Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwich Recipe With Caramelized Onions and Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwich Recipe with Caramelized Onions

Some sandwiches are lunch. This one is an event. I first ate a grilled ribeye steak sandwich like this in downtown Charleston, where Caviar and Bananas ran it as a daily special, and I ordered it twice in a single week.

Back home, I spent a summer rebuilding it in my own kitchen until the bites matched what I remembered. Now it shows up at every backyard gathering my family plans, and I have stopped pretending one batch is enough.

It is a stacked sandwich, and I will not pretend otherwise. There are components to make: the roasted red pepper aioli, the caramelized onions and mushrooms, the steak, and the toasted rolls. Here is the good news.

The aioli and the onion and mushroom mixture can both be made in advance, so the day you serve this is mostly a hot grill and quick hands.

What you are building:

• Grilled ribeye brushed lightly with olive oil, seasoned with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and cooked hot and fast so it stays juicy.
• Caramelized onions and mushrooms cooked low and slow in one pan until they turn sweet, floppy, and deeply caramel colored.
• Two slices of provolone melted over the pile to hold the fillings together.
• Baby arugula for a fresh, peppery bite that cuts through the richness.
• Roasted red pepper aioli built on a mayonnaise base with fresh garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and roasted red bell peppers.
• Buttered ciabatta rolls toasted until the inside is crisp and golden.

Plan on about 15 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking. Almost all of that cooking time belongs to the onions, and they need your patience far more than your attention.

You stir them every 5 minutes or so, which leaves you plenty of time to set the table, chill the drinks, and pull the aioli out of the fridge.

This makes 4 generous sandwiches. I usually serve them with a simple pasta salad or a pile of chips, because the sandwich itself eats like a full meal.

The roll matters more than people expect. A soft burger bun will surrender about halfway through eating, and then you are holding a delicious mess. Ciabatta holds. Butter the cut sides and let them toast while the steak cooks, and you get a crisp interior with a chewy crust, which is exactly the texture this pile of juicy fillings needs.

Make the aioli first and park it in the fridge while you cook. It tastes even better after a night in there, so there is no reason to wait until the last minute.

Anatomy of a grilled ribeye steak sandwich

Every layer here has a job, and once you see the logic you can prep, swap, and assemble without second guessing yourself.

Ciabatta rolls. Sturdy is the word you want. These rolls have to carry juicy steak, soft onions, melted cheese, and aioli without turning to mush in your hand. Cut them in half and butter the insides.

They go on the grill warming rack, butter side down, for about 3 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden brown. No warming rack? Turn one burner down to medium and toast them on that cooler side of the grill.

Thin cut ribeye steaks. Four steaks, about 1.25 to 1.5 pounds total, cut about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. This is not the place for shaved ribeye, which is built for Philly cheesesteaks and will cook past well done before you can get it off the grate.

Brush the steaks with a little olive oil, not too much or the grill will flare up, then season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Grill over high heat for 30 to 45 seconds per side. That is all they need.

Let them rest for a couple of minutes, slice across the grain with a sharp knife, and toss the slices in the juices left on the plate.

Caramelized onions and mushrooms. This is where the 45 minutes of cook time goes, and it pays you back in flavor.

The mushrooms go in first, in a single layer over medium high heat, for 2 minutes on one side and 2 more on the other so they pick up some brown on the edges.

Then the heat drops to medium low, the onions and the remaining butter go in, and the pan sits uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirred every 5 minutes or so, until the onions are floppy, translucent, and caramel colored.

If the pan starts looking dry, add a little more butter. At the end, deglaze with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, scraping up the fond from the bottom of the pan, then season with salt and, if you like, a little sugar.

Provolone. Two slices per sandwich, laid right over the onions and mushrooms. Back on the grill for about 2 minutes and the cheese melts into the pile and holds everything in place.

Baby arugula. A handful per sandwich, added after the cheese melts so the leaves stay crisp and peppery instead of wilting into the hot fillings.

Roasted red pepper aioli. Two tablespoons per side of the roll. It is mayonnaise based, packed with garlic and roasted red bell pepper, and it gets even better after a night in the fridge. And yes, that means four tablespoons per sandwich. Do not skimp, the bread needs it.

