A sandwich is the most flexible meal there is – five minutes or five hours, depending on how far you want to go. This list covers both ends of that.
There are 34 recipes here: wraps that take five minutes, grilled cheese with actual ideas behind it, chicken sandwiches including a Chick-fil-A copycat, proper burgers, subs, melts, and a couple of long projects like a 24-hour brined buffalo chicken sandwich.
Every recipe links through to the full method. The one piece of advice worth taking from this page is about bread – it is at the bottom, and it matters more than the filling.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
- Best overall: Chick Fil A Crispy Chicken Sandwich Copycat Recipe – 40 minutes, serves four, and closer to the original than it has any right to be.
- Fastest: Bell Pepper Sandwich Recipe – five minutes, eight ingredients.
- Fewest ingredients: Fluffernutter Tea Sandwiches Recipe – four ingredients and eight minutes.
- Best for a crowd: Cheddar Cheese Biscuit Lobster Sandwich Recipe – serves eight and it is the most extravagant thing here.
- Best burger: Double Decker French Onion Patty Melt Recipe – caramelised onions, two patties, and 44 minutes well spent.
Five Rules for a Better Sandwich
Toast the cut side of the bread. Even lightly. It creates a barrier that stops sauce and juice soaking through, which is the difference between a sandwich and a soggy handful.
Season the filling, not just the sauce. Sliced tomato in particular needs salt – unsalted tomato in a sandwich tastes of water.
Fat on both slices. Butter or mayonnaise on both sides, edge to edge. It seals the bread and carries flavour into every bite rather than just the middle.
Something acidic and something crunchy. Pickles, slaw, raw onion. Rich fillings need contrast, and this is what separates a good sandwich from a heavy one.
For burgers, do not press the patty. Pressing squeezes out the juice you are trying to keep. The only exception is a genuine smash burger, where you press once, hard, in the first ten seconds.
34 Best Sandwich and Burger Recipes
1. Bell Pepper Sandwich Recipe
Eight ingredients, five minutes. The fastest recipe on the page and barely a recipe at all. Useful to know about for the days when lunch is an afterthought.
Key ingredients: Bell pepper, Cream cheese, Avocado, Deli ham, Lettuce leaves, Black sesame seeds
Total time: 5 min | Ingredients: 8
2. Easy Sushi Style Lox Wrap Recipe
Nine ingredients, five minutes, no cooking. Smoked salmon rolled with rice and cucumber. Looks considerably more impressive than the effort involved.
Key ingredients: nori sheets, lox, avocado, onion, spreadable cream cheese, mini cucumbers
Total time: 5 min | Ingredients: 9 | Calories: 331 kcal
3. Fluffernutter Tea Sandwiches Recipe
Four ingredients, eight minutes. The shortest ingredient list here. Not lunch in any serious sense, and exactly right for a children’s party or an afternoon tea.
Key ingredients: white sandwich bread, creamy peanut butter, Marshmallow Fluff, Nutella hazelnut spread
💡 Cook’s tip: Marshmallow Fluff – avoid using hardened fluff; fresh ensures a smooth layer.
Total time: 8 min | Ingredients: 4
4. Chicken Caesar Wrap Recipe
Six ingredients, ten minutes, serves four. A genuinely good use for leftover roast chicken. Dress it just before rolling or the tortilla goes limp.
Key ingredients: flour tortillas, chicken, romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing
💡 Cook’s tip: Romaine lettuce – crisp romaine is ideal; avoid frozen or wilted lettuce for the best crunch.
Total time: 10 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 6
5. Gochujang Chickpea Salad Sandwich Recipe
Thirteen ingredients, ten minutes, serves three. Mashed chickpeas with gochujang instead of the usual mayonnaise. Cheap, meat-free and far more interesting than most sandwich fillings.
Key ingredients: chickpeas, gochujang, vegan mayo, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup
💡 Cook’s tip: You can also chill the filling slightly before serving if you prefer a cooler sandwich.
Total time: 10 min | Serves: 3 | Ingredients: 13
6. Chicken Caprese Panini Recipe
Seven ingredients, 15 minutes, serves six. Mozzarella, tomato and basil pressed with chicken. Salt the tomato before it goes in – unsalted tomato in a sandwich tastes of very little.
Key ingredients: butter, brioche bread, chicken, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, balsamic glaze
💡 Cook’s tip: Mozzarella cheese – slice it fresh for a creamy melt. Avoid pre-shredded for best texture.
Total time: 15 min | Serves: 6 | Ingredients: 7 | Calories: 616 kcal
7. Cucumber and Herb Tea Sandwiches Recipe
Nine ingredients, 15 minutes, serves four. Cut the crusts and slice the cucumber thin. Salt the cucumber and pat it dry first or the bread will be wet within twenty minutes.
