10 Types Of Sandwiches, Explained

Endlessly adaptable, satisfying, and easy to make, sandwiches are the go-to lunch for millions of Americans on the daily. They're the perfect portable solution if you're eating in the office or on the go, and with so many different filling options to choose from, it's easy to keep things interesting. Whether you prefer crafting a homemade stack, or grabbing lunch at your favorite cafe, the humble sandwich will always be a winning option.

But, the fillings aren't the only aspect to consider in the sandwich-making process. The type of bread you select is another major contributor to the final taste and texture of your creation, as is how you cut it, and whether you serve the sandwich hot or cold. There's the option to wrap the fillings rather than simply placing them between two slices, and while most sandwiches are served in the traditional closed face way, you can absolutely serve things tartine-style if preferred.

There's certainly more to sandwiches than whacking some ham and cheese between basic white bread, but we get it, sometimes it's simpler to stick with what you know. However, if your lunchtime routine is in need of a revamp, you're in the right place. Here are some of the many sandwich variants that showcase this classic staple's versatility, and it might just inspire you to level up your next packed lunch.

With its signature crisp texture and pleasing grill lines, the panini is a favorite for many. Like many other sandwiches, this Italian classic consists of two slices of bread and a selection of fillings. But, what sets it apart is the cooking method. These sandwiches are traditionally made in a panini press, which has two hot plates. With the assembled panini placed on the bottom plate, the top plate is pushed firmly on top, compressing the sandwich. This gives the bread a crisp, golden appearance, while creating those distinct grill lines. However, if you don't have a panini press on hand, you can also toast the sandwich using a grill pan instead. Placing a heavy pan on top of the panini as it cooks can help to compress it in the same way.

When it comes to the bread, Italian-style options such as ciabatta or focaccia work brilliantly. However, you can absolutely make things a little more rustic with sliced sourdough or a seeded country loaf. Fillings-wise, there are a vast array of options to choose from. Melting cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella are a fantastic choice, since they yield a wonderfully gooey, indulgent finish as the sandwich is heated. Deli meats are another popular choice, as are fresh sliced tomatoes and peppery arugula. Chicken and pear also make a deliciously elegant version, while the combination of broccoli, cheddar, and roasted garlic makes a perfect vegetarian-friendly lunch.

Hoagie is thought to have originated in Philadelphia during World War I. This was a time when a large community of Italian immigrants were working at the Hog Island dockyard, and their lunchtime meal of choice was a specific type of sandwich. First called hoggies, these sandwiches later took on the name hoagies, and they've been a favorite in the U.S. ever since. Today, you might also see these sandwiches referred to as a sub or a grinder.

A typical hoagie sandwich consists of a long, submarine-style roll, served with a generous assortment of fillings. These tend to include deli meats, cheese, salad, and dressings, with Italian ingredients like salami and provolone being especially popular. The bread, known as a hoagie roll, has a chewy crust and a pillowy texture in the middle, being robust enough to really pile in those fillings. The assembled stack is generally served cold, but you can always incorporate warm fillings and bake the sandwich for a more comforting finish. For example, this chicken Parmesan hoagie is a wonderfully hearty yet still perfectly portable meal.

These quintessentially British sandwiches are the ultimate teatime treat, with their neat appearance bringing heaps of aesthetic appeal. Tea sandwiches first became popular in the 19th century, when the concept of high tea or afternoon tea originated. Often associated with the upper-class, this selection of sweet and savory items would be served around four or five o'clock in the afternoon. Cakes, pastries, and of course, tea sandwiches, were presented on an elegant, tiered stand, and served alongside hot black tea. This remains a beloved tradition in the U.K., with many cafes and hotels still having afternoon tea offerings on the menu.

