40 Sandwich Ideas That Will Make Lunchtime More Exciting

Like a Monte Cristo, only better. The parmesan crust is pure genius.

People flock to the Pollo Asado in Santa Fe for its mesquite-grilled chicken. The secret is the citrus and achiote seasoning, which co-owner Olivia Arizmendi learned from her sister in Mexico. They tuck the meat into telera rolls and add pickled onions, hot sauce, and shredded iceberg lettuce. We couldn’t resist adding mashed avocado. Achiote paste is available at well-stocked grocery stores and Latino markets.

These hearty pressed Italian sandwiches are weighted to compress the layers, but we’ve found that stuffing the filled ciabatta loaf into a pack to tote to the beach or on the trail also does the trick nicely. If you’re taking these sandwiches camping, fill and cut the loaf before you leave the car or camp, then wrap the loaf in foil followed by a large resealable plastic bag.

J. Kenji López-Alt, managing culinary director of SeriousEats.com and author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, adapted this sandwich from recipes by his colleague Daniel Gritzer. It’s an excellent way to use grilled-chicken leftovers. López-Alt chooses a soft, mild bun that lets the fillings shine and adds crunch with potato straws–an ingredient borrowed from cooks in Colombia, who put them on hot dogs (López-Alt’s wife is Colombian). Seed the chile if you’d like a milder sauce.

Sriracha and a drizzle of the ginger-soy marinade add even more complex flavor to this vegetarian sandwich.

Apple butter used as a spread makes these grilled turkey sandwiches special, and apple slices add a little crispness.

For the easiest prep and biggest hit of flavor, slather the meat with tangy pomegranate-molasses marinade ahead of time; ditto for the tahini dressing. Then it’s quick to grill! Slice the lamb, mix it with mint, pomegranate seeds, and the dressing, and set it out with lettuce and warm pita breads.

Bake the sandwiches for 10 to 14 minutes to melt the cheese and make all the flavors meld together.

The fish in these sandwiches have a Cajun kick.

Sunset reader Rebecca Jansen of Snohomish, Washington, won us over with this Mediterranean-inspired vegetable sandwich that cooks entirely on the grill.

These salty-sweet sandwiches are nicely sized for sharing, but you may wind up splurging and eating a whole one. A pie pan topped with cans of food makes a great improvised panini press.

Starting with smoked salmon, this bagel sandwich is layered with tasty ingredients—flavored cream cheese, capers, and purple onion. It’s a quick fix for a brown-bag lunch.

“My mom’s concept of egg salad is to incorporate as much herbs as possible,” says Avery Ruzicka of Manresa Bread about her family’s bright, fresh recipe. For hard-cooked eggs with tender whites and moist yolks, she brings them to a boil in a pan covered with 1 inch water, lets them stand off the heat 7 minutes, then sets them in a bowl of ice water.

Many of us associate souvlaki with roast lamb, but in the back alleys and on the roadsides of Greece, pork and chicken are actually more common. Charles Bililies, founder of Souvla restaurants in San Francisco, gave us this recipe for the quintessential Greek street food. It’s very much worth making at home, especially for a party. Most of it can be done ahead, the meat and pita cook in minutes, and it’s easy to serve. All you have to do is pile the hot skewers and the warm pita on platters, set out the toppings, and let everyone assemble their own sandwiches (or you can wrap them if you like, as directed below). Just make sure there are lots of napkins—souvlaki are deliciously drippy.

We’ve reimagined the classic crab Louis as a satisfying sandwich, swapping in sweet, tiny bay shrimp and piling the salad onto thick slices of toasted bread.

This much-loved sandwich is piled with grilled steak and homemade pico de gallo into sandwich rolls. The bean spread takes it to the next level—use Rancho Gordo dried beans, or for something quicker, use canned pintos or pinquitos (as well as store-bought salsa).

You may want to make extra, because leftovers are fantastic for lunch the next day.

Make the marmalade ahead so you can whip these babies out in just a few minutes. Leftover marmalade is terrific on pork chops and roast beef.

Watching the fish-tossing action at Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market can work up an appetite. Market Grill comes to the rescue with a juicy and napkin-worthy combo of wild-caught Alaskan fish, caramelized onions, and rosemary-lemon mayo tucked into a toasted baguette.

Toss shredded daikon and carrots with seasoned rice vinegar; season mayo with minced chipotle chile; and season hoisin with minced ginger and lemongrass. Layer into a baguette with sprigs of cilantro and super-flavorful tofu. Short skewers help hold the sandwich together.

Reader Tom Trapani, of Millbrae, California, likes to make this sandwich when fresh Dungeness crab is in season and less expensive. He also serves it on toasted French bread with a slice of tomato.

A four-bite version of the classic Mexican sandwich. We used flap meat, a thin steak that marinates and grills quickly.

Eggs for dinner? Yes, please–fancified with briny capers, fresh dill, and lemon zest. If you’re so inclined, layer in a few slices of crisp bacon.

This sandwich combines some very familiar Thanksgiving flavors (turkey and cranberry) with enough surprising ones (shallots and blue cheese).

This sandwich covers both sweet and savory cravings. The recipe is adapted from one in Cowgirl Creamery Cooks, by Cowgirl Creamery co-owners Sue Conley and Peggy Smith.

Pork shoulder has the double advantage of pairing well with both white and red wines, and being one of the cheaper cuts at the meat counter. Long-braised and roasted, it also delivers a huge amount of flavor. Serve these sandwiches with fresh cilantro sprigs and thinly sliced sweet onions (such as Maui) for each person to add to taste.

The ingredients for these fresh-tasting sandwiches will keep a few days in a backpack (stash the kale and avocados near the top so they don’t get crushed).

Bánh mì meets a crispy fish sandwich.

Combine two Indian classics—tandoori chicken and naan—in a flavorful sandwich topped with mint, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Look for the naan bread in Indian markets or in the bakery section of the grocery store.

Gochujang gives these sandwiches lots of pungent, spicy flavor.

The meatiness of sweet potatoes makes them perfect for sandwiches; salty feta and salsa verde add savoriness.

Store-bought or home-made, wraps work well as road food: Unlike sandwiches, they don’t leak their fillings out the sides.

Stretchy, mild fresh mozzarella is layered with briny olive tapenade to create a rich, savory sandwich. 

We love how spicy this sandwich is, but if you prefer less heat, cut back on the chipotle mayo and the green chiles.

Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, making them an intense foil for fresh mozzarella. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc or crisp Viognier blends in beautifully.

The inspiration for this sandwich? A classic pasta dish: orecchiette with pork sausage and broccoli rabe.

These sliders make for a fun, crowd-pleasing appetizer.

The classic Vietnamese sandwich has lots of variations, but our favorites, like this one inspired by the bánh mì at Lynda Sandwich in Westminster, California, combine a generous pile of fresh herbs and vegetables with a sauce that has plenty of personality.

The vegetables in these sandwiches don’t get soggy as they stand, and the flavors benefit from a little time together.

Hanger steak has all the flavor of skirt steak, but it’s more tender, which makes it better for sandwiches.