Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak Copycat Recipe

Name: Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak Copycat Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced; 1 tsp paprika; 3/4 tsp garlic powder; 3/4 tsp onion powder; 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, divided; 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup cayenne-style red hot sauce; 1 tbsp honey; 8 oz white American cheese; 4 soft sesame seed sub rolls

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This Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak copycat combines seasoned chicken, melted white American cheese, caramelized onions, and a homemade spicy glaze in a toasted sesame roll. It’s an unofficial homemade version inspired by the restaurant sandwich.

Thinly sliced chicken cooks in a skillet, then gets tossed with the spicy glaze and onions. The cheese melts over the filling before everything goes into warm, toasted rolls.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced for the cheesesteak filling.
Seasonings: Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt to season the chicken.
Yellow onion: Cooked slowly until soft and golden.
White American cheese: Melts smoothly over the chicken. Cooper Sharp White American is the closest named option, but regular deli white American works as a substitute.
Sesame seed sub rolls: Soft sandwich rolls, lightly toasted before assembling.
Neutral cooking oil: For cooking the chicken and caramelizing the onions.
Homemade spicy glaze: A simple mixture of cayenne-style hot sauce and honey. This is our homemade approximation, not Arby’s official sauce.

Ingredients for a homemade spicy chicken cheesesteak, including raw chicken, sesame rolls, white American cheese, onion, seasonings, hot sauce, and honey. — Ingredients for this homemade spicy chicken cheesesteak copycat, including raw chicken, white American cheese, sesame rolls, seasonings, and a simple hot sauce and honey glaze.

How to Make Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak

1. Season the chicken

Thinly slice the chicken breasts against the grain. Toss with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Refrigerate for 20 minutes while you start the onions.

2. Caramelize the onions

Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced yellow onion and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden. Lower the heat if the onions begin to burn. Transfer the onions to a plate. Wipe out the skillet, then split the sesame rolls and lightly toast the cut sides. Set the rolls aside.

3. Make the spicy glaze

Combine the cayenne-style hot sauce and honey in a small saucepan. Warm over low heat, stirring until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Cook the chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken in batches, spreading the pieces into an even layer. Cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

5. Add the onions and glaze

Return all the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the caramelized onions and homemade spicy glaze. Toss gently over low heat until the chicken is evenly coated.

Sliced chicken and caramelized onions coated in a glossy red spicy glaze in a skillet. — Cooked chicken strips and caramelized onions tossed in a homemade hot sauce and honey glaze before adding the cheese.

6. Melt the cheese

Divide the chicken mixture into four portions in the skillet. Top each portion with about 2 ounces of white American cheese. Cover briefly over low heat until the cheese melts.

Four portions of spicy chicken and caramelized onions topped with melted white American cheese in a skillet. — Melt the white American cheese over four portions of spicy chicken and caramelized onions before transferring them to the toasted rolls.

7. Assemble the sandwiches

Transfer one portion of the cheesy chicken mixture into each toasted roll. Serve warm.

Sesame sub roll filled with sliced spicy chicken, caramelized onions, melted white American cheese, and red glaze. — The finished chicken cheesesteak with tender seasoned chicken, caramelized onions, melted white American cheese, and homemade spicy glaze.

Tips for the Best Chicken Cheesesteak

Slice the chicken thinly. Cut against the grain so the pieces cook quickly and fit easily inside the rolls. Chilling the chicken briefly can make slicing easier.
Take your time with the onions. Cook them over medium-low heat until soft and golden. If they start browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
Avoid overcrowding the skillet. Cook the chicken in batches so it can brown instead of steaming.
Use deli-style white American cheese. It melts smoothly over the hot chicken. Covering the skillet briefly helps the cheese melt evenly.
Toast the rolls lightly. A quick toast on the cut sides helps the soft sesame rolls hold the chicken, cheese, and spicy glaze without becoming too soggy.

If you enjoy spicy chicken sandwiches, try our spicy chicken patties for another easy skillet-cooked option.

Substitutions and Variations

White American cheese: Cooper Sharp White American is closest to the cheese named by Arby’s. Regular deli white American is a practical substitute if you can’t find it.
Sesame seed rolls: Soft sesame sub rolls are the best choice for this copycat. If unavailable, use similarly sized soft sub rolls.
Spicy glaze: Choose a milder or hotter cayenne-style hot sauce depending on your preferred heat level. Keep in mind that different sauces can change the flavor and consistency of the homemade glaze.

For another chicken recipe with a sweet-and-spicy sauce, try our hot honey chicken tenders.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate: Store leftover chicken filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Keep unused rolls separate to prevent sogginess.
Reheat: Warm the filling, including any cheese already added, in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until it reaches 165°F (74°C). If the cheese was stored separately, add it after reheating and let it melt.
Assemble: Lightly toast the rolls and add the reheated chicken and melted cheese just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak different from the regular version?

According to Arby’s official announcement, the Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak adds a spicy glaze to the regular sandwich’s seasoned chicken, Cooper American cheese, caramelized onions, and toasted sesame roll.

What cheese does Arby’s use on its Chicken Cheesesteak?

Arby’s uses Cooper American cheese. For this homemade copycat, Cooper Sharp White American is a close option, but regular deli white American cheese works well too.

How spicy is Arby’s Spicy Chicken Cheesesteak?

Early reviews describe the restaurant sandwich as mildly to moderately spicy, with heat that builds as you eat. For this homemade version, the heat depends on the cayenne-style hot sauce you choose.

What is Arby’s spicy glaze made of?

Arby’s has not publicly disclosed the exact spicy glaze formula. This copycat uses a simple homemade mixture of cayenne-style hot sauce and honey, rather than claiming to reproduce the restaurant’s original sauce.

Do I need a sous vide machine to make this chicken cheesesteak?

No. Although Arby’s uses sous vide cooking for its chicken, this homemade version uses a regular skillet. Thinly sliced chicken is cooked in batches, then combined with the onions, spicy glaze, and melted cheese.