Big Mac Philly Cheesesteak is the ultimate sandwich made with delicious ribeye and other cheesesteak fillings, and topped with Big Mac sauce.
Happy birthday to a very special reader and follower of the site, Justin S. This one is for you! We know your love of all things Big Mac, and we just knew this recipe was going to be one you would love for your birthday.
If you’re a fan of our Classic Philly Cheesesteak Recipe, then you’re sure to love this twist on the Sandwich. By adding our copycat recipe for Big Mac Sauce, you get to add even more fantastic flavor to your favorite food.
Table of contents
About Sabrina’s Big Mac Philly Cheesesteak
If you’re a fan of our Classic Philly Cheesesteak Recipe, then you’re sure to love this twist on the Sandwich. By adding our copycat recipe for Big Mac Sauce, you get to add even more fantastic flavor to your favorite food.
I love Philly Cheesesteaks. The melty cheese, caramelized onions, and ribeye steak just make the perfect sandwich fillings. That’s probably why I’ve added cheese steak flavor to so many classic comfort recipes. I’ve made everything from Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells to Philly Cheesesteak Pot Pie!
Since my Copycat Big Mac has been a favorite recipe on the site, I figured why not combine my love for Philly Cheesesteak with Big Mac flavor. The results were this delicious recipe, a classic Philly Cheesesteak with flavorful Big Mac Sauce.
Ingredients
- Steak: Instead of a beef patty made with a ground beef mixture, as you’d have in a typical Big Mac recipe, I’ve mostly stuck to the classic ingredients for a Philly Cheesesteak. The most important of those ingredients is, of course, the steak meat. Use thinly sliced ribeye steak for the most authentic flavor.
- Onions: Along with the steak, you’ll also add caramelized onion to enhance the sandwich’s flavor.
- Big Mac Sauce: The sauce ingredients are what sets this Cheesesteak recipe apart from others. Mix together mayo, French dressing, sweet relish, ketchup, white vinegar, onion powder, and salt to make copycat Big Mac Sauce. It’s the perfect flavor addition to classic Philly Cheesesteaks.
- Bread: For the bread, I used hoagie bread rolls. They’ll taste best if you toast them before adding the fillings.
- American Cheese: Be sure to layer each slice of cheese in the center of the meat so that it melts in the sandwich.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Cast-iron Skillet: All of the cooking can be done in one skillet so a medium to large size is recommend. You will be cooking a 24 oz. ribeye so be sure the size pan you choose can accommodate your meat. Remember to warm the vegetable oil in your skillet before cooking your onions and ribeye.
- Small to Medium Covered Container: Although it’s not required, it is recommended that you make the McDonald’s Secret Big Mac Sauce the day before and allow it to sit overnight in a covered container in your refrigerator. The sauce tastes better after the ingredients can sit mixed together overnight.
How to Make
Time needed: 20 minutes.
- Saute the Onions
Put a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan. Then add the thinly sliced onions. Cook them while stirring for 5-6 minutes until they’re translucent. Then remove the onions and add the remaining oil.
- Cook the Steak
Raise the heat to high, then add the ribeye steak. Sear for 1-2 minutes on each side, and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Add the onions back to the pan, and stir it with the steak meat.
- Toast the Hoagies
Then brush the inside of the hoagies with melted butter and place them in the pan butter-side down. Let the hoagies brown for 2-3 minutes.
- McDonald’s Secret Big Mac Sauce
Mix mayonnaise, creamy French dressing, sweet relish, ketchup, white vinegar, onion powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. If you prep the sauce ahead of time, you can cover the dish and put the sauce in the fridge overnight.
- Assemble the Sandwiches
Add the Big Mac Sauce to both sides of the bread. Then add ⅛ of the meat to each hoagie roll with 2 slices of American cheese. Top the cheese off with another ⅛ of the meat to melt the cheese. Then top with shredded lettuce and close the top of the hoagie roll. Enjoy the Big Mac Philly Cheesesteak.
Can these Sandwiches be made ahead?
The actual sandwiches and the meat are best when you eat them freshly made, but you can make the Big Mac Sauce ahead of time. It’s actually better if it sits overnight and it can be made up to a week ahead and kept in the fridge.
Nutritional Facts
Recipe Tips & Tricks
Make the Big Mac Sauce in Advance
This secret sauce tastes best when made the day before and the ingredients can sit together in the refrigerator overnight in a sealed container.
