This Cuban Sandwich recipe is easy to make at home and has all the irresistible flavors of a classic Cubano. Think perfectly seasoned pork, smoky ham, gooey melted Swiss, tangy pickles, and a mustard spread that ties it all together.
If you’ve had the pleasure of eating a Cubano sandwich, I hope I have your attention. For those who have yet to experience this delicious flavor combination, you’ve just got to try it!
A Cuban sandwich, or Cubano, is all about simple ingredients coming together in the best possible way. It starts with soft Cuban bread layered with savory roasted pork, thin-sliced ham, melted Swiss cheese, tangy dill pickles, and a swipe of yellow mustard. Once it’s pressed and toasted, the bread turns golden and crisp while the inside becomes warm, melty, and incredibly flavorful.
We get strong Cubano cravings on a regular basis, so I had to come up with a way to satisfy them at home.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Cook once, eat twice: An easy and delicious way to use leftover Slow Cooker Cuban Pork.
- Restaurant quality: Authentic Cubano flavors made simple at home.
- Flexible cooking options: Cook them on the stove, with a panini press, or in the oven.
- Great for a crowd: Easy to make a big batch all at once for feeding a group.
Ingredient Notes
- Cuban pork: This recipe is a great way to make use of leftovers from my Slow Cooker Cuban Pork. A tender pork roast is slow cooked in a citrusy, garlicky mojo sauce, then shredded and lightly crisped. I’ve also been known to substitute my Southwestern Pork Tenderloin. It’s a less authentic choice, but it’s lean and absolutely delicious in a Cuban sandwich.
- Ham: Any thinly sliced deli ham you love will work well. Black Forest, honey, or smoked ham all add great depth of flavor.
- Swiss cheese: Sliced Swiss from the dairy or deli section of your store is perfect. It melts beautifully and balances the salty, tangy flavors in the sandwich.
- Cuban bread: You can find a loaf of Cuban bread at Cuban or Latin bakeries, and some grocery stores may carry it as well. It’s a white bread made with a bit of fat (traditionally lard) and sometimes a touch of sugar, baked into long loaves that are slightly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. If you can’t find Cuban bread, sliced Italian bread or French bread work very well as a substitute.
- Mustard spread: Yellow mustard is a must in traditional Cubanos, but I stray slightly with a sandwich spread made from equal parts yellow mustard and mayonnaise. For a more traditional Cuban sandwich, go with straight yellow mustard.
- Dill pickles chips: The classic choice for true Cubano flavor. They add the perfect tangy contrast to the rich pork, ham, and cheese.
There are several ways to cook Cubanos at home. I most often use the stovetop method shown below. Scroll down a bit further for the alternate cooking methods.
How to Make a Cuban Sandwich
- Spread softened butter over the outside of each piece of Cuban bread.
- Flip the bread over and spread the cut sides with the mustard-mayo mixture.
- Divide the shredded Cuban pork evenly between the bottom halves of the bread.
- Top the pork with slices of deli ham and Swiss cheese.
- Add dill pickle chips over the ham and cheese.
- Place the top halves of the bread on the sandwiches, buttered side facing out, and gently press together. Repeat the process to assemble all four sandwiches.
- Set the assembled sandwiches into a preheated cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
- Place a second heavy skillet on top to press them down.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown, toasted, and heated through.
To keep the sandwiches warm, place them on a foil lined baking sheet and transfer to a 200 degree F oven while you cook the second batch.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Panini Press – To cook them in a panini press, assemble the sandwiches as directed above, and heat up your press according to the manufacturer directions. Working in batches, press the sandwiches until well toasted and the cheese has melted, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Big Batch Oven Instructions – Have a group to feed? Use this method to cook a sheet pan full of sandwiches all at once. You should be able to fit about six sandwiches on a large rimmed baking sheet, depending on the size of your bread.
- Assemble the sandwiches as directed and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place a second baking sheet on top.
- Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 425 degree F oven and place an empty cast iron pan (or other heavy, oven-proof pan) on top of the top baking sheet, pressing down the sandwiches.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until toasted and the cheese has melted.
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Cuban Sandwich Recipe (Cubano)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 loaf Cuban bread, (about 10 ounces), cut into 4 sandwich portions
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 to 2½ cups Slow Cooker Cuban Pork, shredded and lightly crisped
- 4 slices deli ham, black forest, honey, smoked or your favorite variety
- 16 to 20 dill pickle chips, 4 to 5 per sandwich
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Combine the mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and set aside.
- Trim the ends of the Cuban bread (so you'll have straight cut ends), slice it into sandwich portions, and split each piece horizontally. Place the bread halves on a cutting board and spread the outside of each with softened butter (about 1 tablespoon per sandwich). Flip the bread over, butter-side down, and spread the cut sides with about 1 tablespoon of the mustard-mayo mixture.
- Working with 2 sandwiches at a time, divide half of the shredded Cuban pork evenly between the bottom halves of the bread, spreading it into an even layer. Top each with 1 or 2 slices of ham, 4 to 5 pickle chips, and 2 slices of Swiss cheese, offset as needed to fit. Place the top halves of the bread over the filling, butter side facing out. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet and set a second, heavy skillet over the top to weigh them down. Cast iron skillets work especially well for this method. Cook until nicely browned on both sides and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- To keep the sandwiches warm, place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and transfer to a 200 degree F oven while preparing the remaining sandwiches, adding each batch to the oven as it finishes cooking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published January 28, 2021. It has been udpated with new text and images.
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Dear Valerie: I am cuban-american, and I make cuban sandwish ALL the time.
Like you, I use mayonaisse and mustard, but the “real” cuban sandwich just requires : mustard, butter, spanish pork roast, swiss cheese, pickles and sweet serrano ham. When done, you can place it in a toaster oven, or better yet, in a cast iron pan with a little bit of butter, place something heavy on top, and turn until the bread is toasted. I strongly recommend if you can, to use cuban bread or bagettes. I do my shopping at Publix. Thank you!
Hi Nura. I’m so happy to see your comment! We don’t have Publix here and the closest bakery that sells Cuban bread is a good 40 minute drive. We have to make due with what we have, which is even more important these days. Since traditional Cubanos are pressed, I find the panini press a natural fit but yes, I’ve also done them pressed in a skillet and even in the oven (see the alternate directions). I know these are a bit non-traditional but they are an easy way to satisfy the craving at home 🙂