by Maya Last Updated on 17 Comments
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This Cuban Sandwich Bowl has all of your favorite Cuban Sandwich flavors just without the bread!
CUBAN. SANDWICH. BOWL = LIFE. Seriously, this is so, so good! Between the pork, crispy tostones, ham, avocado, and pickles I’m one happy lady when this meal is in front of me!
I was weary of adding mustard to a salad but it rocks. It wouldn’t be a true cuban sandwich without the mustard. And the pork? Well the pork is the most tender pulled pork I’ve ever made. I slow cooked it for 5 hours on high with a bit of applesauce which gave it a wonderful sweet undertone. Then I shredded it and tossed it with a mojo sauce. The bomb.
And if it couldn’t get any better I added some fried plantain chips that are quite addictive. Super easy too! We eat them all the time with salsa and guacamole.
Besides the plantain chips everything else can be made ahead of time, even shredding the cabbage can be done earlier. Then all you have to do is fry the plantains and assemble everything together. Easy! If you’re not a huge fan of cabbage you could also just use shredded iceberg lettuce. Oh, one more thing! The ham is just a standard all-natural honey roasted deli ham cut about a 1/2 inch thick. I bought 1 slice and it was enough for 4 bowls.
Do me a favor and make extra plantain chips okay? They’re seriously the best.
RECIPE CARD
Cuban Sandwich Bowls
This Cuban Sandwich Bowl has all of your favorite Cuban Sandwich flavors just without the bread!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cuban
Keyword comfort food, delicious, healthy
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Author Maya Krampf from WickedSpatula.com
Servings 4
★ Review Print
Ingredients
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Ingredients for the Pork
- 1 lb pork loin
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Ingredients for the Plantain Chips
- 2 medium green plantains
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil
- sea salt (to taste)
Ingredients for the Mojo Sauce
- 1/3 cup olive oil (+ 1 tablespoon additional)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons Lime juice
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Other Toppings
- 1/2 lb deli ham (1/2 inch thick, cubed)
- 8 cups shredded cabbage
- dill pickles (sliced)
- 1 medium avocado (cubed)
- Yellow mustard
Click to convert between US & metric measurements:
Instructions
More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!
Instructions for the Pork
Place pork in slow cooker and cover with applesauce and apple cider vinegar. Set to high and cook 5 hours. When done shred and toss with 1/2 of mojo sauce.
Instructions for the Mojo Sauce
In a small pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Brown the 3 minced garlic cloves until fragrant about 1-2 minutes. Do not burn.
Transfer garlic to a small bowl and whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Instructions for the Plantain Chips
Place one cup of water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 3 minced garlic cloves in a medium bowl.
Peel the plantains and cut into 1 inch disks.
Heat 5 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat. Fry the plantains 1 minute per side until browned. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
Using the back of a flat wooden spoon mash the plantains until it's about half it's original size. Soak in the garlic water for one minute, pat dry, and fry once more about 1 minute per side.
Transfer to a new set of paper towels and season generously with salt.
Assembly
Place 2 cups of shredded cabbage or lettuce in 4 bowls. Top with pork, ham, pickles, avocado, plantain chips, and a drizzle of mustard. Serve remaining mojo sauce on the side.
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Reader Interactions
Ken
ReplyQuick question. Can you do this in a instant pot, and do you think this would “keep” for a few days?
I usually do my cooking on Sunday for my M-F lunches.Lauren
ReplyYes, for sure!
Erin
ReplyI just made this for dinner and it was amazing! Thanks for the great recipe!
Emily Klimmek
ReplyOMGosh! I made this tonight and it was phenomenal! So so good! I am in love with the mojo sauce mixed with shredded pork. Even my non-paleo eating fiancé enjoyed this dish! Will be adding this to the regular (meal) rotation! 🙂
Lauren
ReplyThanks so much Emily, I’m so glad you loved it! That mojo sauce is my personal fav!
Morgan
ReplyOMG! I just saw this on Pinterest and when I saw the recipe was by you, I was like OMG! I know her! Lol. This looks phenomenal. Holy crap! I want to eat it right now!
Lauren
ReplyHaha thanks Morgan! It was amazingly good. My husband has been begging for it every day since I made it!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
ReplyThese cuban sandwich bowls will make such an awesome dinner for tonight.. good thing I have all the ingredients on hand. Thanks for the recipe and idea!
Dahn
ReplyI love how this looks and the mustard sounds like a great addition
Susan | LunaCafe
ReplyThis looks wonderful. All those amazing flavors and textures. I’ve never made plantain chips before. Looking forward to giving it a go.
kristy @ the wicked noodle
ReplyI use mustard for salad dressing a lot!! Sometimes I’ll mix it with a little plain yogurt or mayo if I want something creamier but I love it as is for a salad dressing. This deconstructed cuban sammie is brilliant!!
Tonia from TheGunnySack
ReplyA salad bowl? Brilliant! You can put in everything you like and I spotted pickles in your bowl, which I love!
Sabrina Modelle
ReplyThese look amazing. I (used to) love a Cuban sandwich. There are few things I miss since having to go gluten free, and walking up to any random food truck or hole in the wall restaurant is one of them.
Kirsten
ReplyLauren,
I love the look of these bowls. The idea of a variety of flavors, combined together in a single dish, is very appealing. When I was a kid I liked salad nicoise, where my mom would combine tuna, beans, potatoes, egg and anchovies. Probably my first introduction to a composed salad. I like your version!
Thankspam (Sidewalk Shoes)
ReplyThis is just a genius idea!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog
ReplyThese look delicious Lauren!
Rachel Cooks
ReplyMy husband would be over the moon for these.