Tea sandwiches are usually crustless and cut into evenly sized fingers, triangles, or squares. This makes them smaller than your average sandwich, but the dainty look is all part of the experience. Making a batch of tea sandwiches is also the perfect opportunity to get creative with a range of different fillings. You average high tea might include crisp cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches (we love spicing them up with jarred chili peppers), those filled with a creamy egg-mayo salad, and perhaps thin slices of beef paired with peppery horseradish.

Wraps are a lighter way to enjoy the sandwich experience, where the fillings can really take center stage. The most common way to make one is grabbing a soft flour tortilla, and rolling it up with your favorite condiments, proteins, and salad ingredients. But, wraps can also be just as versatile as your typically closed face sandwich.

There are so many different approaches you can take here, whether you're in the mood for colorful roasted squash and red peppers, or an Italian-style chicken wrap filled with flavor-packed pesto and melty mozzarella. For a mouth-watering textural contrast, try whipping up a crunchwrap. Made popular by the fast food giant Taco Bell, these wraps feature a tortilla shell that's griddled to crispy perfection. Inside, you could go for the classic combo of ground beef, nacho cheese, iceberg lettuce, and tomato, or switch things up with spicy marinated shrimp. 

Lettuce wraps are another fun, low-carb option, ideal as a light meal or appetizer. Here, the traditional soft tortilla is swapped for crisp lettuce leaves, which work especially well alongside tuna, or filled with Thai-inspired ground chicken and enjoyed with a zesty lime dipping sauce.

Packed with bold Vietnamese flavors, banh mi feels like a pretty dramatic upgrade on your everyday sandwich. Typically served in a long, crusty baguette, this sandwich certainly doesn't skimp on fillings, providing an irresistible balance of textures thanks to its vibrant medley of savory ingredients.

Some of the most common fillings for a banh mi are Vietnamese cold cuts, such as pork loaf or brawn, pickled carrots, meat pate, and mayo. There's generally some fresh elements thrown in there, such as cucumber, cilantro, green onion, and chili peppers. And, a sprinkling of Maggi seasoning or a drizzle of soy sauce is an amazing way to amp up the umami goodness. You can also switch out sliced meat for chicken by dicing and pan-frying skinless, boneless thighs that have been marinated in sesame oil, honey, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Or, opt for hearty roast beef.

When assembling banh mi, you may want to scoop out some of the soft bread from the middle of the baguette to make room for fillings. Then, it's ready for spreading with mayo and pate, and piling with those delicious goodies.

When you're looking to impress guests or want to inject some fun into your lunchtime routine, pinwheel sandwiches are an excellent option. These are essentially tightly rolled wraps that have been sliced into smaller cross sections to reveal those tasty fillings, and there are countless ways to prepare them.

The key to an effective pinwheel sandwich is using a slightly sticky, spreadable condiment to cover the tortilla wrap, such as cream cheese, mayonnaise, or mustard. This acts as edible glue, keeping the tortillas securely wrapped and the fillings in place. You'll want to spread this almost over the entire wrap, but leave a slight gap at one end to allow some room for the fillings to move as you roll them up. Selecting a soft, pliable tortilla is also essential, to ensure there's no cracking or breakage.

For the fillings, it's best to thinly slice or finely dice the ingredients to make the rolling process easier. Try a simple combo of lettuce and ham or go for Italian-inspired pinwheels filled with sliced tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Turkey meat fits in beautifully too, as do strips of bacon, spinach, and roasted bell peppers. For a perfectly compact roll, try wrapping the rolled-up tortillas in plastic wrap and chilling them in the fridge for an hour before slicing. Cross sections of around one inch thickness are ideal here. 

Browse bakery windows on the streets of Paris, and it probably won't be long before you stumble across a pile of delightfully rustic baguettes. These sandwiches are the epitome of heartiness, with their chewy, crusty texture being a sturdy vehicle for a whole host of tempting fillings.

To achieve that irresistible texture, baguettes typically undergo a long fermentation process, before they're baked at a high temperature of around 480 F. A traditional baguette is made with just four ingredients. That's flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent, such as yeast or sourdough starter. The dough is hand-shaped and undergoes multiple rounds of proofing prior to baking.

