The Best Italian Beef Sandwich

Italian beef sandwiches are a classic Chicago-style sandwich. Our version of the Italian Beef Sandwich is made with paper-thin slices of deli roast beef, sharp provolone cheese, spicy pepperoncini peppers, all wrapped in a soft roll with extra beef broth for dipping.

For more sandwich recipes, be sure to try my BLT Sandwich and tasty Grilled BBQ Burger!

Why I Love These Sandwiches

Not sure what to eat for a weeknight dinner? Looking for something fun and different to pack for a picnic or baseball game? The Italian beef sandwich has you covered.

A classic Italian beef is typically made with a chuck roast that’s been braised for hours, and while that certainly makes for a delicious sandwich, we wanted to hit the easy button for this one. Because sometimes life gets crazy and there’s nothing better than some time back in your day.

That’s why we use deli roast beef and zhuzh it up a bit with some seasoned beef broth. It’s just as moist and tender as if it had been sitting in the slow cooker all day.

Recipe Walkthrough

Ingredient Notes

There are just 4 simple ingredients plus a few seasonings in this sandwich.

1. Roast beef, thinly sliced from the deli, then soaked in a flavorful beef broth.
2. Provolone cheese, also thinly sliced.
3. Pepperoncinis for a little tang and a little heat.
4. Hoagie rolls that are soft on the inside with a little crunch on the outside. French rolls would be a fine substitution.
5. Beef broth (optional, for flavoring the meat and serving with the sandwiches for dipping). Beef base (like Better than Bouillon), oregano, minced garlic, black pepper and a bay leaf

How to Make Italian Beef Sandwiches

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Make the beef broth. Whisk together water, beef bouillon, bay leaves, oregano, black pepper, and garlic in a saucepan and boil until reduced by about 1/3.

Toast the rolls. While the beef broth is simmering, toast the hoagie rolls. Split open the rolls, place onto a baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Broil on low for a few minutes to toast the insides of the rolls.

Layer ingredients onto rolls. Dip the roast beef into the broth for a minute or two then pile onto toasted hoagie buns. Top with Provolone cheese and briefly broil to melt the cheese.

Serve. Finish by topping with pepperoncini and serve sandwiches with a side of beef broth for dipping.

Sandwich Variations

• Use turkey instead of beef – If roast beef isn’t your thing, this would be just as good made with deli sliced turkey and chicken stock.
• Adjust the heat – If you’re not into the spiciness of pepperoncini, try using jarred roasted red peppers. That will add a nice smoky element. Conversely, if you love heat try adding some super spicy Calabrian chili peppers. But watch out – they are HOT!
• Pressed sandwiches – These would also make awesome paninis! Just slather the top of the buns with some butter or oil and press them in a panini press until crisp and melty.
• Toppings – You can go crazy with the toppings, taking it beyond just the peppers. Try a giardiniera mix (Italian pickled vegetables).

Serving Suggestions

There are really so many ways to serve these sandwiches. We love them for an easy weeknight dinner, but they’re also perfect to serve for a football party or any other game night.

Because these beauties are so incredibly EASY to make, you have time to make a few other dishes to serve alongside them. For a weeknight meal, we like to go a bit lighter and serve these with my Copycat Olive Garden Salad or Instant Pot Homemade Tomato Soup.

For game day, nothing pairs better with a few beers than an Italian Beef Sandwich and some Crispy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings. For a classic pairing that will please everyone, you can’t go wrong with these Homemade Baked French Fries.

Sandwiches, Sandwiches, and More Sandwiches!

• Italian Sub recipe
• Cuban Sandwich
• Crockpot Sausage and Peppers
• Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich
• Veggie Pita Sandwich
• Reuben Sandwich Sliders

Recipe

Italian Beef Sandwich

4.86 from 14 votes

These easy Italian beef sandwiches bring all the flavor of the popular Chicago sub by shortcutting the long preparation with high-quality roast beef and herb-infused concentrated beef stock.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Ingredients

  

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For the sandwich

• 1 pound Roast beef thin sliced
• 4 large Hoagie rolls
• 2 tablespoons Melted butter
• 1/4 pound Provolone cheese sliced
• 1 cup Pepperoncini peppers stems and seeds removed

For the broth

• 5 teaspoons Low-sodium beef base like Better Than Bouillon
• 3 cups Water
• 4 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 large Bay leaf

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Instructions

 

• Combine the water, beef bouillon, bay leaf, oregano, pepper, and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve the beef bouillon and boil for 5-7 minutes to reduce liquid by about 1/3. Taste broth and adjust salt and pepper if desired.
• Meanwhile, preheat your oven's broiler to low. Split open the hoagie rolls and arrange on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and broil for a few minutes until toasted.
• Dip the roast beef into the broth for 1-2 minutes or until hot and pile onto the toasted hoagie rolls. Top with provolone cheese and broil for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese (optional).
• Top with the peppers and serve immediately with a side of the beef broth for dipping.

Notes

• Low sodium beef base was used. The instructions on the jar say 1 teaspoon beef base per 1 cup of water. In order to strengthen the beef flavor, 5 teaspoons of base were used for just 3 cups of water.
• If the beef base (au jus) after reducing by ⅓ is still not salty enough make adjustments to it prior to submerging the roast beef to get the flavor just right.
• If you can’t find beef base substitute 4 cups boxed beef stock and reduce on the stove by ⅓ to 1/2  to increase the beef flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 38gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 1604mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 355IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 561mgIron: 14mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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