Shaved steak might be the best thing I ever grabbed on impulse at Trader Joe’s, and that is saying something. This collection of 39 shaved beef recipes covers everything from fast weeknight dinners to full-on game day spreads, and once you start cooking with it, I promise you won’t go back to wrestling with a knife and a half-frozen ribeye. It cooks in minutes, soaks up flavor like crazy, and my family can spot it thawing on the counter from across the house.
Why I Never Leave Trader Joe’s With What I Came For
I still remember the day I spotted shaved steak at Trader Joe’s for the first time. I was probably in there for flowers and salads and walked out with a completely different dinner plan. I grabbed it on impulse, thought “I bet this is perfect for Philly Cheesesteaks,” and honestly, I was right. That was about six years ago, right around the time Colorado finally got a Trader Joe’s, and shaved steak has been a regular in my kitchen ever since.
Before I found it, I was doing the whole par-freeze-and-slice routine for my cheesesteak sandwiches. You know the one: wrap the steak, freeze it for 20 minutes, use your sharpest knife, hold your breath. It was never quite as thin as I wanted. Shaved steak solved that completely, and it cooks in a fraction of the time.
If my family spots shaved steak thawing on the counter, they already know dinner is going to be either Philly Cheesesteaks or Mongolian Beef. Both are on heavy rotation around here, and nobody complains.
Why You’ll Love These Beef Shaved Steak Recipes
- Dinner is done fast, and I mean fast. We’re talking 30 minutes or less, start to finish, even on a weeknight when your brain is completely fried.
- No overthinking required. Short ingredient lists, simple techniques, nothing that requires a culinary degree or a grocery run to three different stores.
- It thaws faster than any other cut of beef. Even straight from the freezer, shaved steak is ready to cook in minutes on a good thawing tray. More on that below.
- Healthy protein without the heaviness. It’s a leaner cut that doesn’t feel like a big red meat commitment, which is exactly why it works so well for weeknights.
- Your family will actually eat it. In six years of cooking with shaved steak, I have yet to make a single recipe my family turned down. That is not something I can say about everything in my kitchen.
What is Shaved Steak?
Shaved steak, also called shaved beef, sandwich steak, beef shavings, or chip steak (depending on where you grew up), is beef that has been sliced into very thin, almost translucent pieces. It’s typically cut from tender, well-marbled cuts like ribeye, sirloin, skirt steak, or flank steak, though it can come from other parts of the cow as well.
What makes it special is how quickly it cooks and how well it soaks up whatever flavors you throw at it, sauces, seasonings, marinades. It absorbs everything. You’ll find it labeled different things depending on your grocery store, so if you don’t see “shaved steak” look for “sandwich steak,” “beef shavings,” or ask your butcher to shave a ribeye for you.
My personal favorite is the Trader Joe’s shaved beef. The quality is consistently good and in my experience it gives you the most tender result. Old Neighborhood brand (commonly found at Target) is another solid option. Price-wise, shaved steak often runs $3-5 less per pound than sirloin or flank, so you’re getting a great steak experience without the splurge.
39 Healthy Shaved Steak Recipes
Shaved steak can be used in a variety of recipes, from simple sandwiches to gourmet entrees, tacos, pastas, and fajitas. Here are 39 dinner ideas with shaved steak to try:
1. Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
The most popular way we see and use shaved beef is in a shaved steak sandwich recipe. A simple classic sandwich with quick-cooked shaved beef tossed with seasoning salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat, Worcestershire sauce and a little hot sauce too.
Topped with caramelized onions and if desired, mushrooms and peppers and gooey provolone cheese, tucked into a grilled hoagie roll. If you want to go super authentic, you will enjoy it with cheese whiz or “wit wiz” as the locals say – personally I love real cheese!
Watch my step-by-step video to see exactly how I make it.
2. Healthier Mongolian Beef
Healthy shaved steak quick stir fried with fresh garlic, ginger, dark brown sugar, soy sauce and topped with scallions and red pepper flakes. We love serving this with lightly steamed broccoli over white rice.
3. Quick Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Who doesn’t love a beef stir fry? It’s typically the first thing my family orders at Chinese restaurants. Using shaved steak this meal comes together even quicker and is delicious and healthy, try serving over brown rice.
4. Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
A quicker and easier version of the cheesesteak sandwich, but made bite-sized; with juicy shaved beef, onions, and melted cheese. These sliders are perfect for a crowd on game day or a quick, easy meal.
5. Steak Bomb Sandwich
A New England classic, this steak bomb sandwich is truly the bomb! Shaved steak sauted with sweet onions, sauteed peppers (red, green, your favorite colors), and button mushrooms all cooked in a little butter and oil, and topped with provolone cheese.
