchs salt to taste
- 2 pinchs ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Cheez Whiz (best at room temperature)
- ¼ cup Provolone cheese grated
Instructions
Preheat your oven to the temperature recommended for your dough.
Prepare Your Ingredients.
- Make sure all of your ingredients are ready before you stretch out your dough. Have the meat sliced, veggies sliced and dried, the cheese grated, etc.
- The ingredient ratios in the recipe assume a pizza that’s 12 inches in diameter. So adjust either your dough weight OR your ingredients, if necessary.
Saute Your Toppings
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet at medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms plus a pinch of salt and pepper together in the skillet over medium-high heat, until onions begin to turn translucent – approximately 4 minutes.
- Remove from the skillet.
- Add the beef slices and probably a splash of olive oil to the skillet.
- Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to brown.
- Remove from the heat.
Prepare Your Dough
- Stretch or roll out your pizza dough on a floured surface.
- Place the dough on your peel or pizza pan.
Parbake the Pizza
- Because spreading the Cheez Whiz can tear your dough, this pizza benefits from parbaking it – which means partially cooking it.
- Depending on your pizza recipe and cooking temperature, the length of time for parbaking will vary.
- I recommend parbaking for 1/3 of the total cooking time. So if your dough recipe says 18 minutes, parbake for 6, then take it out to top it. If it’s a Neapolitan at 800+ degrees, you can parbake for about 30 seconds.
Top Your Pizza
- Remove the pizza from the oven and put on a heat-resistant surface.
- Spread a thin, even layer of the room temperature Cheez Whiz over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of crust uncovered.
- Distribute the sliced beef and sauted vegetables evenly across the pizza.
- Top it off with the grated Provolone cheese for that irresistible melty finish.
Finish the Bake
- Transfer the topped pizza back to the oven.
- Continue to bake for the remaining 2/3 of the time (per the dough recipe), and until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly on top, and the crust underneath is browned and firm.
- Allow the pizza to rest on a cutting board for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
Todd’s cooking skills have revolved around the grill since about age 12, when he developed a love for grilling and took over for Mom at the BBQ. He worked at Wendy’s and at Earl’s Tin Palace (a restaurant chain in Canada) but never really did any sort of baking…until he and Heather started making pizza together! Now he’s often making dough in the mornings and pizza in the evenings.