Ever since I was a picky kid, Subway was one of the only fast food joints I could consistently get something I liked at. The customization makes it the ideal for anyone who doesn't have an adventurous palate to "have it their way". As an adult I'm the opposite of a picky eater, but still will randomly crave a turkey on Italian herb and cheese.
DIY Copycat Subway Recipes
As a kid, my go to order was a very bland turkey on Italian herb and cheese with grated cheese, iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise. Now that I'm a grownup (apparently) I'm less picky and try to get veggies into my diet when I eat out. My "adult" combo is turkey, shredded cheese, iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes and pickles on Italian herb bread with light mayonnaise, chipotle southwest or sweet onion sauce.
Jump to:
Can you BELIEVE that this sub is made 100% from scratch? Below, I have a full guide on how to make an exact replica of your favourite Subway sandwich at home.
The Copycat Components
For this meta-post, I focused on a few different elements to recreate:
- Italian Herb and Cheese Bread
- Chipotle Southwest Sauce
- Sweet Onion Sauce
- Mayonnaise (theirs is different, don't @ me)
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Vegetable Selection
- Baby Spinach
- Black Olives
- Cucumbers
- Green Peppers
- Lettuce
- Pickles
- Red Onions
- Tomatoes
- Pickled Banana Peppers
Subway Proteins
- Black Forest Ham
- Turkey Breast
- Cold Cut Combo
- Steak
- Italian BMT
- Meatballs
- Tuna
Other Sauces
- Honey Mustard
- Mustard
- Ranch
- Savory Caesar
- Barbecue
- Buffalo
- Creamy Italian
- Tzatziki
The Recreation
For this series, I knew that I couldn't recreate the entire menu, so I decided to focus on items that don't have good or accessible store-bought versions (at least in Canada).
All the vegetables (other than the pickled banana peppers) can easily be bought in stores. The proteins worth recreating are only sliced meats, which again, can be found in any deli. Personally, I find the "real" chicken almost inedible so I didn't want to spend my time recreating it.
All the sauces not specifically listed are either easy to find or are not unique enough to Subway to warrant a recipe trial.
It should be noted that the plain Italian bread is a favorite of many, but it can be made just by leaving the Italian Herb and Cheese bread un-topped.
The Recipes
Italian Herb and Cheese Bread
This bread is the G.O.A.T. Genuinely this is a spot on recreation (and it has a more accessible "close enough" recipe to boot! If you love Subway Italian Herb and Cheese Bread, you need this recipe.
If you want the classic Italian baguette, just leave out the "topping" section.
Chipotle Southwest Sauce
Chipotle Southwest Sauce is probably the second most popular condiment after mayonnaise. Find the secret recipe here.
Sweet Onion Sauce
Sweet Onion sauce is highly underrated in my opinion. If you love it, or if you haven't given it the time of day yet, you need to try the recipe for it here.
Subway Mayonnaise
After tons of research and trial and error, the perfect Subway mayonnaise copycat recipe has been created in the Maritime Glutton test kitchen.
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
My recipe for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies is the closest thing to Subway's I have ever tried. Forget paying $0.99 per cookie or $10 per dozen for crappy grocery store versions. Make your own (and make them better) in under 30 minutes.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Footlong Loaves
- 20 slices Deli Meat
- 12 slices Cheese
- Lettuce
- Vegetables
- 12 tablespoons Sauce
Instructions
- Cut your bread in half lengthwise, leaving it attached at the back. Open it and layer 5 slices of deli meat of choice along the bread. Top with 3 slices of cheese.
- In your oven, put the open sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and top with vegetables of choice - vegetable recommendations that Subway uses are in the body of the post.
- Top with 3 tablespoons of sauce per sub. Top with salt, pepper and oregeno, if desired. Serve immediately.
Pamela
I love Subway ❤️ So does my grandkids ?
Maritime Glutton
Thanks Pamela! I hope you love the recipes.
Rob Jones
Is there a recipe for the Subway vinaigrette salad dressing??
Maritime Glutton
Hi Rob! I don't have a recipe for that dressing as I don't believe we have it in Canada so I wouldn't be able to test. If you'd like I can shoot you an email after I do some research on the recipe!
Helen
please copycat the Subway vinaigrette salad dressing.
Maritime Glutton
Hi Helen! I've never tried it and have quit fast food for the 2021 year - I'll add it to the 2022 content 😉
Lindsey
I came here looking for the Cold Cut Combo. I don't need a lot of details about the sandwich but, I really want to know how they get the perfect amount of meat combination in there. I would also like to know about how much American cheese (and I get extra cheese too.) I honestly just want to eat the meat and cheese without having to pay for the entire sandwich.