Then piled on a hoagie or French roll smeared with a little mayonnaise and topped with a little cherry pepper relish. This is one of my husband’s favorite shaved steak sandwiches.
6. Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Another winner for dinner! This low-carb casserole is started in the skillet, with a little cream cheese and finished in the oven with loads of melty cheese! A must-make!
7. Korean Beef Bulgogi by Joyous Apron
Korean bulgogi is an incredibly tasty beef dish which is served with rice and many other side dishes. Learn how easy it is to simply marinate the beef, cook and serve!
8. Carne Asada Quesadillas by Maple Wood Road
Food cravings can sometimes be hard to address. Carne asada quesadillas are flavor bombs that answer multiple cravings in one bite. Think of bold spices, succulent beef, and gooey cheese, all wrapped in a baked tortilla, dipped in chunky guacamole, and topped off with refreshing sour cream…and honestly, dip them in my White Queso Dip while you’re at it.
9. Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet by The Short Order Cook
Grab a pack of shaved steak & make this one pan recipe the whole family will love. Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet Casserole is a hearty combination of the classic sandwich & mac & cheese.
10. Beef and Cheddar Sliders by The Skinny Pot
Fall and winter bring so many great reasons to get together; from sports to holidays, there’s always a reason to spend time with your favorite people. Time with loved ones means one thing, food, and there is no better party food than these Brisket Beef and Cheddar Sliders!
11. Steak and Rice Bowls by Smack of Flavor
Steak and rice bowls are a variation on the popular steak and cheese sandwiches. Shaved steak, your favorite rice, Swiss cheese and some vegetables make up this delicious rice bowl variation on a classic.
12. Steak Salad by Healthy Recipes 101
A simple Steak Salad with avocados, apples, arugula, and a vinegary dressing. Double the recipe to transform it into a main dish or to feed the whole family this thin steak dish.
13. Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls by Best Beef Recipes
These are in under 30 minutes, and are loaded with all your favorite Philly Cheesesteak flavors, these easy egg rolls are wrapped and air fried to crisp perfection using just a handful of simple ingredients.
14. Philly Cheesesteak Dip
This hot dip is sure to be the big draw at any event. It is so cheesy and delicious that you will want to make a double batch!
15. Shaved Beef Stir Fry by Running to the Kitchen
Thinly sliced shaved beef is perfect for a quick stir-fry dinner you can make in minutes including a crave-worthy sauce that rivals any takeout order.
16. Open Faced Caprese Steak Sandwich by The Salty Pot
They say a picture is worth a thousand words! Run, don’t walk to make this yummy recipe.
17. Easy French Dip Sandwiches by Add Salt and Serve
These easy thin steak sandwiches are delicious and make for a perfect dinner on a long day. You can make this in one pot, the crock pot or the instant pot if you like!
18. Steak Stuffed Peppers by Cooktoria
Stuff these peppers with onions, thin shaved steak and loads of cheese for a tasty twist on dinner that your family won’t forget! These are so easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal.
19. Philly Pizza by Like Mother Like Daughter
Tender steak, loads of cheese, and peppers and onions take this pizza over the top! This will surely be a favorite way to use shaved steak for dinner.
More Dinner Ideas with Shaved Steak
20. Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells by Like Mother, Like Daughter
All the best flavor of a Philly cheesesteak but stuffed into giant shells and smothered in a delicious Alfredo sauce.
21. Cajun Steak Sandwiches by Eat Move Make
This recipe makes for some spicy, cheesy steak sandwiches that are perfect with thin shaved steak. I know you will love the cajun vibes this sammy brings to the table.
22. Steak Fajita Quesadillas (Chipotle Copycat) by Thai Caliente
The Steak Fajita Quesadilla replicates Chipotle’s famous TikTok viral fajita quesadilla, but the best part is that you can effortlessly recreate it in the comfort of your own home and save money too!
23. Philly Baked Potatoes by Girl Carnivore
This is the ultimate baked potato! It is piled high with cheese, onions, veggies, and thin slices of tender steak. You can make a meal of this simple and satisfying dish.
24. Chipotle Steak Quesadillas by Little Spice Jar
No matter how you like to slice, dice or shave your steak, this quesadilla recipe is sure to please. It is cheesy, meaty and so tasty for a fast meal.
25. Sweet and Spicy Beef Jerky by Life’s Ambrosia
Shaved London broil makes for such a satisfying and cheap homemade jerky! This recipe is perfect for anyone who wants a sweet and spicy snack made of delicious shaved steak.
