I know, every recipe claims to be the best one out there, but in this case I seriously think my claim is accurate! This Chicken Cheesesteak is so good, I don't think I'll eat another cheesesteak made with beef again!
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This is one of those recipes that just happened one day. Jeff and I were starving and wanted cheesesteaks. We didn't have any steak thawed, but I had a chicken breast.
He kind of looked at me funny and, truth be told, neither of us were too excited about lunch. I mean, a chicken cheesesteak? How boring. Give me a REAL cheesesteak please!
In fact, I'd never ordered nor had a chicken cheesesteak until that very day. They seemed so, blah. I couldn't imagine how it would be very good. But, we do what we have to do and I went on and grabbed a few things out of the fridge and set out to make lunch.
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As the chicken was cooking, I thought... why not add in some pepperoncinis. If the Mississippi Pot Roast can do it with beef, why can't I do it with chicken? Only, I didn't have any. I did have banana pepper rings, so I used those.
WOW! The flavors were amazing! AMAZING! So, here you have it... my recipe for Chicken Cheesesteak!
What Rolls are Best for a Cheesesteak Sub?
When it comes to burgers and subs, I think the roll is as important as what you put in it! If you get a roll that is too soft, it will fall apart and, if it's too hard, it's impossible to eat!
Personally, I like to make my own when I have the time. That way I control the size and can make the bread as soft or as crunchy as I want, depending on what I'm using it for.
However, more times than not, I find myself picking up sub rolls and have learned to get the kind that feel soft, but are also substantial in size. The kind I used in this recipe are from the bakery at a local store, so there isn't a brand that I can give you.
I did a quick search on the internet and these rolls by Arnold look similar to what I used. Link: Arnold Sub Roll
The best way to pick out a great roll is to feel it. If it is soft like a hotdog roll, it's probably going to fall apart. If it is hard like a crusty loaf of French bread, it's going to be hard to eat.
If you can't already tell, I'm kind of picky about the type of roll and I like to prep it a certain way, too! I slice the roll through the middle, but only about ¾ of the way. I want the roll to serve as my tray of sorts for the filling.
Then, I carefully open it up and lay it as flat as it will get without breaking and it if it's really bready inside and dense, I hollow it out some. I also spread mayo on each side, but that is a personal preference. I know some people don't like hot mayo and that's fine. You can add some mayo after it's toasted if you like.
Tips for Thinly Slicing Chicken Breast
When making a chicken cheesesteak, you want VERY thinly sliced chicken breast. Almost so thin that you can see through it. In fact, if you can see through it, that's great!
Here are some tips that may help with slicing the chicken.
- Use a meat slicer. If you have one, these are wonderful to use to get really thin slices.
- Freeze the chicken breast for about 1 hour before slicing. This makes it much easier to get the super thin strips.
- Use a SHARP knife. A good quality (sharp) knife is one of the most important tools that you can have. I use the (affiliate link)8" chef knife from Pampered Chef and I LOVE it! I have had super expensive Wusthof and Henkel knives and I prefer the PC one, believe it or not.
Seasoning the chicken is also important, so after slicing it add some salt and pepper. I only used about ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Are Banana Peppers Spicy?
I don't think so, but I used the mild kind. They come in mild and hot, so pick the style that you will enjoy.
On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the hottest, I would say that the mild are maybe a 1 or 2. Seriously, they aren't spicy at all. The do give the BEST flavor, though!
I have never had the hot kind, but I can't imagine that they are super hot, either. Unless, of course, they add something to the liquid to make them spicier.
To give you a comparison, jalapeno peppers are 2,500-8,000 on the scoville scale and banana peppers are 0-500. Pepperchinis are 100-500. These are very mild peppers.
If you are interested in learning more about the heat ratings of various peppers, here is an article I found by Chili Pepper Madness: The Scoville Scale
How to Make the Chicken Cheesesteak Filling
You can use any kind of skillet, the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot. This recipe would be amazing made on a flat top too! Jeff and I bought a Blackstone Flat Top last year and LOVE it!
Once you have your onions, peppers, and chicken sliced up, you are ready to go. This goes FAST, so definitely have everything already prepped. That includes the roll!
