Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

A Chicago Italian beef sandwich is thin-sliced roast beef soaked in a spiced, garlicky jus and piled onto a crusty Italian roll. You top it with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers, and if you do it the Chicago way, you dunk the whole thing back in the jus. It is messy, loud, and one of the best things you can do with a beef roast.

This recipe gets you there at home. You season and roast the beef, chill it so it slices paper thin, and then let the slices soak up the jus right before serving. No deli slicer, no restaurant kitchen, and no shortcuts that make it taste like a French dip.

What Makes It a Chicago Italian Beef?

Plenty of sandwiches put roast beef on bread. A real Chicago Italian beef has four parts that all have to show up:

• The beef. A lean roast, seasoned with Italian herbs and red pepper, cooked in its own broth and sliced as thin as you can get it.
• The jus. Chicagoans call it gravy, but it is thin and brothy, not thick. It is loaded with garlic, oregano, and pepper.
• The roll. A dense, crusty Italian or French roll that can take a soaking without falling apart.
• The peppers. "Hot" means spicy giardiniera in oil. "Sweet" means soft green bell peppers. Lots of people get both.

Miss one of those and you have a roast beef sandwich. Nail all four and you have a beef.

Where the Italian Beef Came From

Italian beef grew out of Chicago's Italian-American neighborhoods in the 1930s. The story told most often credits the family behind Al's Beef, who started selling it around 1938. As the story goes, slicing a roast very thin and soaking it in seasoned juice let one piece of meat feed a lot of people at weddings and family parties. Nobody can prove exactly who made the first one, but the idea stuck.

By the 1970s and 1980s, beef stands were all over the city. The sandwich got a second wave of fame in the 2020s when the TV show The Bear put an Italian beef shop at the center of its story. Now people all over the country want to know how to make one.

The Best Cut of Beef for Italian Beef

You want a lean roast with a tight grain. Fat and gristle get in the way when you slice thin, and a fatty cut can turn greasy in the jus. Here are the best choices:

• Top sirloin roast. Our pick. It has the most beefy flavor of the lean roasts and stays tender when sliced thin.
• Top round or inside round. This is what most beef stands use. It is affordable and slices clean. See our top round roast guide for more on this cut.
• Bottom round or sirloin tip. Budget friendly and works fine, just a little chewier.

Skip chuck roast for this one. Chuck is great for shredded beef like a pepperoncini roast, but it falls apart when you try to shave it thin.

The Secret Is Chilling Before You Slice

Here is the step most home recipes skip. Beef stands shave their beef on a deli slicer. At home, you get close by chilling the cooked roast for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cold beef is firm, so a sharp knife can cut slices almost thin enough to read through.

Always slice across the grain. Look for the long lines running through the meat and cut straight across them. Our guide on cutting against the grain shows you how to spot it. This one move makes lean beef tender.

Also, don't cook the roast past medium rare. Pull it at 125 to 130 degrees F. The thin slices cook a little more when they soak in the hot jus, so they end up closer to medium. If you start at well done, you end up with gray, dry beef. Check our steak temperature guide if you want the full chart.

Hot, Sweet, Dry, Juicy, or Dipped

Ordering a beef in Chicago comes with its own language. Here is how to serve it at home so everyone gets it their way:

• Dry: The beef is lifted out of the jus and drained before it goes on the roll.
• Juicy (or wet): A ladle of extra jus goes over the beef in the roll.
• Dipped: The whole sandwich gets dunked in the jus, bread and all.
• Hot: Topped with hot giardiniera.
• Sweet: Topped with soft cooked green peppers.
• Combo: A grilled Italian sausage goes in with the beef.

"Hot and dipped" is the classic order. Eat it standing up, lean forward, and keep your elbows off the table. That posture has a name in Chicago: the Italian stance.

Italian Beef vs. Philly Cheesesteak

People mix these two up all the time. They are both thin beef on a long roll, but that is where it ends.

The short version: a cheesesteak is about the cheese, and an Italian beef is about the jus.

Steakhouse Shortcut: Italian Beef From Top Sirloin Steaks

Don't have 4 hours? You can make a fast version on a weeknight with thick top sirloin steaks. Season two 1 1/2-inch USDA Prime top sirloins with the same spice rub below, sear them hard in a cast iron pan, and pull them at 125 degrees F. Rest them 10 minutes, then put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up. Slice them as thin as you can and drop the slices in the simmering jus for one minute. Prime beef has more marbling than a standard roast, so every slice stays juicy even after its bath in the jus.

