Easy Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

This vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe is hearty, cheesy, and tastes just like the classic sandwich only plant-based!

After years of watching my boyfriend eat Philly cheesesteaks and being jealous I decided to create my own version!

This vegan Philly cheesesteak is a winner all around. My very healthy vegan Mom loves it, my boyfriend who eats meat loves it, I am obsessed with it, you really can’t go wrong!

What Makes This Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Recipe So Good?

My trick to making really delicious vegan food is to cook it and season it exactly like you would real meat.

This means using the same methods and the same spices and seasoning. A lot of times, people love the flavors in meat-based cooking for the Rather than the taste of the meat itself.

You can sub mushrooms for the faux meat in this recipe. I wanted a more authentic vegan cheesesteak recipe so I did make it with the faux meat.

Lots of other recipes call for making your own seitan so you can have shredded meat. We aren’t quite that authenitc, so I use regular vegan ground beef.

The one part that you should not skip when making this vegan Philly cheesesteak is toasting the bread in the oven! Toasting the bread in the oven and then adding a slice of vegan cheese for extra kick helps take the flavors up a notch.

Serve up this meaty vegan Philly cheesesteak with some Oven Roasted Potatoes or with a side of potato chips and Vegan Coleslaw.

When I tell you this vegan cheesesteak is a huge winner, I mean it!

Best Vegan Cheese for Cheesesteaks

There are some great vegan cheese options out there and there are some really terrible ones!

I love using Field Roast Chao brand vegan cheese and you can get it at Walmart. It is actually the cheese used in these photos so you can see that it melts so wonderfully and it is pretty tasty too!

But you can also top this vegan Philly cheesesteak with Chao, Violife, or if you really wnat to make your own.

The gooey, melted cheese is what makes this vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwich taste authentic.

How to Make a Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich – Step By Step.

This vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe is basically foolproof! It is so simple and easy!

Making a vegan cheesesteak really only involves a few things, cooked veggies, cooked meat, cheese, and bread. Of course, spiced to perfection with yummy seasonings! This is the base of every good vegan Philly cheesesteak recipe, onions, peppers, vegan beef crumbles or mushrooms, and plenty of seasoning.

First you are going to thinly slice your onions and then cut each slice into a few strips so that you will have long strings of onions.

This is pretty easy to do but make sure your initial onion slices are very thin!

Next, you are going to cut your green pepper in half and remove the seeds and core.

Then cut it into thin strips. Green peppers are a staple but if you want you can make your vegan Philly cheesesteak with red bell peppers instead as I know not everyone loves green peppers.

First you are going to want to caramelize the onions on a pan with some oil.

Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry the onion strips until the turn a little brown. This process takes 8-10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can use green onions which I often use for LOW FODMAP cooking for myself. They are done in a flash!

Once the onions are translucent and a little brown, throw in your green peppers and stir for about 3-5 minutes.

Now you want to add in your faux beef crumbles. Any vegan beef crumbles work here they give the sandwich the meaty bite that makes this one of the best vegan Philly cheesesteak recipes you’ll try.

You can also leave out the beef and add in mushrooms instead. Or you can add both which I have also done!

Add in all the seasonings and continue to cook until the vegan beef is nice and brown and the veggies are well cooked.

Meanwhile, slice your hoagie rolls but be careful not to slice all the way through! You can also use a bun if that is all you have, but hoagie rolls are vegan Philly cheesesteak staples and can be easily found at your local grocery store!

Hoagie rolls are the classic base for a Philly cheesesteak, vegan or not. They hold the filling without falling apart.

Place your sliced hoagie rolls in the oven at 375F and toast until the bread is toasted to the touch. If you want, you can add a slice of vegan cheese to the bread.

If you choose to do this, let it melt in the oven until it is visibly done.

While your bread is toasting, you will add the cheese to your vegetable mixture.

This is one of the easiest ways to melt vegan cheese and is also one of the traditional ways used when making regular cheesesteaks!

On your cooked vegetable mixture over low heat, simply place 3-4 slices of vegan cheese and cover with a lid until the cheese is melted.

Once melted, stir to combine the cheese with the veggies and vegan beef! This is the easiest way to make the vegan Philly cheesesteak using faux cheese.

Vegan cheese melts wonderfully when covered on the stove and is easily workable!

Now it is time to combine your filling and hoagie roll into the ultimate vegan Philly cheesesteak sandwich!

Take your hoagie rolls out of the oven and carefully put them on a plate. They will be very hot and may even be “toasted” into place meaning they are stuck in place and you can’t open or close them. This is okay!

Next, divide your vegan cheesesteak filling among your hoagie rolls and fill each with a heaping pile.

It may look like there is a ton of meat and veggies for each vegan Philly cheesesteak, but I promise this is what you want!

Once you close up the sandwich, it will fit perfectly fine and will squish together in cripsy and cheesy perfection.

Serving Ideas for Vegan Cheesesteaks

Serve your vegan Philly cheesesteak hoagies with roasted potatoes, fries, or vegan coleslaw for the full experience.

How to Store and Reheat Vegan Philly Cheesesteak Filling

If you want to meal prep this vegetarian Philly cheesesteak, store just the filling and toast your hoagie fresh

This is an incredibly easy way to meal prep with this recipe! Just make a big batch of the filling and then store it in an air-tight container in the fridge.

To reheat, fill a pan with a little oil and reheat until warmed throughout. You will want to toast the hoagie rolls as explained above!