Italian Grinder Sandwiches are Italian hoagie rolls stuffed with an assortment of savory deli meats and cheeses and toasted in the oven, then topped with a tangy dressing, tomato, onion, and crunchy lettuce. Easy to make and even easier to eat, this classic submarine sandwich is great for a casual lunch or dinner.
We all know and love a good sub sandwich—a hefty hoagie roll piled high with cold cuts and tasty toppings. But a grinder sandwich takes things up a notch. What sets it apart? It’s typically toasted, loaded with a medley of Italian meats and cheeses, and crowned with a tangy, briny chopped grinder salad that brings the whole thing together. Warm, crusty, cheesy, and satisfying, these sandwiches are the ultimate cozy lunch, especially when the weather cools down. And the best part? They’re incredibly easy to make. I can usually have them ready in under 15 minutes (even faster if I prep the salad mix ahead of time!). There’s a reason this viral sandwich is all over social media—it’s the perfect combo of classic flavor, comfort, and convenience. Total win.
Key Ingredients For This Grinder Sandwich Recipe
- Bread. This may actually be the most important ingredient, in my opinion. The best bread for a grinder sandwich is a bit crisp on the outside but soft in the middle. I like to use hoagie rolls for this hearty sandwich, but you could easily use French bread, a crusty Italian loaf, or almost any other type of long sub-type loaf. If your bread seems a bit soft, an easy fix is to just pop the rolls in the oven for about 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees. This will make the outside the perfect amount of crispy and leave the inside pillowy soft, perfect for this Italian grinder!
- Deli Meats. Everyone has an opinion on which mix of deli meats creates the best sub sandwich. A nice mix of Italian meats is good here - be sure to use at least a couple that are somewhat salty, like a good salami. I used a mix of turkey and ham as the base, then topped these off with salami and prosciutto.
- Provolone Cheese. This is a must-have in my opinion, and is the most popular choice of cheese for grinder sandwiches. Provolone produces just the sort of melty cheese you want here and has a nice mild flavor that won’t cancel out the strong taste of the deli meats and your tangy slaw topping. If you don't have provolone on hand, feel free to sub it out with any other melty, mild cheese, like Swiss cheese or Colby Jack.
- Grinder Salad. This is a mixture of shredded lettuce (usually a crispy iceberg lettuce), tomatoes, red onion, banana peppers or chopped pepperoncini peppers, Italian Spices, vinegar, and olive oil. It gives the whole sandwich a nice tangy crunch!
How To Make The Italian Grinder Sandwich
Making a grinder sandwich is really all about layering. Here's how to make this classic sub:
- Prepare your bread. As I said above, a crusty on the outside, soft on the inside bread is the best for this Italian sandwich. If your bread is too soft on the outside, heat it in a 350-degree oven for about 2-3 minutes, then slice it in half lengthwise, and you should be good to go.
- Make your grinder salad. In a large bowl, add the shredded iceberg lettuce, the sliced onions, and the sliced banana peppers. Next, add the olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper, and mix it all together until it's well combined.
- Toast the cheesy bread. Spread a thin layer of mayo on the cut sides of the bread. Then top each side with the Provolone cheese and broil it in the oven on high for about 1-2 minutes. Watch this carefully - you want the cheese to be nice and melted, but not at all burnt. If it starts turning brown, take the subs out immediately.
- Layer on your meats - turkey, ham, salami, and prosciutto - on top of the melted cheese. I like to lay these out across the whole sub so that it makes a nice “hammock” or sling for the grinder salad. Add the tomato slices to the hoagie sandwich.
- Stuff the sandwiches with the grinder salad. Add the grinder salad in the middle of the grinder sub, fold the subs in half, and enjoy!
Tips For Success
- Prevent a soggy sub. A common pitfall of a grinder sandwich is that the grinder salad ingredients can sometimes be a bit too liquidy and can create a soggy sub, which no one wants. A couple of tips for this are to layer your meat and cheese across the whole sub, creating a sling or hammock for the grinder salad to nestle into. This creates a nice barrier between the grinder salad and the bread.
Additionally, use a slotted spoon to dish out the grinder salad onto your sub sandwich. Make sure the extra juices drain away before applying the salad to the sub sandwich. - Watch your cheese carefully as it’s melting, and do not let it burn or stay in the oven too long. I’ve been on the wrong end of “melted” cheese, and it will ruin your sub. Even just a couple of extra minutes under the broiler can blacken your cheese and turn your perfectly crisp bread into a crumbling, dry mess. Tread carefully here.