26. Flat Iron Steak Sliders with Blue Cheese by The Virtual Caterer
Give your next batch of sliders the tastiest kick by piling them high with blue cheese and horseradish!
27. Easy Beef Sukiyaki by Fit as a Foodie
This easy dish rivals dinner out at your favorite Asian restaurant. With so many fresh flavors you are going to want to make this a regular part of your meal plan.
28. Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Steak by White Kitchen Red Wine
This stuffed pepper recipe will appeal to the entire family. It is loaded with cheese and thin shaved steak for a colorful and hearty meal.
29. Easy Steak Pasta with Ricotta by My Therapist Cooks
Serve a dish of pure comfort with this creamy pasta dish. It has thin steak, ricotta cheese and plenty of noodles to satisfy you with homemade goodness.
30. Vietnamese Pan Fried Noodles by Balance with Jess
Make this stir fry dish at home with noodles, thin steak, mini corn on the cobs and the tastiest sauce! This one dish meal hits the spot for a fast and filling feast!
31. Philly Cheesesteak Soup by An Affair from the Heart
Just like a cheesecake sandwich in soup form! Add some beef broth and you have an amazing low-carb soup! Serve it in or out of the bread bowl for a WOW meal!
32. Philly Cheesesteaks on Blackstone Griddle
Grab your Blackstone griddle and make these luscious cheesesteaks on the Blackstone! With caramelized onions and red or green bell peppers. Ready in minutes and oh so delicious!
33. Roast Beef Sliders
These might be cheating just a bit as they are made with sliced deli roast beef, but stir fry up a little shaved steak and make these sliders for an amazing meal!
34. Easy Shaved Beef Fajitas by Not Entirely Average
Made in one skillet, this Mexican shaved beef fajitas recipe is full of flavor and is so quick too! Seasoned with easy, pantry Mexican spices, this dish will be ready for the family in minutes.
35. Mini Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers by Fresh April Flours
Make it an appetizer or make it a meal! These bite-size peppers are loaded with flavor! Bonus, the recipe shows you how to make these using full-size bell peppers too!
36. Beef with Ginger and Spring Onions by My Morning Mocha
A quick meal with a delicious sauce that has oyster sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce along with a bit of ginger bite for a delicious better-than-takeout meal.
37. Grilled Beef Crostini with Bernaise by BBQing with the Nolands
Looking for an appetizer to impress everyone at your next get-together? This Grilled Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Bearnaise Sauce recipe is quite simply out of this world!
38. Ha Noi Pho with Shaved Steak by Eating Fearless
This recipe features a savory beef broth, shaved beef, and minimal use of garnishes and seasonings. Many pho enthusiasts consider Hanoi-style pho the original form of Vietnamese pho!
39. Low-Carb Steak Taco Bowl by Easyhealth Living
Like most of these recipes, this steak taco bowl is ready in under 30 minutes, with loads of Mexican flavor. A low-carb lovers meal!
How to Cook Shaved Steak
This is where most people go wrong, and I learned it the hard way once. Shaved steak cooks fast, which means it can go from perfect to rubbery in about sixty seconds if you’re not paying attention. A few things that matter:
- Get your pan HOT. Not warm, not medium. Hot. You want those thin edges to catch a little color before the interior overcooks.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Add the steak more or less strip by strip in a single layer. If you pile it all in at once, the temperature drops and the meat starts to steam instead of sear.
- Pat it dry first. Wet meat is the enemy of a good sear. The moisture hits the hot pan, creates steam, and instead of that beautiful caramelized crust you get a grayish, gummy exterior. A quick pat with paper towels before it goes in the pan makes a real difference.
- Don’t walk away. Seriously. This meat is done faster than you think. Stay at the stove.
Love cooking outdoors? My Blackstone Philly Cheesesteaks use the same technique and the results are incredible
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy shaved steak?
This is hands down the question I get most, and I get it, because if you’ve never seen it before you might not know where to look. Trader Joe’s is my first stop and honestly my favorite source, the quality is consistently great. If you don’t have a TJ’s nearby, Target carries the Old Neighborhood brand, which is a solid option. I’ve also been spotting it more and more at King Soopers (Kroger) and Safeway in the last year or so, usually near the other thin-sliced beef in the meat case. And don’t be shy about asking your butcher. I do it all the time. Just ask them to shave a ribeye for you and they’ll know exactly what you mean.
It can come from several cuts, but ribeye is my personal favorite when I’m asking the butcher directly. The marbling gives you the most tender, flavorful result. When I buy it pre-packaged at Trader Joe’s I just trust what it is, and it has never let me down. If you’re buying from a grocery store meat case, look for something with good marbling and avoid anything that looks overly lean or pale.