Since the bread is so robust, you can fill a baguette in just about any way you fancy, but opting for one of the classic French filling combinations such as ham and butter in the famous jambon-beurre is always a great idea. Pairing ham with Emmental or Gruyere cheese is a popular choice, sometimes with a few lettuce leaves for a final dose of freshness. To build a flavorful meat-free sandwich, try adding sliced tomatoes and goat cheese, perhaps with a sprinkling of herbes de Provence and a handful of peppery arugula. Canned tuna is another fuss-free option, which tastes fantastic paired with a tangy vinaigrette, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and black olives.

Want to maximize your sandwich's surface area to make more room for fillings? Just prep it open-faced, or tartine-style. This is an incredibly popular way to enjoy the beloved filling (or topping) combo, with variants of this creation found in all corners of the world. 

In Denmark, the traditional smørrebrød sandwich is a staple. It begins with slices of Danish rye bread, aka rugbrød, which are topped with various ingredients such as marinated herring, shrimp, meatballs, cucumbers, radishes, and pickles. Creamy spreads such as mayo or sour cream work fantastically, and fresh herbs or microgreens are often added as a vibrant garnish. Since you don't need to enclose the fillings as you normally would, there's plenty of opportunity to pile each slice high and craft an elegant dish.

Sourdough is also an ideal base for an open-faced sandwich, especially when toasted to golden perfection. It works great with a mix of savory and sweet toppings. Combine prosciutto, sliced peaches, and feta cheese, or opt for smashed avocado with a drizzle of honey and pinch of red pepper flakes. Chopped hard-boiled eggs also make a fitting accompaniment, especially when paired with a dollop of creamy herbal yogurt and a scattering of fresh dill.

Filled pita breads are a light yet robust alternative to your typical sandwich, keeping the fillings snugly nestled inside that chewy, airy pocket of bread. With pitas, there's no need to worry about your fillings falling out the bottom of your sandwich as you take a bite (we've all been there), and their pliable texture means you can load them with wholesome goodies.

Pitas are especially well-suited to Mediterranean-style fillings, such as lemon-herb marinated chicken or mint-infused meatballs, roasted eggplant, tangy feta cheese, or fresh, crunchy salad veggies. A dollop of creamy tzatziki will go down a treat, too. Stuffing pitas with falafel is another great way to enjoy them. Pair the fried patties with juicy grape tomatoes, cucumber, pepperoncini, and nutty tahini for the ultimate plant-based bite. Or, bring together the bold flavors of Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine with these mint and mango lamb pitas. The ground lamb is first cooked with warming spices and aromatics, lamb stock, and tomato puree, before being spooned into pita breads with mint sauce and mango chutney.

Bored of bread? Well, it's perfectly acceptable to ditch it altogether. It might seem rogue, but this watermelon-based delight still very much fits into the sandwich category, with slices of the juicy fruit doing an excellent job of housing the savory fillings. The watermelon sandwich rose to fame on social media in 2024, with countless viral TikTok videos showing foodies all over the world whipping up their own versions. Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco even joined in on the trend, adding pickle slices to their creation.

To make a watermelon sandwich, start by slicing the melon into rounds, about the thickness of your average slice of bread. From the circles, you'll then cut out two equally sized rectangles. One of the most popular fillings for this vibrant base is feta cheese, which contrasts the sweetness of the fruit exceptionally well. The most effective way to incorporate this is slicing the block of cheese into a thin rectangle that's roughly the same size as the watermelon slices. Throw in some sliced red onions and a handful of arugula, and you've got a moreish medley of sweet, savory, and tart flavors.

Another delicious approach is to craft a Caprese-style watermelon sandwich. For this, you'll add slices of mozzarella cheese, along with fresh tomato and sprigs of basil. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic for a hint of richness and tang.