Avoid Overcooking the Ribeye
Overcooking the ribeye can cause your meat to lose its juiciness and of course you don’t want that. Cook the recommended time for the best results.
What to Pair With Big Mac Philly Cheesesteak
Drinks: Red meat naturally pairs well with red wine but this is a messy fast-food sammie so go with a low key, casual red blend. A favorite beer, a club soda with fresh lemon or soda pop of your choice would be great too!
Side dishes: The most obvious and most traditional side with any variation of a Philly Cheesesteak is French Fries. Another wonderfully delicious side is Onion Rings or go with something simple like potato chips.
How to Store
- Store: If you have leftovers, it’s better to separate the meat filling from the bread. The steak and onions can stay in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: To reheat the meat, warm it in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until it just heats through. Toast fresh hoagies and add new cheese to serve.
- Freeze: You could also freeze the steak meat for up to 6 months. Let the meat cool completely then store it in a freezer bag. Thaw it in the fridge then heat it on the stove top.
Ideas to Serve
You don’t need anything fancy when plating this showstopping sandwich with a side dish. If you want to elevate the presentation for a party, partially wrap your sandwich in deli paper and present with several other sandwiches on a wooden serving board.
If you want to make this recipe into a fun appetizer for a party, try making Big Mac Philly Cheesesteak Sliders. Prepare the meat, onions, and sauce as usual. Then butter and toast your slider buns. Because you’re using miniature slider buns, you’ll need to slice the meat to fit in the mini sandwiches. Divide the rest of the filling ingredients evenly and enjoy your Philly Cheesesteak Sliders.
Frequent Questions
There are three kinds of cheese you’ll often find in Philly Cheesesteaks. Provolone, American, or Cheese Whiz. Some people swear that their preferred cheese is the correct one. However, I’ve always been of the opinion that you should just go with your taste preference. We used American in this recipe, but you can feel free to swap it out.
Some people swear Big Mac Sauce is just Thousand Island Dressing but it has its own special taste that is a bit tangier and sweeter. The actual full recipe for the sauce is top secret but our homemade Big Mac Sauce gets as close as you can get taste-wise!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Philly Cheesesteak:
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil , divided
- 2 large onion , thinly sliced
- 24 ounces rib eye , thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
McDonald’s Secret Big Mac Sauce:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup creamy French dressing , Kraft or Wishbone work great
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
To Finish:
- 4 hoagie rolls
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 slices American Cheese
- 2 cups iceberg lettuce , shredded
Instructions
Philly Cheesesteak:
- In a cast-iron skillet on medium heat add three tablespoons of vegetable oil and add the onions.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes until translucent.
- Remove the onions, add remaining oil.
- Raise heat to high.
- Add steak, searing on each side for 1-2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add onions back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Brush hoagies with melted butter and place buttered side down onto a griddle or pan to brown for 2-3 minutes.
McDonald’s Secret Big Mac Sauce:
- Mix ingredients well.
- If you have time or can work ahead, the sauce tastes best after sitting at least overnight in the refrigerator.
To Finish:
- When the meat is done cooking, add Big Mac sauce to both sides of the bread.
- Add ⅛ of the meat to each hoagie roll, add two slices of American cheese (fold each in half so they’re thicker) on top of the meat.
- Top each roll with another ⅛ of the meat (this helps melt the cheese between the hot food).
- Top with shredded lettuce and close the top of the hoagie roll.
Nutrition
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Variations
- Hamburger Bun: If you want to make this recipe more similar to a Big Mac, you can put the steak, onions, cheese, and sauce in a sesame hamburger bun. Keep in mind that since the sesame hamburger bun isn’t as big as a hoagie roll, you won’t fit as much of the filling in one.
- Big Mac Sauce: If you want to add some additional seasonings to the Big Mac Sauce, try mixing in a dash of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, ground mustard, or coarse ground pepper.
- Cheese: Instead of using American cheese for your Philly cheese recipe, you could try using a layer of provolone. Many people also swear the only way to make an authentic Philly Cheesesteak is with spray cheese.
- Add-ins: For sandwich add-ins, you can try dicing green onions or adding sliced bell peppers. Green peppers are the typical filling for Philly Cheesesteaks.
