I Tried the Viral Chopped Italian Sandwich That Has 11 Million Views, and I Made It for Lunch and Dinner This Week

There have been a lot of out-of-the-box food trends circulating on TikTok over the years, and this surprising twist on a classic Italian sub is certainly one of them. Instead of layering the sandwich ingredients between two pieces of bread, this viral recipe calls for you to finely chop them up and scoop them into a sandwich. Chopped salads I can get on board with, but chopped sandwiches? They give me pause. But, with over millions of views on TikTok and each review more glowing than the next, I figured I had to give it a try. Here’s how to make the viral chopped Italian sandwich, and my thoughts on whether or not it lives up to the internet’s hype.

Get the recipe: Viral Chopped Italian Sandwich

While Eric from Big Eric’s BBQ is credited as the creator of the viral chopped Italian sandwich, I followed a popular recipe by Jordan Hanger from Ninjacue since his included measurements. For the most part, Hanger’s recipe uses all of the same ingredients as a standard Italian cold cut sub. Here’s how to make it:

• Chop the ingredients. Stack the lettuce, deli meats, cheese, tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onions in a pile on a large cutting board. Chop everything together until you have bite-sized pieces, like in a chopped salad. 
• Incorporate the wet ingredients and seasonings. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and mix until incorporated. 
• Assemble the sandwiches. Scoop up the mixture and divide among four hoagie rolls. 

The chopped Italian sandwich absolutely lives up to the hype. Since the ingredients are chopped together, you get all of the flavors in each bite, just like you do with a chopped salad. It’s also a bit easier to eat than a regular sandwich since there’s little risk of jeopardizing the sandwich’s structural integrity. There’s nothing more frustrating than taking a bite out of a sandwich, only to accidentally pull out an entire tomato slice or, even worse, half of the sandwich. That being said, this chopped sandwich is just as messy. So, be sure to bring extra napkins.

Even though I enjoyed this innovative take on a long-time classic, it’s hard to say whether or not I’ll be a true chopped sandwich convert. While delicious, the viral version does come with some extra dishes, and I’m not sure that outweighs the difference in taste. But, if I have the option to order a chopped sandwich while eating out, it would be a no-brainer!

• Don’t limit yourself. While I followed the recipe as-is, you could easily make it your own. Try a crusty bread like a sourdough or baguette instead of the hoagie, or swap out the provolone for pepper Jack, Swiss, or mozzarella. 
• If prepping ahead of time, hold off on the wet ingredients. I found this sandwich is best enjoyed immediately. Since it has so much moisture from the mayo, vinegar, and olive oil, it’s prone to getting soggy. If making ahead of time, chop up all of the ingredients and hold off on mixing the wet ingredients in until ready to serve. 
  
  Get the recipe: Viral Chopped Italian Sandwich