Steak sandwich night means thin slices of seared, juicy skirt steak piled on a toasted baguette with jammy caramelized onions, melted provolone and a smoky chipotle mayo. It’s a big, messy, filling dinner for a Friday night or a game day, and it feeds four.
How to make a steak sandwich: caramelize red onions low and slow, sear skirt steak 3 minutes per side to at least 145°F, rest and slice it thin against the grain, then layer it on a baguette with the onions and provolone and bake at 450°F for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese melts.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to bite. Short, thin slices of steak cut against the grain.
- Sweet, smoky and savory in every bite: deep brown onions, chipotle mayo and melted cheese.
- Only 6 minutes of searing. Skirt steak cooks fast in a hot pan.
- One sheet pan melts the cheese and toasts the bread at the same time.
Ingredient Notes
Skirt steak. One and a half pounds feeds four. It’s long and thin, so you’ll cut it into halves or thirds to fit the pan.
Red onions. Three large ones look like a lot, but they cook down to a soft, sweet heap. Give them the full time.
Kosher salt. The amounts are for Diamond Crystal kosher salt: 1 teaspoon for the onions and 2 1/2 teaspoons for the steak.
Chipotle mayo. Mayonnaise, sour cream, three chipotle peppers and a few spoonfuls of the adobo sauce from the same can. Taste it before you add any salt or pepper.
Bread and cheese. One large baguette, or 4 ciabatta rolls. Use deli-sliced provolone so it melts evenly over the onions.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, for the onions
- 3 large red onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for the onions
- 1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1 cup mayonnaise, for the chipotle mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream, for the chipotle mayo
- 3 chipotle peppers, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can of chipotles in adobo
- 1 large baguette, or 4 ciabatta rolls
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for the steak
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, for searing
- 1/2 pound provolone cheese, deli-sliced
- 1-2 cups baby arugula, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more if needed, for the top of the bread
How to Make a Steak Sandwich
1. Start the onions. Add the onions, water, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt to a large pan or pot and mix together. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook covered for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are soft and most of the water has evaporated.
2. Caramelize the onions. Uncover the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Keep sautéing until the onions are deeply caramelized, about 30 more minutes. Watch the onions, adjust the heat or add a splash of water to prevent burning.
3. Make the chipotle mayo. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce together and taste. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
4. Heat the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat.
5. Season the steak. Cut the skirt steak into halves or thirds so it fits the pan. Pat it dry with paper towels and season both sides with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper.
6. Sear the steak. Add the neutral oil to the pan and, once it is smoking, add the steak. Sear 3 minutes per side, until well browned and the steak reaches at least 145°F on a food thermometer.
7. Rest and slice. Move the steak to a cutting board and tent with foil for at least 5 minutes. Cut it into 4-inch pieces, then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
8. Build the sandwiches. Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and separate the halves. Set the bottom half on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread on a layer of chipotle mayo, then layer the steak, the onions and the provolone. Set the top half on the sheet and brush or spread it with 1 tablespoon olive oil so it toasts.
9. Melt the cheese. Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch it carefully.
10. Finish and serve. Spread chipotle mayo on the top half, add the arugula if using, and close the sandwich. Slice into 4 large sandwiches.
How to Slice Steak for a Sandwich
The goal is a sandwich you can actually bite through. That comes down to how you rest, cut and slice the steak, and how you toast the bread.
Rest it first. Keep the seared steak under a loose tent of foil for at least 5 minutes before you touch it with a knife.
Cut it short, then thin. Skirt steak is long, so first cut it across into 4-inch pieces. Then look at each piece: the lines of muscle all run one way. Turn the piece so your knife crosses those lines, and slice 1/4 inch thick. Short, thin, against-the-grain slices are what make this sandwich easy to eat.
Toast the bread. The olive oil on the top half and the few minutes in a 450°F oven give you a crisp face that holds the steak and onions. If a hard baguette crust hurts your mouth, use 4 ciabatta rolls instead, or wrap the baguette in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for about 24 hours before you make the sandwiches.
Tips for Success
Should I take the steak out of the fridge first?
Yes. Set it on the counter about 30 minutes before cooking, while the onions finish. Then pat it dry and season it just before it goes in the pan.
Why are my onions pale instead of deep brown?
They haven’t had enough time uncovered. After the covered stage, they still need about 30 minutes over medium heat. Stir often and keep going until they’re a deep, jammy brown.
Why did the bread burn before the cheese melted?
It stayed in a little too long. Watch it carefully: set a timer for 3 minutes, check, and pull the sheet as soon as the provolone has melted. It never needs more than 5 minutes.
Variations
- Garlic aioli: swap the chipotle mayo for 3/4 cup mayonnaise mixed with 1 minced garlic clove. Let it sit at least 30 minutes, and use it within 3 days.
- Cheddar: layer cheddar slices over the onions instead of provolone.
- Avocado: add sliced avocado with the arugula just before you close the sandwich.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. To freeze, pack the cooked steak and onions on their own for up to 3 to 4 months; USDA FSIS notes that mayonnaise doesn’t freeze well, since it separates and looks curdled after thawing. Thaw in the fridge and reheat to 165°F, then build a fresh sandwich.
What to Serve With It
If steak night is a regular thing in your house, keep it going with the best steak bites or garlic butter steak bites and cheesy smashed potatoes. For something to eat with your hands, try loaded steak quesadillas, cheese steak tacos with buffalo fries or Philly cheese steak sloppy joes. Want to season the skirt steak a different way? Mix up a jar of Texas Roadhouse steak seasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes well on a steak sandwich?
Caramelized onions, provolone and arugula are the base here. Tomato slices, lettuce and a little mustard on the top half of the bread all fit too.
Can I use a different cut of steak?
Yes. Bavette, flat iron, New York strip and filet mignon all work. Cook any of them to at least 145°F, rest them, and slice thinly against the grain.
How long should the steak rest?
At least 5 minutes under foil, and up to 10. USDA FSIS asks for a rest of at least 3 minutes after a steak reaches 145°F.
Final Notes
Start the onions first; they take the longest, and the steak, mayo and bread all fit into their last half hour. Tell me in the comments what you put on yours.
Steak Sandwich
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for the onions
- 3 large red onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the onions
- 1/2 cup water plus more as needed
- 1 cup mayonnaise for the chipotle mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream for the chipotle mayo
- 3 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles in adobo
- 1 large baguette or 4 ciabatta rolls
- 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the steak
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil for searing
- 1/2 pound provolone cheese deli-sliced
- 1-2 cups baby arugula optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more if needed, for the top of the bread
Instructions
- Add the onions, water, 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt to a large pan or pot and mix together. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook covered for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are soft and most of the water has evaporated.
- Uncover the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Keep sautéing until the onions are deeply caramelized, about 30 more minutes. Watch the onions, adjust the heat or add a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce together and taste. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat.
- Cut the skirt steak into halves or thirds so it fits the pan. Pat it dry with paper towels and season both sides with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and the pepper.
- Add the neutral oil to the pan and, once it is smoking, add the steak. Sear 3 minutes per side, until well browned and the steak reaches at least 145°F on a food thermometer.
- Move the steak to a cutting board and tent with foil for at least 5 minutes. Cut it into 4-inch pieces, then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and separate the halves. Set the bottom half on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spread on a layer of chipotle mayo, then layer the steak, the onions and the provolone. Set the top half on the sheet and brush or spread it with 1 tablespoon olive oil so it toasts.
- Bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch it carefully.
- Spread chipotle mayo on the top half, add the arugula if using, and close the sandwich. Slice into 4 large sandwiches.
Notes
Nutrition
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