Key ingredients: English cucumber, soft white bread, cream cheese, butter, dill, chives
💡 Cook’s tip: Make sure to cover the entire surface to create a moisture barrier.
Total time: 15 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 9 | Calories: 180 kcal
8. Best Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak Recipe
Eight ingredients, 20 minutes, serves two. Buffalo sauce and chicken thighs in a cheesesteak roll. Thighs rather than breast, which stay moist under the sauce.
Key ingredients: butter, sweet onion, chicken thighs, Salt and black pepper, buffalo sauce, provolone cheese
Total time: 20 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 8
9. Garlic Naan Grilled Cheese Recipe
Six ingredients, 20 minutes, serves two. Naan instead of bread, which crisps on the outside and stays chewy inside. A better grilled cheese base than sliced white by some distance.
Key ingredients: Naan bread, Garlic herb butter, Sharp cheddar cheese, Havarti cheese, Honey, Flaky sea salt
💡 Cook’s tip: I make sure everything is evenly combined so each bite tastes the same.
Total time: 20 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 6
10. Cheesy Garlic Chicken Wraps Recipe
Nine ingredients, 20 minutes. Garlic butter and melted cheese with chicken, wrapped and crisped in a dry pan. Fast, cheap and consistently popular.
Key ingredients: chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, onion powder, tortillas
💡 Cook’s tip: Tortillas – flour tortillas work best for pliability and toasting.
Total time: 20 min | Ingredients: 9
11. BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Recipe
Twelve ingredients, 25 minutes. Barbecue chicken and melted cheese between buttered bread. Cook it slowly on a medium pan – high heat burns the bread before the cheese melts.
Key ingredients: red onion, garlic, roasted chicken, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce
💡 Cook’s tip: Choose bread that can hold up to the filling without getting soggy.
Total time: 25 min | Ingredients: 12
12. Chicken Pesto Sandwich Recipe
Five ingredients, 25 minutes, serves two. Pesto does the entire job of a sauce and a seasoning. One of the shortest ingredient lists here and a reliable weekday lunch.
Key ingredients: Pesto chicken, mozzarella cheese, Roasted red peppers, Pesto sauce
💡 Cook’s tip: Pesto chicken – use chicken breasts marinated in pesto for the best flavor. Pre-cooked chicken works in a pinch.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 5 | Calories: 420 kcal
13. Blackened Salmon Sandwich Cajun Recipe
Nine ingredients, 25 minutes, serves four. Cajun-blackened salmon with avocado and mayonnaise. Blackening needs a genuinely hot pan and an open window, and it is worth both.
Key ingredients: salmon fillet, Cajun seasoning, whole-wheat rolls or buns, avocado, mayonnaise, arugula
💡 Cook’s tip: Let the salmon sit at room temperature for a few minutes before cooking.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 9 | Calories: 398 kcal
14. Chicken Cheese Steak Sandwiches Recipe
Twelve ingredients, 25 minutes. Peppers, onions and melted cheese with sliced chicken. Cheaper than the beef version and quicker, since chicken cooks in minutes.
Key ingredients: hoagie rolls, butter, garlic powder, yellow onion, green bell pepper, mild provolone cheese
💡 Cook’s tip: Hoagie rolls – a sturdy, bakery-style roll holds the filling without getting soggy.
Total time: 25 min | Ingredients: 12
15. Crispy Dill Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Seventeen ingredients, 25 minutes, serves two. Dill and pickle brine against fried chicken, which is the flavour combination the big chains built an empire on.
Key ingredients: Dill Pickle Ranch Sauce, ranch seasoning mix, Greek yogurt or sour cream, pickle juice, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, chicken breast
💡 Cook’s tip: Sandwich buns – choose sturdy buns that hold up to the fillings.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 17 | Calories: 520 kcal
16. Chopped Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Nine ingredients, 25 minutes, serves one. The New York bodega sandwich – beef chopped on the griddle with onions and melted cheese. Straightforward and enormously satisfying.
Key ingredients: ground beef, hoagie roll, American cheese, onion, bell pepper, ketchup
💡 Cook’s tip: Hoagie roll – look for a roll that’s soft on the inside with a slightly firm crust that will hold up to the filling without getting soggy.
Total time: 25 min | Serves: 1 | Ingredients: 9 | Calories: 650 kcal
17. Creamy Chicken Avocado Melt Sandwich Recipe
Eleven ingredients, 30 minutes, serves two. Avocado and melted cheese with chicken. Add the avocado after grilling rather than before – heat turns it bitter and grey.
