Why A Simple Sandwich Recipe Is Going Viral On TikTok

Do you remember Dalgona coffee? What about baked feta pasta? If so, then you've probably been on TikTok, where these food trends basically took over everyone's FYP for weeks when they first became popular. Now, there's a new tasty trend going around the social media video app, and this time, the food in question is a simple sandwich with a craveable, crunchy veggie filling.

There's a lot that goes into making a great sandwich. Sometimes, it's the bread — a bánh mì needs a soft and squishy Vietnamese-style baguette in order to work — and sometimes, it's the filling: a steak and cheese sandwich just wouldn't be the same without, well, steak and cheese. But in the viral grinder salad sandwich taking over TikTok, the most important component is the veggies. More specifically, a crunchy, tangy, and creamy blend of shredded iceberg lettuce, red onions, pickled peppers, and homemade dressing. The original grinder salad sandwich recipe was shared by TikToker OhHeyImGray, and now the hashtag "#grindersalad" has more than 14.7 million views on the platform. So what's the big deal?

To understand the flavors of this viral sandwich, you need to know what a grinder is. Some people call them hoagies, heros, or dagwoods, but they're all basically Italian subs. And one thing the best Italian subs all share is that they've got serious crunch and some fresh, vibrant flavors to balance out the heaviness of the meat, cheese, and bread.

The version of the grinder salad sandwich that really went viral was from the TikTok account CookItErika. Their grinder salad recipe video has more than 839,000 views, and their video reviewing the grinder salad has 2.8 million views. The salad component of the sandwich includes banana peppers, shredded lettuce, and sliced red onion tossed in a dressing made with mayonnaise, garlic, red wine vinegar, oregano, and chili flakes. You can add it to your favorite grinder to add a bit of vegetal crunch, and as these videos show, you can even use it as a dip for chips. Since this recipe went viral, we've seen other versions of the salad popping up on our FYP, from a caesar grinder salad recipe (also from CookItErika on TikTok) to keto and vegetarian versions. If you love Italian sandwiches, then this is one salad recipe you're going to want to try, either on its own or heaped high on a sub roll with your favorite cold cuts and cheese.