After Shirley Garrier’s family left Vietnam and settled in France, her grandmother couldn’t find the ingredients to make a classic Vietnamese bánh mì. So she bought French sardines preserved in olive oil, which were cheap but very tasty. It was a revelation. Because sardines are a fatty fish, they balanced out the sourness of the pickled vegetables and the herbaceous cilantro. To this day, Garrier remains proud of the way this sandwich exemplifies her family’s cultural background. When she and her partner in life and business, Mathieu Zouhairi, were writing their cookbook, The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World, they knew this canned sardine banh mi recipe had to be in it.

Though store-bought bread will work well in this sandwich, nothing beats a fresh homemade baguette. Follow this dồ chua recipe to make the Vietnamese carrot-daikon pickle at home.

This recipe is adapted from The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired by the Flavors of the World by Shirley Garrier & Mathieu Zouhairi (Rizzoli New York; 2022).

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Chefs John Bates and Brandon Martinez of Austin, Texas’s now shuttered Noble Sandwich Co. added Sriracha to their beloved chunky pimento cheese, upping the spice factor and helping to offset the creaminess of the rich cheddar spread. We still like to slather it on everything, from sandwiches to Romaine spears. Here are our top picks for Sriracha sauces from the classic staples to regional recipes.

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.

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Gluten and dairy intolerances aside, it’s hard to argue with the comforting, oozy goodness of melted cheese between—or atop!—slices of crunchy, griddled, fried, or toasted bread. Here are some of our favorite grilled cheese recipes from around the world.

Croûte au Fromage

The type of cheese, bread, and wine used to assemble the most basic version of this common Swiss comfort food, which is effectively cheesy toast, can vary depending on which region you happen to be enjoying it in. Photographer Simon Bajada, who visited and interviewed several Alpine cheesemakers, uses a splash of Fendant—a crisp and mineral white wine from Valais—in his recipe, but feel free to swap in any dry white wine. Get the recipe >

Monte Cristo Sandwich

People have strong opinions about the Monte Cristo sandwich, a double-decker of Swiss cheese, ham, and chicken or turkey, which is battered, fried, dusted with confectioners sugar, and served with a side of tart red jelly. Some consider it a marvel; others, an absurdity. Divisiveness aside, this perfect Monte Cristo recipe is an impressive one. Get the recipe >

The Original Reuben Sandwich

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 we look for in this classic deli sandwich. Get the recipe >

Patty Melt

Some say that the patty melt—a griddled sandwich of ground beef, caramelized onions, cheese, and rye bread—isn’t technically a burger, because it has no bun. We love it just the same. Get the recipe >

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The secret to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is cooking it over low heat, which brings out the subtle flavors of a cheese. Nutty and complex Comté, made in the Jura region of the French Alps, is particularly well suited to grilling. Get the recipe >

Fully Loaded Turkish Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Kumru)

This specialty of Çesme, a small beach town in Turkey, is one of the world’s great grilled cheese sandwiches. The cheese itself is grilled before getting slipped into toasted bread with raw tomato and optional (but highly recommended) toppings of griddled sausage and pickled cucumbers and chiles. Get the recipe >

Croque Madame

The egg-topped counterpart to France’s ham-and-cheese-stuffed croque monsieur is worth the extra step. Get the recipe >

Tuna Melt Sandwich

The diner classic is easy to master with a few key ingredients—and a generous helping of cheese. Get the recipe >

Waffle Sandwiches with Cecina, Avocado, and Arugula

This all-day-appropriate sandwich was born out of the staff meal at Mokonuts in Paris. Crisp and airy leftover waffles are griddled around cecina (a smoky cured beef from Spain), melty cheese, arugula, and avocado. Get the recipe >

Medianoche Sandwich

A medianoche (literally “middle of the night”) is the kind of sandwich you eat after hours of partying in Miami’s Cuban dance clubs. With roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles, it’s almost identical to a Cuban sandwich, save for the sweet and eggy bread. Get the recipe >

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Canned tuna is an often overlooked, extremely versatile delight. If you prefer to use the water-packed version for this classic tuna melt recipe, drain off the liquid before mixing and increase the amount of mayonnaise called for to half a cup.

This recipe originally ran alongside Colman Andrews’ 2003 article, “Greater Tuna.”