I use the little mini sweet peppers that come in a pack, but you can use a bell pepper if you prefer.
Turn the stove or Ninja Foodi on medium high heat and place 2-3 teaspoon of oil (I used olive oil) in the skillet or inner pot. Allow the oil to heat up and add the onions and peppers. In the video, I added the onions and browned them slightly and then added the peppers. Either way is fine.
Season the onions and pepper with a little salt and pepper and sauté just 1-2 minutes or until the onions get a little brown.
Move the peppers and onions to the edge so you have a space for the sliced chicken.
Preheat your oven or whatever appliance you are going to use to toast the chicken cheesesteak.
Add the sliced chicken (that has already been seasoned) to the center of the skillet and move it around so as much of the chicken is on the pan as possible. Sauté for about 2 minutes to brown up the chicken a bit and then toss it all together.
Add in the banana peppers and the juice and sauté about 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Grab your roll and let's finish up!
Assembling the Chicken Cheesesteak
By now you should have your oven or whatever appliance you are using to toast the cheesesteak preheated. Of course, you don't have to toast the roll if you prefer a softer roll.
Simply put the cheese on top of the chicken mixture while it's in the skillet and put a lid on it until it melts. Then proceed with assembling your sub.
Place half of the chicken mixture in the prepped roll (see above) and put two slices of provolone cheese on top. I used smoked provolone, but you can use any cheese that you like.
Put the sandwich on a tray if you are using the oven and either broil or use the bake function until the cheese is nicely melted. This should take anywhere between 4-8 minutes, depending on your oven.
If you are using the Ninja Foodi Grill or any airfryer, put it in the basket and Air Fry on the highest setting for about 3-4 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and then cut it in half.
Serve & Enjoy!
Chicken Cheesesteak Recipe
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounce chicken breast
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ Vidalia onion
- 4 mini sweet peppers or 1 bell pepper
- 2 tablespoon banana pepper rings hot or mild in a jar
- 2 tablespoon banana pepper juice from the jar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt fine grind
- ¼-½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 6" sub roll
- 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 4 slices smoked provolone cheese
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Instructions
- To make it easier to slice your chicken, put it on a parchment lined tray and place in the freezer for 1 hour. Slice the chicken in very thin slices. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛-¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Slice the onion and the mini peppers into about ¼" slice. I keep the mini peppers in rounds, but you can cut strips of bell pepper if you prefer.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and sliced mini peppers. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes or until you see a little browning.
- Add in the seasoned chicken slices and spread them over the bottom of the pan so they can get a little browning. I simply move the onions/peppers to the edge of the pan. Sauté over medium high heat for about 2 minutes and toss everything together.
- Preheat the oven on 450°F/230°C or your air fryer on 400°F/200°F for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the 2 tablespoon of banana pepper rings and 2 tablespoon of the juice from the jar. Sauté another 2-3 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Split the roll in half about ¾ of the way and open it. Put the mayo on both sides. Place half of the cheesesteak mixture on the sub roll and cover with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Repeat for second sub roll.
- Place the assembled subs (on a tray if using the oven) in the oven or air fryer and cook for about 4-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beings to brown.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Susan
Louise, can I ask what cooktop you were using in this video? Our kitchen is being remodeled and I looking for one as we camp out in the basement . Do you recommend it? I recall you mentioning the cooktop in one of your videos.
Yewhung Chin
Just made this for the first time... OMG!!!!
Best ever spaghetti bolognese we’ve ever had in our home! The garlic flavour was spot on, thank you so much for sharing! 😃😃😋😋
Louise
I'm so glad you enjoyed the spaghetti! The chicken cheesesteaks are great, too!
Kathleen
Oh. My. Yumness! Pretty sure yumness isn’t a word but I don’t care, they are that good. They are even good in a tortilla when you run out of buns. I just heated up the tortilla and cheese for 20 seconds in the microwave, spooned the filling, and wrapped it. I did use canned chicken because I didn’t have any breasts thawed. I can’t imagine there being much difference though.
Thank you, Louise. I appreciate the time, effort, and love you put into every recipe.
Louise
I'm so glad you liked it!