Key ingredients: chicken breasts, Salt and pepper to taste, avocado, cheese, bread, mayonnaise
💡 Cook’s tip: This adds moisture, flavor, and a barrier to prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
Total time: 30 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 11 | Calories: 512 kcal
18. Chicken Parmesan Sub Sandwiches Recipe
Twelve ingredients, 30 minutes. Breaded chicken, marinara and mozzarella in a sub roll. Toast the roll first so it survives the sauce – this is the recipe where that matters most.
Key ingredients: marinara sauce, chicken breasts, yellow onion, garlic cloves, provolone or mozzarella cheese, French or sub rolls
💡 Cook’s tip: Marinara sauce – I chose a good quality jarred sauce with herbs; avoid watery or barely seasoned sauces.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 12
19. Gourmet Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Thirteen ingredients, 30 minutes. Chicken salad with proper texture and seasoning rather than chicken suspended in mayonnaise. Better after an hour in the fridge.
Key ingredients: chicken breast, chicken stock, garlic paste, ginger paste, Salt and black pepper, yogurt
💡 Cook’s tip: Salt and black pepper – proper seasoning is key to bringing all flavors together.
Total time: 30 min | Ingredients: 13
20. Cottage Cheese Wraps Recipe
Four ingredients, 40 minutes. Cottage cheese blended into a high-protein wrap that you bake yourself. Odd on paper, and it works – one of the more genuinely useful ideas here.
Key ingredients: Cottage Cheese, Eggs, Accents
💡 Cook’s tip: Avoid over-processing, or the texture can become too thin.
Total time: 40 min | Ingredients: 4 | Calories: 250 kcal
21. Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe
Fourteen ingredients, 40 minutes, serves four. The full version with the chicken breaded and fried properly. Considerably better than the sub version and correspondingly more work.
Key ingredients: chicken breasts, all-purpose flour, egg , Italian-style or panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 14 | Calories: 500 kcal
22. Chick Fil A Crispy Chicken Sandwich Copycat Recipe
Twenty-four ingredients, 40 minutes, serves four. The pickle brine is the whole secret – it seasons the chicken all the way through and tenderises it. Do not skip that step.
Key ingredients: chicken breast halves, pickle juice, milk, egg, Oil for frying, hamburger buns
💡 Cook’s tip: Don’t skip this part – it’s key to recreating the original taste.
Total time: 40 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 24
23. Double Decker French Onion Patty Melt Recipe
Eighteen ingredients, 44 minutes, serves four. Two patties, caramelised onions and Swiss on griddled rye. The best burger on this list and worth every one of those 44 minutes.
Key ingredients: butter, yellow onions, ground beef, ketchup, garlic powder, Gruyere cheese
Total time: 44 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 18 | Calories: 1520 kcal
24. French Onion Soup Burgers Recipe
Thirteen ingredients, 45 minutes, serves four. French onion soup flavours built into a burger. Do not press the patties while they cook – that squeezes out exactly what you want to keep.
Key ingredients: onions, sugar, balsamic vinegar, ground beef, Salt and black pepper, Gruyère cheese
💡 Cook’s tip: Brioche buns – slightly sweet buns that hold up well with juicy patties.
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 13 | Calories: 690 kcal
25. Crispy Cauliflower Pita Sandwiches Recipe
Sixteen ingredients, 45 minutes, serves four. Roasted cauliflower in pita with sauce and pickles. The best meat-free sandwich here, and substantial enough to be dinner.
Key ingredients: cauliflower, whole-wheat pita pockets, all-purpose flour, fine cornmeal, smoked paprika, garlic powder
💡 Cook’s tip: Whole-wheat pita pockets – whole-wheat adds fiber and prevents a soggy texture.
Total time: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 16
26. Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Sixteen ingredients, 50 minutes, serves two. Lettuce instead of bread, which sounds like a compromise and works because the filling is properly seasoned rather than bland.
Key ingredients: water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, reduced-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil
💡 Cook’s tip: I use thighs because they stay tender and juicy, but you can use ground chicken breast if you prefer a leaner version.
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 16
27. Cheddar Cheese Biscuit Lobster Sandwich Recipe
Fourteen ingredients, 50 minutes, serves eight. Lobster on homemade cheddar biscuits. The most extravagant thing on this page and the one to make when the occasion justifies it.
Key ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, shortening, butter
Total time: 50 min | Serves: 8 | Ingredients: 14
28. French Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
Eleven ingredients, an hour. Caramelised onions and Gruyere between buttered bread. The onions take forty minutes and there is no shortcut – that time is the recipe.
Key ingredients: red, A generous pinch of kosher salt, cracked black pepper, thyme, sherry cooking wine, hearty or rustic bread
Total time: 60 min | Ingredients: 11
29. Chicken Parm Sandwiches With Spicy Marinara, Burrata, Caramelized Onions, and Chimichurri Recipe
Fourteen ingredients, 65 minutes. Burrata, chimichurri and caramelised onions on a chicken parm sandwich. Excessive in the best way, and a genuinely restaurant-quality result.