What To Serve With Grinder Salad Sandwiches
Grinder subs are a perfect casual lunch or dinner option and the serving options are really endless. Here are a few things I love serving with these grinder sandwiches.
- Homemade potato chips
- Tortilla chips
- Fries (these Carrot And Parsnip Fries are delish, or try my Louisiana Voodoo Fries for a really decadent treat!)
- A light salad. (This Chopped Zucchini Salad would be amazing with these subs.
- Roasted veggies
- Potato salad
- Creamy coleslaw
If you make this recipe for Grinder Salad Sandwiches, please let me know what you think in the comments, and tag me with a pic @frontrnagefed on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
More Awesome Sandwiches
- Weeknight Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches
- Hearty Mushroom Burgers With Garlicky Mayo
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps
- Avocado Toast With Egg
- The BEST Egg Salad Sandwich
Recipe
Italian Grinder Sandwich Recipe (Easy & Delicious!)
Ingredients
- 4 sandwich rolls hoagies or Italian sub rolls are preferred
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- ½ head iceberg lettuce thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup banana pepers chopped
- 1 tomato thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 large ham slices
- 4 large turkey slices
- 12 slices salami
- 8 slices prosciutto
Instructions
- Pick high-quality sub rolls - crusty on the outside and soft in the middle is ideal. If your rolls are soft, set the oven to 350 and bake for 2-3 minutes to achieve the crusty/soft combo.
- Make the grinder salad topping. Mix chopped iceberg lettuce (sliced into ribbons), sliced red onions, banana peppers, mayo, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian Seasoning, Salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Heat broiler to high.
- Slice sub rolls in half lengthwise. Spread cut sides of rolls with mayo, then apply cheese to the entire surface (2 slices per roll) and broil for 2 minutes on high until the cheese melts. (Be extra careful not to let the cheese burn in this step!
- Remove the subs from the oven and top the melted cheese with layers of ham, turkey, salami, prosciutto, and slices of tomato. Layer the meat so that it lies across the entire roll. This will allow you to use the meat as a hammock to hold the grinder salad mix.
- Add a generous helping of the grinder salad mixture to the middle of the sub, right in the middle.
- Fold subs in half (using a knife to “press” the mixture into the sandwich as you fold it makes this easier).
- Serve immediately!
Notes
- Don't let the grinder salad make your sandwich soggy. Layer the meat and cheese on the bread first to make a "sling" for the salad. Make sure the liquid drains well from the grinder salad, then stuff the grinder salad into the sub sandwich.
Nutrition
While you could make these Tiktok grinder salad sandwiches ahead of time, I don’t recommend it. They really don’t store too well because the grinder salad will eventually bleed onto your bread, making the bread a bit soggy. You also want your cheese to be nice and melty, which means you really have to heat the sandwiches just before serving. If you’re really looking to save some time, though, you could assemble the bread, cheese, and meats ahead of time and prepare your grinder salad on the side. Then you could heat the sandwich up (meat included) and just add your salad mix. Not quite the same, but it works in a pinch.
Absolutely! Italian deli meats are the classic choice, but feel free to use any variety of meats that you enjoy, whether it's a spicy capicola, pepperoni, or even roast beef. The great thing about this sandwich is that it's super customizable, so use what you like or what you have on hand.
Not at all! I love how toasting them makes the bread a bit crusty and allows the cheese to melt, but you could absolutely serve these cold if you prefer - no toasting required.
While the grinder sandwich became a TikTok sensation a few years back (remember the viral TikTok grinder sandwich phase?), this classic sandwich has been around for over a hundred years and likely originated in the northeast in New England.
Betty says
Had friends for lunch and served these grinders with caprese salad chips and pickles. Easy and delicious!
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks Betty! So glad you enjoyed them!
Tasha Louise says
Just like in Tik Tok! This is a really great easy summer meal.
Erin C. says
I have a family of 6 and my husband and kids loved this recipe. We had it with potato salad and chips and it was the perfect easy meal.
Sarah Jenkins says
Thanks so much for sharing! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Grinder sandwiches are a favorite dinner in our house!