These mini chicken cheesesteaks are what I'm putting out on game day this fall: thin-sliced chipotle chicken seared with onions and peppers, piled onto toasted sub rolls, and served with a warm, garlicky provolone dipping sauce on the side. Every bite gets dipped fresh, and the platter stays crisp for the whole first half.
Chicken cheesesteak sandwiches are a football season staple in our house, and these minis are the party version. Cutting full sandwich rolls in half gives you twelve handheld pieces that are easy to grab standing up, which is how everyone actually eats during a game. The dipping sauce is the part people remember. It's smooth, pourable, and made without any flour, so it never turns pasty or clumpy on the platter.
If you loved my turkey sliders, this is the next step up for entertaining, and the double-fried french fries on the platter are made for dragging through that cheese sauce.
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Ingredients
There are three simple parts here: the chicken, the sauce, and the rolls. Chicken breast sliced thin cooks in minutes and picks up the chipotle seasoning beautifully. For the sauce, provolone brings the classic cheesesteak flavor, a little cream cheese keeps it smooth, and a small amount of Italian blend rounds it out without making it stringy.
For the chicken cheesesteaks
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
- Chipotle powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion, thinly sliced
- Red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- Sub sandwich rolls, cut in half
- Butter, softened, for toasting the rolls
For the garlicky provolone dipping sauce
- Whole milk
- Cream cheese
- Provolone cheese, shredded or torn
- Shredded Italian blend cheese
- Garlic powder
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The order matters here. Cook the chicken first, since it holds well covered, then toast the rolls, and make the sauce last so it's warm and glossy when the platter hits the table.
- Step 1: Stir together the chipotle powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss with the sliced chicken until evenly coated.
- Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Push to one side of the pan.
- Step 3: Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Step 4: Chop the chicken roughly in the pan with a spatula and stir the onions and peppers back in. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Step 5: Cut each sub roll in half crosswise, then split each piece. Spread the cut sides with softened butter and toast under the broiler or in a dry skillet until golden.
- Step 6: Warm the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low until steaming. Add the cream cheese and whisk until completely smooth.
- Step 7: Pull the pan off the heat. Add the provolone a handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts before adding more. Whisk in the Italian blend the same way, then stir in the garlic powder.
- Step 8: Pile the chicken mixture onto the toasted rolls and close. Pour the sauce into a bowl, set it in the center of the platter, and arrange the sandwiches around it. Serve warm.
Hint: Pop the chicken breasts in the freezer for 20 minutes before slicing. Slightly firm chicken slices paper-thin, which is what gives you that classic chopped cheesesteak texture instead of chunks.
Why the sauce is on the side
Melted cheese on a slider sets up hard within minutes of coming out of the oven. Serving the cheese as a warm dip means the rolls stay crisp, the platter looks good for an hour, and every sandwich gets hot, melty cheese on the way to someone's mouth.
Substitutions
This recipe is forgiving as long as you keep the cream cheese in the sauce. That's what holds it together without flour.
- Chicken - chicken thighs work and stay juicier; slice them thin the same way. Thin-sliced steak turns this into a classic Philly-style cheesesteak.
- Rolls - any sturdy sandwich roll or mini ciabatta works. Skip Hawaiian rolls; they're too soft to hold up to dipping.
- Cheese - white American can replace the cream cheese one-for-one if you have it, and it makes the sauce even silkier.
- Gluten free - the sauce is naturally gluten free since there's no flour. Use gluten free rolls and double-check your spice labels.
Variations
Once you have the chicken and sauce down, this is an easy recipe to make your own.
- Tangy - stir a tablespoon of banana pepper brine into the finished cheese sauce. It cuts the richness and gives it a Chicago beef-stand kind of feel.
- Mushroom - add sliced cremini mushrooms with the onions and peppers for a heartier filling.
- Full size - skip cutting the rolls in half and make six full chicken cheesesteak sandwiches for dinner.
Equipment
A large, heavy skillet is the most important piece here. Cast iron or stainless gives the chicken real browning; a nonstick pan tends to steam it. Use the biggest one you have so the chicken can sit in a single layer, or cook it in two batches.
For the sauce, a small heavy-bottomed saucepan and a whisk. A thin pan gets hot spots, and hot spots are what make cheese sauce grainy. If you're serving this at an actual party rather than a photo shoot, a mini slow cooker (affiliate link) set to warm keeps the sauce dippable for hours.
Storage
Store the chicken mixture and the cheese sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the rolls at room temperature and toast them fresh. Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat, and reheat the sauce gently over low, whisking in a splash of milk to loosen it back up.
The cooked chicken freezes well for up to 2 months. The cheese sauce does not freeze well; it separates when thawed, so make it fresh.
Top Tip
Add the cheese off the heat. Once the cream cheese is whisked into the warm milk, pull the pan off the burner before adding the provolone. Residual heat is enough to melt it, and it's the single biggest thing that keeps the sauce smooth instead of stringy or oily. If it ever looks like it's breaking, whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk.
FAQ
A Philly cheesesteak uses thin-sliced ribeye; a chicken cheesesteak swaps in thin-sliced chicken breast, cooked the same way with onions and served on a roll with melted cheese. Chicken is leaner, quicker to cook, and takes on seasoning more readily, which is why these get a chipotle rub.
Almost always too much heat or pre-shredded cheese. Provolone tightens up and releases oil when it gets too hot, so add it off the heat in small handfuls. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that makes sauce gritty; shred or tear your own from a block or deli slices.
Yes. Cook the chicken mixture up to a day ahead and refrigerate. The sauce can also be made a day ahead and reheated gently over low heat with a splash of milk. Toast the rolls and assemble right before serving so they stay crisp.
Provolone is the classic choice for its mild, slightly sharp flavor that doesn't overpower the chicken. In this recipe it's melted into a dipping sauce with a little cream cheese for smoothness and a small amount of Italian blend for depth.
Related
Looking for other game day recipes like this? Try these:
Mini Chicken Cheesesteaks with a Garlicky Provolone Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Mini Chicken Cheesesteaks
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced thin
- 1 ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 6 sub sandwich rolls
Garlicky Provolone Dipping Sauce
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 oz cream cheese cubed
- 6 oz provolone cheese shredded or torn
- 2 oz shredded Italian blend cheese
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Chicken Cheesesteaks
- Stir together the chipotle powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss with the sliced chicken until evenly coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Push to one side of the pan.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Chop the chicken roughly in the pan with a spatula and stir the onions and peppers back in. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Cut each roll in half crosswise, then split each piece. Spread the cut sides with butter and toast under the broiler or in a dry skillet until golden.
- Garlicky Provolone Dipping Sauce
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan over medium-low until steaming. Add the cream cheese and whisk until completely smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the provolone a handful at a time, whisking until each addition melts before adding more. Whisk in the Italian blend the same way, then stir in the garlic powder.
- Pile the chicken mixture onto the toasted rolls and close. Pour the sauce into a bowl, set it in the center of a platter, arrange the sandwiches around it, and serve warm.