Key ingredients: onions, butter, chicken stock, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, sub rolls, chicken cutlets
💡 Cook’s tip: Sub rolls – choose sturdy rolls that can hold all the toppings without getting soggy.
Total time: 65 min | Ingredients: 14
30. Buttermilk Fried Crispy Chicken Burger Recipe
Seventeen ingredients, 76 minutes, serves two. Buttermilk-brined and fried properly. Let the coated chicken rest ten minutes before frying so the crust adheres instead of sliding off.
Key ingredients: all-purpose flour, thyme, mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika
💡 Cook’s tip: Seasoning is key – this enhances all the other flavors.
Total time: 76 min | Serves: 2 | Ingredients: 17 | Calories: 600 kcal
31. Easy Tomato Soup With Grilled Cheese Recipe
Sixteen ingredients, 80 minutes. The whole meal rather than half of it. Making the soup properly from scratch is what justifies the time, and it freezes well in portions.
Key ingredients: Tomatoes, Balsamic vinegar, Sugar, Red onions, Garlic, basil leaves
Total time: 80 min | Ingredients: 16
32. Chick Fil A Grilled Chicken Club Recipe
Fifteen ingredients and four and a half hours, most of it marinating. The grilled rather than fried copycat, and the long marinade is what gets the flavour all the way through.
Key ingredients: chicken breasts, dill pickle juice, milk, powdered sugar, garlic powder, onion powder
💡 Cook’s tip: You can use a store-bought version if you prefer.
Total time: 270 min | Ingredients: 15
33. Extra Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Twenty-four ingredients and four and a half hours, serves four. A long brine and a double dredge. The most involved sandwich here and the crispiest by a clear margin.
Key ingredients: chicken breasts, buttermilk, Hot sauce, brioche burger buns, Spring mix or crisp lettuce, all-purpose flour
💡 Cook’s tip: Let it marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight for best results.
Total time: 275 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 24
34. Cheeseburger Egg Rolls Recipe
Sixteen ingredients, 30 minutes, serves four. Cheeseburger filling wrapped and fried, which solves the structural problem of a burger permanently. Seal the edges properly.
Key ingredients: Ground beef, Cheddar cheese, Pickles, Onion, Ketchup, Yellow mustard
💡 Cook’s tip: Pickles – cup chopped adds tang and crunch, dill pickles work best.
Total time: 30 min | Serves: 4 | Ingredients: 16 | Calories: 200 kcal
On bread: it is half the sandwich and it is where most people economise. A crisp roll for anything wet, sturdy sourdough for grilled cheese, soft brioche for burgers where you want the bun to compress. Toast the cut side of anything that will meet a sauce.
On making them ahead: cold sandwiches for lunchboxes hold up if you keep the wet ingredients separate – lettuce and tomato in a separate bag, added at the last minute, or a barrier of butter or cheese between the bread and anything juicy. Hot sandwiches do not travel and should not be attempted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop my sandwich from going soggy?
Create a barrier between the bread and anything wet. Butter or mayonnaise spread edge to edge does this, as does a slice of cheese or lettuce. Toasting the cut side helps considerably.
And salt and drain wet ingredients – sliced tomato and cucumber both release a surprising amount of water, and salting them for ten minutes then patting dry removes most of it.
What is the best cheese for grilled cheese?
A blend. A good melting cheese like young cheddar, Gruyere or Monterey Jack for texture, plus something with more flavour.
Grate it rather than slicing – grated cheese melts faster and more evenly, so the bread does not burn while you wait. Avoid pre-grated bagged cheese, which is coated in starch that stops it melting smoothly.
How do I keep burger patties from shrinking and doming?
Press a shallow dimple into the centre of each raw patty with your thumb. As the meat cooks it contracts and pushes the middle up, and the dimple compensates.
Use 80/20 ground beef, handle it as little as possible when shaping, and never press the patty down in the pan – that just forces out the fat and juice.
Why is my fried chicken sandwich coating falling off?
Usually because it went into the oil too soon. After dredging, let the coated chicken rest on a rack for ten to fifteen minutes so the coating hydrates and adheres.
Make sure the chicken surface is not wet before the first dredge, and do not move the pieces for the first two minutes in the oil – the crust needs to set before it can be disturbed.
Can I make sandwiches ahead for lunches?
Yes, with care. Keep wet components separate and assemble on the day, or build a barrier with fat or cheese. Fillings like chicken salad and chickpea salad actually improve overnight.
Anything fried, grilled or toasted should be made fresh – reheated fried chicken in a sandwich is never worth it.