For the caramelized onions and mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms, cremini or baby bella
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional

For the roasted red pepper aioli

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 whole roasted red peppers
• A dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

For the sandwich

• 4 ciabatta rolls
• 4 thin cut ribeye steaks, about 1.25 to 1.5 lbs total
• Roasted red pepper aioli
• Caramelized onions and mushrooms
• Baby arugula

You will also need 2 slices of provolone per sandwich, plus kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and a little olive oil for the steaks.

Caramelized onions and mushrooms, step by step

1. Prepare the onions. Cut them in half from root to end and peel off the papery skin. Quarter them, remove the core, then slice into strips about 1/4 inch wide from root to end.
2. Preheat a sauté pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter and let the butter melt.
3. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook for 2 minutes, flip, and cook 2 more minutes so the edges brown.
4. Lower the heat to medium low and add the remaining butter and the onions. Cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the onions are floppy, translucent, and caramel colored. Add a little butter if the mixture starts looking dry.
5. Deglaze with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, scraping up any fond on the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste and, if you want, a little sugar to push the sweetness up.

Roasted red pepper aioli, step by step

1. Finely mince the garlic cloves, or smash them through a garlic press, and place them on a cutting board.
2. Add the kosher salt and smash it together with the garlic using the flat of a chef’s knife. Scoop it into a pile and smash again until it forms a relatively smooth paste.
3. Dice the roasted red peppers and place them in a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out the excess liquid, or your aioli will be runny. No need to be gentle, since it gets pureed anyway.
4. Add the garlic paste, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, roasted red peppers, and cayenne pepper to an immersion blender cup or the bowl of a mini food processor. Blend until smooth.

Cooking the steak and the rolls

1. Preheat your grill over high heat for about 10 minutes.
2. Brush both sides of the steak with a little olive oil, not too much or the grill will flare up, and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and butter the insides.
4. When the grill is hot, place the rolls butter side down on the warming rack. Cook about 3 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden brown.
5. Place the steaks on the grate over a hot burner. Cook about 30 to 45 seconds, flip, and cook another 30 to 45 seconds before moving them to a plate. Turn the grill down to medium low, but do not turn it off yet.
6. Let the steak rest for a couple of minutes, then slice across the grain with a sharp knife and toss the slices in any remaining juices.

Assembling the sandwiches

1. Spoon two tablespoons of aioli on each side of the roll. On the bottom half, pile on 1/4 of the steak slices and 1/4 of the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then add two slices of provolone.
2. Put the bottom halves back on the grill for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. You can turn the grill off now.
3. Add a handful of arugula on top of the melted cheese and place the sauced top half of the roll on top.
4. Cut the sandwiches in half, if you like, and enjoy them.

Here is what the source recipe lists per serving, and the recipe makes 4 sandwiches.

Tips & Tricks

This recipe bends to your schedule and your equipment. A few habits make it feel easy even on a busy day.

• Work ahead. The caramelized onions and mushrooms and the roasted red pepper aioli can both be made in advance. Do them the day before and the whole sandwich comes together in the time it takes to grill steak.
• Freeze the extras. Make a big batch of the onion and mushroom mixture and freeze it in portions. Ice cube trays work beautifully. Reheat a couple of cubes per sandwich and nobody will know it was not made that morning.
• No grill, no problem. Toast the buns in batches in a cast iron skillet, then cook the steak in that same skillet. You still get a crisp, buttery roll and a fast sear.
• Two ways to melt the cheese. Place the assembled bottom halves on a baking sheet and slide them into a 350°F oven for a couple of minutes. Or build four piles of sliced steak, onions, and mushrooms in a heated cast iron skillet, cover each pile with cheese, and put a lid on the pan until everything melts. Then slide each pile onto a sauced roll base with a spatula.
• Steak swaps that work. If you cannot find thin cut ribeye, a regular ribeye grilled to medium rare and sliced thin is excellent. Butcher’s steak, meaning hanger or skirt steak, is what the original Charleston sandwich used. Strip steak, sirloin, or leftover ribeye from last night all do the job.

