Grinder Salad (Viral TikTok Recipe)

Grinder salad sandwiches are a viral TikTok recipe that live up to the hype. Thick, fluffy hoagie rolls full of your choice of meats and topped with a creamy, tangy salad full of all the best grinder toppings make a flavor bonanza you’ll love!

TikTok.

I have a love hate relationship with it.

My boys tease me and say I am too old for it.

But I say to them, “Look at all the delicious things I find on it!”

Things like TikTok Oreo Tower Cake or TikTok Boat Dip Recipe.

And now this grinder salad.

We’re talking all the best toppings for a hoagie tossed in one delicious creamy salad mixture.

You can eat it as is or use it as a topping for the best sandwich ever.

What is grinder salad?

This sandwich isn’t something TikTok came up with on it’s own.

The grinder sandwich has been around for ages and is a type of sandwich on an Italian style hoagie roll with a thick crust.

On the inside, the sandwich is filled with a variety of meats, cheese, and veggies.

They are similar to hoagies, heroes, or subs with the main difference being the thick, crusty bread that can be tough to chew, which is where it gets the name grinder.

Ingredients

For the salad itself, you’ll need:

• Mayo– Use real mayo not mayonnaise style dressing.
• Vinegar– Red wine vinegar gives this the most authentic grinder flavor.
• Spices– Salt, pepper, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano
• Veggies– Sliced pickled banana peppers, iceberg or romaine lettuce with the core removed and sliced, and a slice red onion
• Parmesan cheese– Freshly grated

For the sandwiches you’ll need:

• Hoagie rolls– Quality rolls are a must for this. I suggest thick but soft and fluffy hoagie rolls.
• Meats– We used a mixture of sliced hard salami, ham, and large pepperoni but you can mix and match and make it with your own preferred meats.
• Cheeses– We used a combination of provolone and havarti, but just like with the meats you can use whatever cheeses you’ll enjoy.
• Toppings– Thinly sliced tomatoes and any additional toppings you enjoy like extra onion, sliced green peppers, and thinly sliced black olives would all be good options.

How to Make

Let’s break this into two parts: making the grinder salad and assembling the sandwiches.

How to Make the Grinder Salad

To make the salad, add all of the ingredients except banana peppers, onion, and lettuce to large mixing bowl.

Then, whisk everything together until smooth and creamy.

Add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until everything is evenly combined.

Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the subs.

To Make the Sandwiches

Use a serrated bread knife to cut your hoagie rolls evenly in half lengthwise.

Then, lay the cut rolls out on a large sheet pan.

Layer on your cheeses on the top half of the bun, and layer your chosen meats on the bottom half.

Bake the prepared sandwiches at 350° for roughly 5 minutes, just until the cheeses have melted and the meat’s begun to crisp on the edges.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and let the sandwiches cool.

Top the meat with grinder salad, spreading it out evenly to coat.

Add the top half to close the sandwich.

Slice in half, and serve immediately.

Repeat until all sandwiches have been served.

Serve any additional grinder salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Can I make this ahead of time?

I don’t recommend making this ahead of time. 

It will turn into a soggy mess.

If you’re making for a party or potluck and want to expedite the process, you can prepare the veggies ahead of time and store them separately. Same with the dressing/sauce. Mix together just before you’re ready to serve.

Tips and Tricks

• This salad is ultra creamy, and also very runny. Serve these with plenty of napkins because they’re very likely to make a mess. If you want a fluffier, less juicy mix- use another head of lettuce, adding and mixing until it fits your desired mixture. 
• You may be tempted to skip the baking step, especially if you’re overly hungry but I highly recommend you go through with it. The melted cheese and lightly toasted meats are delicious and also create the perfect barrier for the grinder salad so you can enjoy your entire sub without the buns getting soggy.
• Don’t want a sandwich? This grinder salad can absolutely be made into a meal salad. Chop your meats & cheeses of choice into pieces and simply add them to the mixing bowl. You may want to double the lettuce so that it’s less juicy. Serve in bowls and dig in.
• The end result won’t look particularly pretty, in fact, my youngest son said it resembled lettuce soup- but it is so so good & 100 % worth it. Trust me!

Other Viral TikTok Recipes

These grinder salad sandwiches are the yummiest sandwich to come out of TikTok ever. Make them today and enjoy!

Looking for other viral TikTok recipes to try? Here are a few favorites:

• Loaded Buffalo Cheese Fries
• Ranch Seasoned Pickles
• Folded Quesadillas
• Smoked Cream Cheese
• Air Fryer Pasta Chips
• Dalgona Coffee Cocktail

If you’ve tried these GRINDER SALAD SANDWICHES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!