Where to Get an Italian Beef in Chicago

If you are in the city, go straight to the source before you cook your own. A few names come up in every Chicago beef argument:

• Al's #1 Italian Beef: The original stand on Taylor Street, and the name most people connect with the sandwich's history.
• Johnnie's Beef: A no-frills stand in Elmwood Park with a cult following and a line to match.
• Mr. Beef: A River North classic, and the shop that inspired the one in The Bear.
• Portillo's: The chain most visitors try first, with locations well beyond Chicago.

Every Chicagoan has a favorite, and none of them agree. Try a couple, then come home and build yours exactly the way you like it. Heading to town for dinner too? Check out our list of the best Chicago steakhouses.

How to Serve It

Italian beef is party food. Keep the sliced beef warm in the jus on the stove or in a slow cooker set to low, and let people build their own. Set out rolls, a bowl of hot giardiniera, a pan of sweet peppers, and a stack of napkins. French fries are the classic side. For game day, add a tray of grilled Italian sausages for anyone who wants a combo.

Leftover beef keeps in its jus in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently and never let it boil, or the thin slices go tough. If you love this kind of sandwich, try our pressure cooker beef dip sandwiches next.

Nutrition: What's in One Sandwich?

This is a big sandwich. Based on about 5 ounces of beef, an 8-inch roll, and 2 tablespoons of giardiniera, one Italian beef comes out to roughly:

• 600 to 650 calories
• 45 to 50 grams of protein
• 50 to 55 grams of carbs, mostly from the roll
• 18 to 22 grams of fat

Most of the sodium comes from the broth and giardiniera. Using low-sodium broth, as the recipe calls for, keeps it in check. Going "dry" or skipping the dip cuts calories and salt a little. These numbers are estimates and will change with your roll and toppings.

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich Recipe

This makes enough beef for 8 big sandwiches. Plan ahead: the roast needs to chill for at least 2 hours before slicing, so it works great made the day before.

Chicago Steak Company is a Chicago company, and this is the sandwich we grew up around. Roast it once and you will never go back to deli roast beef again.

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

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Category

Main Course

Cuisine

Italian-American

SERVINGS

8 sandwiches

PRE TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

1 hour 30 minutes

Calories

620

COURSE

Main Course

Thin-sliced, herb-crusted roast beef soaked in a garlicky, peppery jus and piled onto crusty rolls with hot giardiniera or sweet peppers. Roast it a day ahead, chill it, and slice it paper thin for the real Chicago beef stand experience.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 top sirloin roast or top round roast, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste
• 8 crusty Italian or French rolls, 8 inches long
• Hot giardiniera in oil
• 2 green bell peppers, sliced into strips (for sweet peppers)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the peppers)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the salt, black pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Pat the roast dry, rub it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and press the spice mix into every side. For the best flavor, wrap it and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deep brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. Pull the roast out and set it on a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Pour in the beef broth and water, then add the bay leaves, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring it to a simmer.
4. Set the roast back in the pan on top of the onions. Roast until the thickest part reads 125 to 130 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 60 to 80 minutes for a 4-pound roast.
5. Move the roast to a plate and let it cool for 30 minutes. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Strain the pan juices into a container, press on the onions, and refrigerate the jus too.
6. When you are ready to serve, skim the fat off the cold jus. Pour it into a wide pot, bring it to a gentle simmer, and add salt to taste.
7. While the jus heats, slice the cold roast across the grain as thin as you possibly can. Paper thin is the goal.
8. For sweet peppers, cook the bell pepper strips in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
9. Drop a handful of beef slices into the simmering jus for 30 to 60 seconds, just until hot. Do not let the jus boil hard or the beef will get tough.
10. Split the rolls without cutting all the way through. Pile in the beef with tongs, then top with hot giardiniera, sweet peppers, or both. Spoon extra jus over the top for a juicy beef, or dunk the whole sandwich in the jus for a dipped beef. Serve right away.

Recipe Note

Chill time: plan on at least 2 hours after roasting (total time shown includes it). Leftover beef keeps in its jus in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently and never let it boil.