Food

Our 50 Best Sandwiches from Around the World

From the New Orleans oyster loaf to Vietnam’s banh mi, our best sandwich recipes showcase a world of innovation between two slices of bread.

By SAVEUR Editors

Updated: April 30, 2020

The best sandwiches don’t happen by accident: You’ve got to balance moisture and crunch, weigh condiments against main components, choose bread that will make each element shine, then construct it all so that every bite delivers something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Whether stuffed with meat, eggs, cheese, or vegetables, the sandwich transcends borders, uniting cultures, peoples, and cuisines. Take, for example, Cuba’s medianoche sandwich with roast pork, ham, and Swiss cheese on a sweet egg loaf, and Vietnam’s banh mi with Chinese-style barbecue pork, fresh cucumbers, and mayo on French bread.The South’s pimento cheese, and Turkey’s kumru, a briny grilled cheese with sucuk sausage, spicy pickles, and tomatoes on a sesame roll. The world’s best sandwiches have much in common.

Chief among their shared traits? Ease. Even the most “gourmet” sandwiches remain grab-and-go food, and infinitely adaptable. Need a few new ideas for sandwiches? We’ve sliced our list of favorites down to the 50 essential sandwich recipes to try now. Feel free to follow the rules, or break them as your preference, pocketbook, and pantry allow. Your lunch (and breakfast) game will never be the same.

An oyster loaf served unadorned, the way Joe Casamento insisted it should be. Get the recipe for Casamento's Fried Oyster Loaf Sandwich »Denny Culbert

The pâté and cold-cut combo might be the best-known banh mi, but it's not your only option. Get the recipe for Classic Sausage and Pâté Banh Mi »Zachary Zavislak

Beets, Shallots, Tarragon Smorrebrod, Copenhagen — Tarragon and yellow beets give this Danish open-face sandwich its unique flavor. Get the recipe for Beet Smorrebrod »Marcus Nilsson

Gooey cheese, salty cured meat, and avocado are pressed between crispy waffles at a modern café in Paris. Get the recipe for Waffle Sandwiches with Cecina, Avocado, and Arugula »Joann Pai

This hearty twist on the classic Provençal pressed sandwich pan bagnat combines black olive tapenade, goat cheese, roasted chicken, and thinly sliced vegetables. Make it at least two to three hours before you plan to serve it to really let the flavors marry. Get the recipe for Roast Chicken Pan Bagnat with Olive Tapenade and Goat Cheese »Matt Taylor-Gross

A riot of colors and flavors, this banh mi pairs smoky grilled chicken with creamy, cooling avocado. Get the recipe for Grilled Chicken and Avocado Banh Mi »Zachary Zavislak

A classic Danish open-face rye sandwich recipe. Get the recipe for Smørrebrød of Eggs, Shrimp, and Dill »Marcus Nilsson

Cherry tomatoes are tossed with canned sardines here, along with fresh oregano, olives, capers, and a red wine vinaigrette. The whole thing is layered with thin slices of heirloom tomato between slabs of focaccia. Get the recipe for Canned Sardine, Tomato, and Caper Sandwiches »Kyle Johnson

Get the recipe for Chinese BBQ Pork Banh Mi »Zachary Zavislak

Pork Roll Meatball Sandwich — Two great New Jersey tastes that taste great together: juicy meatballs fortified with New Jersey pork roll (a.k.a. Taylor ham). Get the recipe for New Jersey Pork Roll Meatball Sub »Matt Taylor-Gross

Smorrebrod, Copenhagen, Gravlax, Kale, Apples — Gravlax—cured, unsmoked salmon—meets crispy fruit and vegetable nubbins in this open-face sandwich. Get the recipe for Salmon Gravlax, Apple, and Crispy Kale Smorrebrod »Marcus Nilsson

This sandwich is Mile End Deli's Eli Sussman's fun take on the fried chicken classic; the horseradish cream offsets the bitterness of the radicchio and the richness of the schnitzel nicely. Get the recipe for Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich with Horseradish Cream and Radicchio »Farideh Sadeghin

Open Faced Rye, Poached Red Snapper, Pickled Radish, and Salsa Verde Sandwich, Tasmania — For this open-faced sandwich at Betsey Cafe, chef David Moyle uses the fish bones to make a flavorful stock, which is then used for poaching the fillets. Get the recipe for Open-Faced Rye, Poached Red Snapper, Pickled Radish, and Salsa Verde Sandwich »James Fisher

Braised beef sandwich — Beloved throughout modern trattorias and osterias in Rome, this simple, rustic dish of shredded beef braised in tomatoes and onions make a great stew and a fantastic sandwich filling. Get the recipe for Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Onion (Picchiapò) »Matt Taylor-Gross

In this classic Roman sandwich, thin strips of calf's liver are seared, then mixed with sweet caramelized onions and tomatoes and piled on toasted ciabatta rolls. Get the ready for Calf's Liver, Caramelized Onion, and Tomato Sandwiches »Andrea Wyner

Crusty bread sops up creamy burrata and juicy marinated tomatoes in this pleasantly messy sandwich. Get the recipe for Burrata and Marinated Cherry Tomato Sandwiches »Michelle Heimerman

Fatty homemade porchetta is balanced out by a bright, briny salsa and soft marinated onions in this flavorful sandwich. Get the recipe for Porchetta Sandwiches with Marinated Onions and Salsa Verde »Michelle Heimerman

This crusty sandwich only calls for a handful of ingredients—pecorino, parsley, and anchovy—but has big flavors. Get the recipe for Pecorino, Parsley, and Anchovy Sandwiches »Michelle Heimerman

This open-faced sandwich was created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by chef Fred K. Schmidt, who was looking for a unique midnight snack to serve to all the revelers dancing in the ballroom until the wee hours. The classic is slightly updated with the use of sweeter cherry tomatoes instead of large tomato wedges. Get the recipe for Classic Louisville Hot Brown Sandwich »Matt Taylor-Gross

reuben — Pressing down on this sandwich with a spatula while it toasts in the pan is the key to achieving the outer crispness and well-melted cheese that you want in a Reuben. Pile the meat on generously but not more than an inch or two thick or else the interior won't get sufficiently warmed. Get the recipe for The Schimmel Reuben Sandwich »Matt Taylor-Gross

"You won't find a more authentic braai dish than this," says butcher Andy Fenner, who feeds guests these cheesy sandwiches when they crack their first beers. Braaibroodjie translates to "barbecue bread," and this version stacks slices with cheddar, tomato, onions, and chutney before grilling. The chutney is key: Mrs. Ball's, an iconic brand in South Africa, is made from dried fruits and vinegar, but any sweet and sour chutney will do. Get the recipe for Braaibroodjie (South African Grilled Cheese) »Crookes and Jackson

The Ultimate Fried Chicken Sandwich

Raegan Steinberg, co-owner of Arthur’s Nosh Bar in Montreal’s hip Saint-Henri neighborhood, calls her partner chef Alex Cohen an “everything and the kitchen sink kind of cook.” Called the McArthur Sandwich, this high-piled schnitzel-filled creation adapted from the restaurant is the perfect example of his genius. Pounded and breaded chicken is topped with sweet honey, salty dill pickles, and vinegar-y iceberg slaw, then served upon crispy challah toast. The secret to the crunchy yet hearty schnitzel breading: instant mashed potato flakes mixed into the breadcrumbs. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Fried Chicken Sandwich »