Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
This Philly Cheesesteak Pizza has tender shaved steak, sautéed onions, a cheddar-based homemade cheese sauce, and melty mozzarella on a crisp pizza crust. As a Philly native, I’m sharing the simple tips that help the steak stay tender, the crust hold up, and every slice get that gooey steak-and-cheese bite.
Servings: 8
Calories: 599kcal
Ingredients
- 22 oz Pizza Dough fresh
- 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture, shredded
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- sesame seeds optional
- Olive oil or butter, optional
Garlic Cheese Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter unsalted
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half, heavy cream gives the richest finish
- 5 oz white cheddar cheese shredded, I used Trader Joe’s caramelized onion cheese, but sharp cheddar
- ⅛ tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt or a dash
- ⅛ tsp Black Pepper or a dash
Cheesesteak Topping
- 0.9 lb boneless shaved steak sirloin or ribeye
- 2.5 tsp Steak Seasoning click for my recipe
- 1 cup Yellow Onion sliced, about 1 small onions
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Other Pizza Toppings
- Jarred peppers sweet peppers, hot peppers, and/or banana peppers, use one type or a mix
Instructions
- Add the pizza pan or pizza stone to the oven, then preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Letting it sit at room temperature makes it easier to stretch and shape.
Make the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Sauce
- While the pan preheats, make the garlic cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter is sizzling, add the minced garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the half-and-half or heavy cream. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese, then turn off the heat. The saucepan will still be warm enough to melt the cheese. Whisk until the sauce is smooth, then stir in the salt and black pepper. Set aside.
Pre-bake the Pizza Sauce & Crust
- Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot pizza pan or stone from the oven with oven mitts.
- Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the pizza dough. Stretch and shape the dough to fit your pizza pan, stone, or baking dish.
- Carefully place the dough on the hot pan or stone. The crust will start cooking right away, which helps it hold up under the cheese sauce.
- Spread the garlic cheese sauce evenly over the pizza dough.
- Optional: brush the edges of the crust with a little more olive oil, then sprinkle sesame seeds around the edge. This gives the crust a nod to the seeded rolls often used for Philly cheesesteaks.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Bake the pizza for 20 minutes.
Make the Steak & Onions
- While the pizza bakes, cook the onions and steak. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened with some browned edges.
- Add the shaved steak and steak seasoning to the skillet with the onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the steak is partially cooked. It will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Build the Philly Steak Pizza
- Remove the pizza from the oven with oven mitts. Spread the steak and onion mixture evenly over the top.
- Add the jarred peppers over the pizza. Use sweet peppers, hot peppers, banana peppers, or a mix based on the flavor and color you want.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the steak is cooked through and the toppings are browned.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use shaved steak: Thin steak cooks quickly and gives the pizza the best cheesesteak-style texture.
- Partially cook the steak first: Let it finish in the oven so it stays tender instead of drying out.
- Preheat the pizza pan or stone: A hot surface helps the crust crisp before the sauce and toppings can soften it.
- Add cheese sauce in an even layer: Too much in one spot can make the center of the pizza heavy.
- Use low-moisture mozzarella: It melts well without releasing too much water.
- Pack the steak to the edges: This helps every slice get a generous amount of steak and onions.
- Let the pizza rest before slicing: This helps the cheese sauce settle so the slices hold together better.
- Peppers are optional: Use long hots, hot cherry peppers, sweet peppers, banana peppers, or leave them off for a steak, onion, and cheese-focused pizza.
- Adjust the bake time for flatbread: Naan and prepared flatbread cook faster than fresh pizza dough, so watch for melted cheese, crisp edges, and cooked-through steak.
Nutrition
Calories: 599kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 884mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 4mg