One last thing about the aioli. It is the layer people cannot name but always notice. Garlic, roasted red pepper, lemon, and a whisper of cayenne turn plain mayonnaise into something that tastes like it came from a restaurant kitchen. Make extra. You will want it on burgers, roasted potatoes, and every turkey sandwich you eat for the next week.

So pick a day, caramelize those onions until the kitchen smells like a Sunday afternoon, and hand out these sandwiches to the people you love. Then text me when someone asks for the recipe.

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Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwich

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Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwich Recipe with Caramelized Onions Some sandwiches are lunch. This one is an event.

• Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

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For the caramelized onions and mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, cremini or baby bella
2 yellow onions, medium
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional

For the roasted red pepper aioli
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole roasted red peppers
dash cayenne pepper, to taste

For the sandwich
4 ciabatta rolls
4 thin cut ribeye steaks, about 1.25–1.5 lbs total
Roasted red pepper aioli, make a double batch if using the linked recipe – ingredient quantities listed above are correct
Caramelized onions and mushrooms
Baby arugula

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Instructions

For the caramelized onions and mushrooms
1-Prepare onions: Prepare onions. Cut in half from root to end and peel off papery skin. Quarter and remove the core. Then slice in strips about 1/4″ wide from root to end.
2-Preheat a sauté pan or large skillet: Preheat a sauté pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until the butter is melted.
3-Add mushrooms in a single layer and: Add mushrooms in a single layer and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 2 minutes to get some brown on the edges of the mushrooms.
4-Lower the heat to medium low and: Lower the heat to medium low and add remaining butter and onions. Cook uncovered for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until onions are floppy, translucent, and caramel colored. Add a little butter if the mixture starts looking dry.
5-Deglaze with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup: Deglaze with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water, scraping up any fond that has formed on the bottom of your pan. Add salt to taste and, if desired, a little sugar to bump up the sweetness a bit.

For the roasted red pepper aioli
6-Finely mince garlic cloves or smash them: Finely mince garlic cloves or smash them through a garlic press. Place on a cutting board.
7-Add kosher salt and smash together with: Add kosher salt and smash together with the garlic with the flat of a chef’s knife, scoop it into a pile, and smash it again until it forms a relatively smooth paste.
8-Dice the roasted red pepper and place: Dice the roasted red pepper and place in a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out any excess liquid (otherwise your aioli will be runny).
9-Add garlic paste, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive: Add garlic paste, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, roasted red peppers, and cayenne pepper to an immersion blender cup or the bowl of a mini food processor. Blend until smooth.

To cook the steak and rolls
10-Preheat your grill over high heat for: Preheat your grill over high heat for about 10 minutes.
11-Brush both sides of the steak with: Brush both sides of the steak with a little bit of olive oil (not too much or the grill will flare up), and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
12-Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and: Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and butter the insides.
13-Add the rolls butter side down on: Add the rolls butter side down on the grill warming rack. Cook for about 3 minutes until lightly toasted and golden brown.
14-Place steaks on the grate over a: Place steaks on the grate over a hot burner. Cook for about 30-45 seconds, flip, and cook for another 30-45 seconds before removing to a plate. Turn the grill down to medium-low heat.
15-Let the steak rest for a couple: Let the steak rest for a couple minutes before slicing across the grain with a sharp knife. Toss the steak slices in any remaining juices.

To assemble the sandwich
16-Spoon two tablespoons of aioli on each: Spoon two tablespoons of aioli on each side of the roll. On the bottom half of the roll, pile on 1/4 of the steak slices and 1/4 of the caramelized onions and mushrooms. Add two slices of provolone.
17-Put the bottom halves of the sandwiches: Put the bottom halves of the sandwiches back on the grill for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
18-Add a handful of arugula on top: Add a handful of arugula on top of the melted cheese and place the other half of the bun (sauced) on top.
19-Cut sandwiches in half, if desired, and: Cut sandwiches in half, if desired, and enjoy.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 45 min
• Method: grill

Nutrition

• Calories: 1076kcal
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 1656mg
• Fat: 89g
• Saturated Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 36g
• Cholesterol: 133mg