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The secret to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is cooking it over low heat, which brings out the subtle flavors of a cheese. Nutty and complex Comté, made in the Jura region of the French Alps, is great for grilling; if you can’t find it, Gruyère is a suitable substitute. Slathering the bread liberally with butter helps the bread crisp evenly in the pan.

This recipe first ran alongside Cara De Silva’s 2009 article, “The Real Thing.”

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The croque monsieur, the classic French ham and cheese sandwich covered in silky béchamel, becomes a croque madame when a fried egg is placed on top. This croque madame recipe first appeared in our April 2011 Special Sandwich Issue alongside author Alexander Lobrano’s article “Classic Combination: Ham and Cheese.”

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People have strong opinions about the Monte Cristo sandwich, a double-decker of Swiss cheese, ham, and chicken or turkey, which is battered, fried, dusted with confectioners sugar, and served with a side of tart red jelly. Some consider it a marvel; others, an absurdity. Divisiveness aside, the perfect Monte Cristo recipe is an impressive one; the resulting sandwich is a stunning creation, requiring a knife and fork at the table. This recipe ran alongside Carolynn Carreño’s 1998 article, “Fried Nirvana?“

See all 150 classic recipes featured in our 150th issue »

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Legend has it that the sandwich was named after the fourth Earl of Sandwich, a British aristocrat who ordered his valet to serve him a slab of cold meat between two hunks of bread. Whatever he scarfed down in the 18th century at late-night card games was likely a far cry from our default lunch box meal—to say nothing of The Dagwood or Chicago’s famous Italian Beef. 

Whether the yarn is true or not, one thing is certain: the humble handheld meal spans cultures and continents: Mumbaikers have vada pav, Sicilians love pane ca meusa, street vendors in Seoul sell eggy gilgeori toast, the Greeks invented gyros, and the Vietnamese created bánh mì. Tokyo convenience stores stock cream-and-fruit milk bread sandos, while Mexicans have crispy pork tortas ahogadas, drowned in árbol chile sauce. Americans, of course, perfected the PB&J—and its Southern cousin stacked with bacon, banana, and mayo, named for Elvis Presley.

We won’t wade into the raging debate about why a hot dog qualifies as a sandwich, but we’ll happily provide these 21 recipes from our archive for the next time you crave something beyond a club or sub. But no worries, we included those, too.   

Gochujang Sloppy Joes with Kimchi

Inspired by a recipe from famed Boston restaurant Myers + Chang, the old-school sloppy Joe gets an umami boost with Korean gochujang, fish sauce, and soy. You can serve it with store-bought kimchi or make your own. Get the recipe >  

BBQ Pork Bánh Mì

If you like traditional bánh mì stuffed with pâté and pickled veggies, you’ll love this wilder reinterpretation with grilled pork (known as thịt xá xíu in Vietnamese). The shoulder meat is tenderized with a sweet, sticky marinade of soy, hoisin, and five spice powder. Get the recipe > 

Casamento’s Fried Oyster Loaf

This hoagie from famed New Orleans oyster house Casamento’s overflows with plump Louisiana bivalves crisped in hot lard. Purists order it on double-thick slices of buttered pan bread and chase it with a squeeze of lemon, but we also love it “dressed” with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Get the recipe >  

Beet Smørrebrød

Danes tuck into smørrebrød, or open-faced sandwiches, at cafes specializing in the nation’s most famous lunch dish. Traditional versions consist of buttered dark rye topped with everything from fresh veggies to pickled herring. Our recipe showcases tender yellow and chioggia (candy stripe) beets slicked with tarragon mayonnaise. Get the recipe > 

Roast Chicken Pan Bagnat with Olive Tapenade and Goat Cheese

This riff on the classic Provençal pan bagnat, or pressed sandwich, layers anchovy-caper tapenade, creamy goat cheese, and shredded rotisserie chicken. We love topping it with peppery arugula and crunchy cucumbers. Get the recipe > 

New Jersey Pork Roll Meatball Sub

In New Jersey, locals add Taylor ham, also known as pork roll, to their meatball hoagies. In this recipe, breaded beef-and-pork meatballs are smothered in a garlic-rich marinara that would leave Tony Soprano licking his fingers. Get the recipe >   

The Original Reuben Sandwich

Despite a heated argument about who created the corned beef-and-kraut marvel blanketed in Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, we’re intrigued by the possibility that the Reuben was named after a Nebraska cardsharp, rather than a New York deli. Get the recipe > 

