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My easy Cuban sandwich is stacked with tender pork, melty Swiss, tangy pickles (my favorite), and zesty mustard! Then it’s toasted in butter until perfectly crisp and golden.
A Reader’s Review
A thing of beauty, wow, love all of these ingredients. This is going on my calorie splurge list for the weekend, thank you!
– Sabrina
Reasons You’ll Be Obsessed With This Cubano!
- Super Tasty Layers: Savory pork, melty cheese, and zesty pickles come together in every bite to deliver serious mouthwatering flavor.
- Golden, Buttery Crunch: Toasted to perfection for an irresistibly crisp texture.
- Restaurant Quality at Home: No need to go out, this tastes like it came from a Tampa, Florida, sandwich shop.
Cuban Sandwich Ingredients
- Pork Time Saver: This recipe uses baked pork tenderloin. But you can use pre-cooked, shredded pork from the store to save time!
- Do you have to use Cuban bread? You can use any soft loaf to prepare this sandwich. If the bread is too hard, it won’t press easily when cooking it at the end.
How to Make A Cuban Sandwich
This Cuban sandwich is all about the layers! The most time-consuming part is cooking the pork tenderloin, though it’s mostly hands-off. Once that’s done, the assembly comes together quickly with simple ingredients and big flavor.
Prepare the Pork Tenderloin
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the pork tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet.
- Make the Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, dried oregano, and cumin, and pour over the pork.
- Cook: Fold the foil toward the tenderloin to keep the juices close to it and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145º Fahrenheit. Thinly slice the pork and set aside.
How to Assemble a Cuban Sandwich
- Add the Cheese: Slice each of the Cuban breads in half lengthwise. Assemble the sandwiches by adding HALF of the Swiss cheese to the bottom layer of each sliced loaf.
- Layer the Meat and Pickles: Top with the deli ham, cooked and sliced pork tenderloin, and then Crispy Onion Strings.
- Top With More Cheese and Mustard: Place the remaining cheese on top of the pickles. Spread yellow mustard on the top piece of bread and place the top slice of bread on the sandwich.
- Slice into Portions: Cut the assembled sandwiches into 4 pieces each, and you should have 8 sandwiches now. Melt the butter in a skillet or pan over medium heat, then add the sandwiches.
- Toast in a Skillet: Set a heavy skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, on top of the sandwiches to press them down. Once toasted, flip the sandwich and repeat.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: For the best texture, enjoy the Cubano sandwiches fresh. However, you can prepare the pork in advance and store it in the refrigerator along with the other components—just keep everything separate. When you’re ready to eat, simply assemble the sandwich.
- Storing Leftovers: If you have any leftover assembled sandwiches, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. After that, the bread tends to get too soggy.
Try Out More Sandwich Recipes!
Who doesn’t love a delicious sandwich? Whether it’s sliders for an appetizer or a hearty, flavor-filled sandwich for lunch, they are delicious any time of the day! Here are some more delicious ones that you MUST try!
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Cuban Sandwich (Cubano)
Pressed and golden with juicy pork, melty Swiss, and tangy pickles, this Cuban sandwich tastes like it came straight from your favorite deli!
Ingredients
Pork Tenderloin
- 1 pound pork tenderloin
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
Instructions
Pork Tenderloin
- Preheat the oven to 375º Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the 1 pound pork tenderloin on the prepared baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk the ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon cumin, and pour over the pork.
- Fold the foil toward the tenderloin to keep the juices close to it and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145º Fahrenheit. Thinly slice the meat and set aside.
Sandwich
- Slice each of the 2 loaves Cuban bread in half lengthwise. Open the bread to assemble the sandwiches.
- Assemble the sandwiches by adding HALF of the 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese to the bottom layer of each sliced loaf. Top with the 1 pound sliced deli ham, 1 pound cooked and sliced pork tenderloin, and 1 cup sliced dill pickles. Place the remaining cheese on top of the pickles. Spread ¼ cup mustard on the top piece of bread and place the top slice of bread on the sandwich.
- Cut the assembled sandwiches into 4 pieces each, you should have 8 sandwiches now.
- Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and set a heavy skillet, such as an iron skillet, on top of the sandwiches to press them down. Once toasted, flip the sandwich and repeat.
Video
Notes
If you have a panini press you can also use it to toast and press the sandwiches.
Updated May 8, 2025
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 37gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1077mgPotassium: 478mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 621IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 538mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
I good cuban sandwich is ALL about the Bread.
Having lived in Tampa back in the 60’s Ybor City Makes the Best Cuban, because of the Bread.
I made this recipe a couple months ago and loved it! My son had been asking for Cuban sandwiches. I had previously tried another one, but it was really labor intensive and yielded WAY too much shredded pork. This one? Was perfect! In fact, it’s back on the menu tonight. I don’t have a press or anything fancy, so what I did is just use a griddle and then, using a large plate, applied some pressure to the top to flatten it out. Worked fine. Appreciate the delicious and simple recipe.
Aimee, I’d like to share this recipe with a screen grab of a photo on my blog for a Cuban-inspired Super Bowl menu. Please let me know if that’s cool. Thanks!
If this makes 8 sandwiches, why do you cut it into 4 sections?
Because after grilling sandwiches in butter both sides you cut them in half again. 8 sandwiches..
The recipe calls for 2 loaves of bread, each loaf cut into 4 sections. 8 sections total for 8 sandwiches.
a thing of beauty, wow, love all of these ingredients. this is going on my calorie splurge list for the weekend, thank you!
Great recipes,Thanks for sharing it.