Yes, and it works better than you’d think. I’ve done this in my Philly Cheesesteak Casserole and my Philly Cheesesteak Dip, both of which traditionally use ground beef, and shaved steak takes them to a whole other level. It adds that real steak experience in dishes where you’d normally just get a ground meat texture. Just chop or break it up a bit as it cooks and it works beautifully.
It’s a leaner cut of beef, which I appreciate since we don’t eat a ton of red meat in our house. When we do have it, shaved steak feels like the right call, great protein, not heavy, and a little goes a long way in a dish. If you can find grass-fed options at your butcher or local store, even better. I think of it as the “worth it” red meat, the kind that earns its place on the table
Honestly? Air fryer french fries are my go-to, or a good frozen sweet potato fry on a busy night, and I am not ashamed of that. A bagged salad works great too. At home, we also make what I call our “salad du jour,” usually just sliced tomatoes, avocado, and cucumber with a little balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Simple, fresh, done in five minutes. A hoagie roll or a bowl of white or brown rice rounds out most of these recipes perfectly too.
Two things will ruin shaved steak fast: too much time in the pan and too much moisture. Pat it dry before it goes in, get your pan genuinely hot before the meat touches it, and cook it in a single layer, strip by strip if you need to. The minute you crowd the pan the temperature drops, the meat steams instead of sears, and you lose that beautiful caramelized edge. It cooks fast, so stay close and pull it off the heat as soon as it’s done.
Technically yes, and I did it for years before I discovered pre-shaved steak was even a thing. The trick is to wrap your steak tightly in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes, then use the sharpest knife you own to slice it as thin as you can against the grain. It works, but I’ll be honest with you: it’s never quite as thin as the real thing and it adds a solid 30 minutes to your prep time. Now that shaved steak is easy to find at Trader Joe’s, Target, and most major grocery stores, I don’t bother anymore. But if you’re in a pinch and have a good knife, you can absolutely make it work.
Storage and Freeze Tips
- Can you freeze shaved steak? Yes, and it freezes beautifully. Keep it in the original packaging if unopened, or transfer to a zip-top freezer bag with the air pressed out. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- How long does shaved steak keep in the fridge? Use it within one to two days of purchase for best quality. Because the slices are so thin and have more surface area exposed, it doesn’t have quite the shelf life of a thick cut steak.
- Storing leftovers: Cooked shaved steak keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat quickly in a hot skillet rather than the microwave; it only takes a minute and keeps the texture from getting tough.
If you’ve never bought shaved steak before, this is your sign. Find it at Trader Joe’s, Target, or ask your butcher to shave a ribeye for you. Toss it in a hot pan, have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, and watch your family show up fast when they smell it cooking. I’ve been cooking with it for six years and it still makes me happy every single time. Once you try it, you’ll wonder what took you so long.
And one last tip before you go: if your shaved steak is frozen, lay it directly on a good thawing tray and it will be ready to cook in about 30 minutes. No microwave, no cold water bath, no planning ahead. Just dinner, fast, the way weeknights actually work.
Beth
This thing may bring me happiness.
Sheila
So many great ideas for shaved steak!! Now, I have all kinds of dinner inspo!
Truly!!! Thank you so much Sheila, hope you find a few recipes you love!
Mindy
Yum!!! I love shaved steaks! I want to try all of these fabulous recipe!
Hope you love them!!
Liza
Just when I needed it most, this roundup of shaved steak recipes has opened up a whole new world of meal ideas. Goodbye, dinner rut — hellooo, tasty shaved steak!
Yes, indeed!
Jersey Girl Cooks
My family loves shaved steak! There are so many good recipes to choose from!
Thank you so much!!
Sandra Flegg
Amazing variety of different ways to enjoy shaved steak cannot wait to try them!!
Hope you love several- or all of them.
Beth
I have actually never cooked with shaved steak before, but it’s right up my alley! I’m bookmarking this, because I and definitely going to be making all of these.
You are in for a treat!
Ali
This list of shave steak recipes is so useful! There are lots of creative ways to use up extra shaved steak. I can’t wait to try the phillycheese steak dip!
Thanks so much, Ali!
Jules
Wow, I’ve got so many amazing recipes to try. We love shaved steak because it cooks up so quickly!
Me too!! Thanks, Jules!
Debi
When I was a kid I loved those frozen Steak-ums. They were easy to make and so yummy. I don’t know if they sell those any more, but this collection of recipes makes it easy to make these kinds of meals at home.
Yes for sure!!