How To Build The Ultimate Spicy Italian Sub At Subway

Carnivores with craftsmanship dine at Subway — and chances are the chain's iconic spicy Italian sub is already on their radars. This zesty, savory combination of pepperoni and salami delivers subtle yet mouthwatering heat. But, with a little ordering know-how, it can do even more. A Reddit thread in r/subway shares fan tips for assembling the ultimate spicy Italian sub the next time you hit that window-paned assembly line. 

To do it, order the spicy Italian sub on Italian herb and cheese bread with pepper jack cheese, not toasted. Then, load it up with banana peppers, jalapeños, green bell peppers, red onion, black olives, tomato, pickles, and spinach. Finally, top it all with a generous drizzle of sweet onion sauce and another drizzle of hot/chili sauce. It may seem simple, but this transformative toppings hack will make your Subway sandwich taste 10X better. The sweet-pungent taste of the onion sauce cuts through the richness of all that spicy meat, instantly creating a balanced palate. If your specific Subway location doesn't have the hot/chili sauce, the poster recommends opting for regular mustard or honey mustard instead. 

Pro tip: To nail the perfect ratio of ingredients, ask for the spinach last. That way, your sandwich artist will have already stuffed the sub with a larger portion of peppers, onions, and tomatoes — the hallmark elements of any proper Italian sammy. Enthusiastic commenters on the post sound off, "I'm literally eating what you wrote since I was looking for spicy Italian sauce suggestions and this is amazing. Screenshotted it for future use."

Not only is this tricked-out sando a total flavor bomb, it also makes a fairly affordable fill-up for lunch on busy weekdays. At a Subway location in Chicago, a footlong spicy Italian sub with all of the toppings described above currently costs $11.59. This Italian sub upgrade isn't exclusive to Subway alone, either. These flavorful customizations can be applied to your order at any sub-style sandwich chain, from Jersey Mike's to Jimmy John's to your local sammy shop. Just ask for a salami and pepperoni sub topped with banana peppers, jalapeños, green bell peppers, red onion, black olives, tomato, pickles, spinach, and a drizzle of whatever sweet-savory sauce they happen to have in house.

Don't feel like ordering out? In another post, Subway fans swap their tried-and-true hacks for capturing the flavor profile of the chain's spicy Italian sub at home. Foodies suggest adding deli-sliced salami and pepperoni to a freshly baked cheesy bread roll from a bakery or grocery store. Others posit more elaborate epicurean ideas: According to one commenter, adding jarred sliced jalapeños, chipotle peppers (cut into chunks), mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper into a blender creates a condiment that yields a solid dupe for the flavor of Subway's beloved spicy Italian. Bonus points if you allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for a bit before slathering it on your sando, giving all of the dimensional flavors a chance to meld together and intensify.