Braaibroodjie (South African Grilled Cheese)

Hailing from Cape Town, braaibroodjie, or barbecue bread, is a melty grilled cheese brimming with grated cheddar, tomatoes, and onions. Its distinguishing ingredient is a tart fruit chutney beloved by South Africans. Get the recipe >  

Fried Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich

This recipe from Montreal’s Arthurs Nosh Bar is a kitchen-sink creation piled high with breaded chicken fillets, which are seasoned with local steak sauce and Israeli-style schug, or chile paste. Get the recipe >  

Kumru (Fully Loaded Turkish Grilled Cheese)

Kumru is a specialty of Çesme, a beach town on the Aegean Sea, where Turkish vendors grill gooey sheep’s milk cheese and stuff it into toasted rolls. Standard condiments include raw tomato, griddled sujuk sausage, and pickled peppers. Get the recipe > 

Mozzarella in Carozza

In Venice, cicchetti, or small bites, are the ultimate bar food. One such snack is this tiny fried cheese sandwich coated with bread crumbs, which we always order with a Venetian Spritz aperitivo. Get the recipe >  

Chivito (Uruguayan Steak Sandwich)

Uruguay’s signature sandwich, created in 1946 at a Punta del Este beach restaurant, is a cheesesteak riff topped with queso, boiled ham, and a fried egg. Our version stars hard-boiled eggs, but you can revert to the runny original, too. Get the recipe > 

New Jersey Pork Roll Breakfast Sandwich

Some people call this gloriously unpretentious grease bomb—filled with American cheese and Taylor ham—a hangover helper. We’ll let you decide, but please cook responsibly. Get the recipe >   

Crispy Pork Schnitzel Sandwich

This classic schnitzel recipe gets a Cajun makeover with pork loin cutlets dredged in Dijon mustard dressing. The finished sandwich is topped with Swiss cheese and briny capers. Get the recipe > 

Fried Oyster Po-Boy with Kale and Tartar Sauce

Kale? On a New Orleans po-boy? Hear us out: The tart, bitter green makes an excellent foil for the rich, deep-fried oysters. Get the recipe > 

The Best Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll

Every New England state has its own rendition of this seafood triumph, but on the Connecticut shoreline, melted butter and a pinch of paprika win over standard mayo and celery. Get the recipe >

Dino’s Hot Chicken Sandwich

In Nashville, fans argue about who makes the city’s best volcano-hot yardbird. While Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack claims the origin story, we also love this vinegar-brined rendition shared by beloved dive Dino’s Bar that comes with a side of cooling tartar sauce. Get the recipe > 

Chicken Katsu Sandwich

Japanese katsu sandos always include Kewpie mayonnaise, fruity Bull-Dog tonkatsu sauce, and shokupan (ultra-fluffy milk bread). For maximum daintiness, trim the fried chicken cutlets to match each crustless slice of bread. Get the recipe >     

Cioccolato e Pane (Chocolate Sandwich)

In Torino, the famed confetteria Caffe al Bicerin is known for its sweet pane tostato, a buttered pressed sandwich oozing gianduiotto, the local hazelnut-flavored chocolate. Get the recipe > 

Choripán (Grilled Chorizo Sandwich with Chimichurri)

Argentine street vendors hawk grilled sandwiches stuffed with smoky, lightly spicy beef-and-pork sausages. Here, we season chorizo with chimichurri, the herbaceous marinade that’s a go-to at South America’s illustrious asado (grill) restaurants. Get the recipe > 

Casse-Croûte Tunisien (Tunisian Tuna Sandwich)

This recipe, shared by Tunisian lunch counter Chez René et Gabin in Paris, marries French and North African flavors in a tuna-and-potato stuffed hero. Harrissa, the ubiquitous chile paste of the Maghreb, gives the sandwich a hot lick. Get the recipe >

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You’ll need both hands to eat this overstuffed tuna sandwich, lavished with fiery condiments and stacks of fixings, a North African take on a French pan bagnat. This recipe comes from Tunisian lunch counter Chez René et Gabin in Paris. This recipe first appeared in our November 2012 issue along with Jay Cheshes’s story Couscous Royale.

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Cape Town-based butcher Andy Fenner serves these cheesy sandwiches called braaibroodjie (“barbecue bread”) with beer. His 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.

Featured in: “The South African Art of Braai.”

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