This Blackstone Cuban Sandwich is a fully loaded flavor experience, stuffed to mouthwatering perfection with savory ingredients, and elevated to the next level by the melty, toasty goodness that only your griddle can provide. Not only does this perfect handheld treat come together in just minutes, but it can also be customized to your taste preferences and hunger levels with a few simple hacks. Even better, with a short ingredient list, you’ll be sinking your teeth into this tasty creation in no time. This recipe is easy enough to make for a weekday lunch, but also makes a great dish for serving a hungry crowd.
Grilling sandwiches on your Blackstone is the easiest shortcut to making your sandwiches better. The steel griddle plate offers high temperatures cooking on an even heating surface that allows for large batches at once. And when cooked on the Blackstone, batters and pieces of bread develop a diner-style flavor that your regular indoor kitchen appliances simply cannot replicate. Blackstone pancakes and French toast are excellent examples of the griddle working its magic.
Reference this delicious recipe whenever the need for a hearty sandwich strikes, and be sure to check out the substitutions and variations section below for additional tips on how you can customize these Blackstone Cuban Sandwiches to make them uniquely your own.
Why you should try this recipe
- Filling and flavorful: This sandwich is completely satisfying. Every bite has a vibrant and hearty mix of flavors, from the tang of the mustard to the creaminess of the Swiss cheese, to the savory depth of the roasted pork.
- Easy to make: Even with its multiple elements, making a Cuban sandwich on the Blackstone is far from complicated. This entire recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes, saving you time while also offering up a restaurant-quality dish. The Blackstone provides a consistent heat that perfectly toasts the bread and warms the fillings, ensuring every bite is cooked to perfection.
Versatile: Cuban sandwiches generally have the same elements, but that doesn’t mean they have hard and fast rules. This recipe gives you plenty of opportunity to flex your creativity in crafting the perfect sandwich for your taste buds and dietary preferences.
Ingredients in a Blackstone Cuban Sandwich
- 2 16-ounce loaves of French bread- While Cuban bread is the traditional variety used for this type of sandwich, French bread is a suitable replacement that is very easy to find in your local grocery store.
- 8 slices Swiss cheese- Swiss is the go-to cheese for a flavorful Cuban sandwich. Its slightly pungent taste complements the savory pork, bringing balance to the dish. However, for a milder option, you can feel free to use sliced provolone instead.
- 4 sandwich-sliced pickles– Pickles offer a wonderfully vibrant, tangy flavor that goes well with the mustard in this recipe. The sandwich-sliced variety offers you the perfect size, but feel free to use whichever pickles you prefer.
- 1/2 pound roasted pork, shredded into bite-sized pieces: Mojo pork is traditionally used in Cuban sandwiches but you can use any shredded pork. For even more flavor and a mojo-style twist, saute your cooked pork with juice from 2 limes and 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced ham: For this ingredient, you’ll want to head to your grocery store’s deli counter to pick up the freshest, most flavorful ham they have to offer. Black forest ham is an excellent choice for Cuban sandwiches.
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard: Mustard provides a zingy contrast to the savory pork. It’s one of the foundational flavors of this recipe and it not only keeps the sandwich from becoming too dry, it also helps tie the rest of the ingredients together.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil: Olive oil is used to help the bread reach golden-brown perfection and retain moisture while it’s cooking.
Instructions for making Cuban Sandwiches on the Blackstone
1. Oil and preheat the Blackstone to low-medium heat.
2. Slice the French bread in half and generously spread the mustard on both inside halves.
3. Layer the sliced ham and shredded pork onto the bottom half of the French bread.
4. Top the shredded pork with Swiss cheese, slightly overlapping as needed.
5. Top the cheese with pickle slices.
6. Close the sandwich and brush the outer sides of the sandwich with olive oil.
7. Place the sandwich onto the Blackstone. Using a griddle press, press firmly onto the entire length of the sandwich, flattening the bread. Let cook for 3-4 minutes.
8. Flip the sandwich and press down on the other side. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
9. When done, the bread will be lightly toasted and the sandwich will be heated through. Slice and serve warm.
Variations and Substitutions
- Miami-Style Cuban: With one small addition, you can change this sandwich into a Miami Cuban and enhance the flavor profile even further. The only thing you need to do is add sliced salami.
- Pulled Chicken: If you’re looking for a lighter alternative to the shredded pork in this recipe, pulled chicken is a great, white meat replacement that can still be flavored with the same mojo pork seasonings. One easy way to achieve this is by buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding the meat off of the bone, then adding the seasonings to the chicken in a skillet.
- Added toppings: Make this sandwich your own by adding spicy ingredients like jalapeno or pepper jack cheese, tangy ingredients like pickled red onion, or creamy additions like chipotle mayo or avocado spread. The sandwich already comes fully loaded, but these additions really help you push it to its limit.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t skimp on the mustard: The mustard isn’t just a condiment in a Cuban sandwich; it’s a cornerstone flavor. Being generous with the mustard is key, because the bread will absorb some of it during the cooking process, and you want to ensure its flavor shines through.
- Keep the heat low: Starting with a lower heat setting than you think you need can yield better results for your Blackstone Cuban sandwich. If you start too hot, your bread will heat up too quickly, causing a burnt exterior while leaving the inside meats cold and the cheese unmelted. A lower heat allows the sandwich to warm through evenly until the bread reaches golden-brown perfection. You can gradually increase the heat as needed.
- Press for success: Using a heavy skillet or a griddle press on top of your sandwich while it cooks not only helps achieve that iconic crispy exterior but also ensures the ingredients meld together beautifully. The pressure from the press creates a compact, uniform sandwich where the flavors and textures combine perfectly. Remember to flip your sandwich halfway through cooking to ensure an even, golden crust on both sides.
Related Recipes
Blackstone Cuban Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 Blackstone Griddle
Ingredients
- 2 16-ounce loaves of French bread
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 4 sandwich sliced pickles
- 1/2 pound roasted pork, shredded into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 pound thinly sliced ham
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
- Oil and preheat the Blackstone to low-medium heat.
- Slice the French bread in half and generously spread the mustard on both inside halves.
- Layer on the sliced ham and shredded pork onto the bottom half of the French bread.
- Top the shredded pork with pickles.
- Top the pickles with cheese, slightly overlapping as needed.
- Close the sandwich and brush the outer sides of the sandwich with olive oil.
- Place the sandwich onto the Blackstone. Using a griddle press, press firmly onto the entire length of the sandwich, flattening the bread. Let cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip the sandwich and press down on the other side. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- When done, the bread will be lightly toasted and sandwich will be heated through. Slice and serve warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
