The Muffuletta is one of New Orleans’ most iconic sandwiches, widely believed to have originated in the early 1900s at Central Grocery in the French Quarter as a lunch for local Sicilian-American workers.
This homemade version stays true to that classic combination of Italian deli meats, provolone, and olive salad—assembled on a sesame loaf and rested so the flavors meld into a cohesive, satisfying sandwich.
Before You Start Cooking
- Bread. Traditional Muffuletta bread can be difficult to find outside of New Orleans. At the bakery, look for an 8- to 9-inch Italian-style boule, preferably topped with sesame seeds. You don’t want bread with a very heavy crust or an overly airy interior—it should be sturdy enough to hold the fillings, but soft enough to compress slightly when pressed. Ciabatta can work in a pinch.
- Olive Salad = Signature Flavor. This isn’t just chopped olives. It’s a marinated mix of olives, Italian pickled vegetables, capers, herbs, garlic, and olive oil—and it’s what makes the sandwich distinct. Give it time (at least 1 hour, ideally overnight) for the flavors to develop.
- Deli Meats and Cheeses. For the best flavor, have your meats and cheeses sliced fresh and thin at the deli counter rather than buying pre-packaged.
- Plan to Rest the Sandwich. A Muffuletta is best after it’s assembled, wrapped tightly, and allowed to rest for at least 1 hour. This gives the olive salad time to season the bread and allows the layers to compress for easier slicing.
How to Make a Muffuletta Sandwich
Step 1: Make the Olive Salad
I like to make the olive salad in a food processor for a finely chopped texture that spreads easily and gives you a balanced bite in every slice.
To the bowl of your food processor, add:
- Pitted olives. I use a mix of briny green olives and Kalamata olives for a balance of flavors and textures.
- Giardiniera. This Italian mix of pickled vegetables (usually cauliflower, carrots, celery, and peppers) adds tang, salt, and a gentle kick of heat. Look for it in the international aisle, at the antipasto bar, or in Italian specialty markets. (Mild and hot versions are both available—choose based on your heat preference.) Giardiniera can also be made at home.
- Shallot and Garlic. For savory, aromatic flavor and bite.
- Capers. For a salty, briny pop. I use non-pareil capers packed in brine, drained.
- Fresh Italian Parsley. For color and freshness.
Pulse 5 to 6 times to chop the mixture. Some cooks like to leave their olive salad chunkier than others. I like to create a relish-like consistency with some texture—not a paste, but also not leaving huge pieces of the pickled vegetables to bite into.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in a generous pour of fruity extra-virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, and dried oregano. You won’t need much vinegar, since the giardiniera already brings plenty of tang.
Cover and let the olive salad marinate. It can sit at room temperature for about 1 hour if you’re short on time, but for the best flavor, make it a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2: Assemble the Sandwich
Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the bread round in half horizontally. If the interior crumb is very thick or bready, gently hollow out a little from both the top and bottom halves to make room for the filling.
You want enough bread to soak up the olive salad’s juices, but not so much that the sandwich feels bulky or difficult to bite into.
Spread a generous layer of olive salad over the bottom half of the bread, pressing it lightly into the surface so it adheres. Then begin layering the meats and cheeses.
I like to start and end with the cheeses, so begin with either the provolone or the low-moisture mozzarella, arranging the slices edge to edge to fully cover the bread.
Add a layer of mortadella (we like it with pistachios), followed by genoa salami and ham or capicola (sweet or hot—your choice). Finish with the rest of the sliced cheese.
Spread more olive salad over the cut side of the top half of the bread. Place it onto the layered fillings and press down gently with your hands to compact everything slightly.
Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap, making sure it’s snug so the layers stay secure. Set it on a flat surface and place a heavy skillet or grill press on top. You’re not trying to crush the loaf—just gently compress it so the flavors meld.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavor and texture, I like to let it rest 2 to 3 hours.
Step 3: Slice and Serve
If refrigerating for longer than an hour, take it out and let it stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
Unwrap the sandwich and transfer it to a large cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the Muffuletta into wedges, like a cake — either quarters for larger portions, or sixths or eighths for a party spread.
Use a gentle sawing motion and wipe the blade between cuts if needed to keep the layers neat.
Muffuletta sandwiches are hearty enough to stand on their own, but we often serve them with kettle-cooked potato chips. If you can find Zapp’s potato chips {affiliate link}, they’re a fun, authentic touch.
More Louisiana-Inspired Recipes
Muffuletta Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Olive Salad
- 1 cup giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables) , drained (see Note 1)
- 1 cup pitted, brine-cured mixed olives (I use kalamata and green)
- 1 small shallot , peeled and quartered
- 1 large garlic clove , peeled
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon brined nonpareil capers , drained
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
For the Muffuletta Sandwich
- 8 to 9 inch round seeded Italian boule (or muffuletta bread, see Note 2)
- ¼ pound provolone , thinly sliced (see Note 3)
- ¼ pound genoa salami , thinly sliced
- ¼ pound mortadella , thinly sliced (we like it with pistachios)
- ¼ pound ham or capicola (hot or sweet, your choice), thinly sliced
- ¼ pound low-moisture mozzarella , thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Olive Salad
- Add giardiniera, olives, shallot, garlic, parsley, and capers to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 5-6 times, until chopped, but still chunky, without huge pieces of giardiniera remaining.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in olive oil, vinegar, and oregano until combined. Cover and let stand at least an hour, or refrigerate overnight. (Bring salad back to room temperature before assembling sandwiches if refrigerating.)
Assemble the Sandwich
- Slice the bread round in half horizontally. If it's very thick or bready, hollow out some of the interior to make room for the fillings.
- Spread each half with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of olive salad, letting the oil and vinegar seep into the bread. (The amount will depend on the size of your round; you might have leftover olive salad.)
- Layer with the sliced meats and cheeses. I like to start and end with the cheeses, with the meats in the middle, while others layer the cheeses between the meats. Top with the second half of the bread spread with olive salad.
- Wrap the sandwich tightly with plastic wrap. Weigh the sandwich down with a grill press or a cast-iron skillet, then refrigerate it for at least an hour, preferably 2 to 3 hours. When refrigerating for more than an hour, I like to remove the sandwich from the refrigerator 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off.
- Unwrap the muffuletta and cut it into wedges. We like to serve it with kettle-cooked potato chips, preferably Zapp's.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
I’ve made this several times following this recipe. It always come out great!
New Orleans has some of the most amazing food, doesn’t it? This muffuletta looks more than amazing. I love that you use an iron skillet to flatten it out a bit. I can only imagine how the liquids soak up into that amazing loaf! YUM!
This looks like an AMAZING sandwich!! My hubby would go absolutely gaga over this :) We have just planned our first trip to New Orleans for later in the year and I CANNOT wait – I have heard such good things about the food there!!
I haven’t had a muffuletta in forever! You make it look so easy to do, and the flavors and delicious meats you have on the sandwich sound perfect! can’t wait to make my own!
This looks like a lovely sandwich!! When I was in college I went to New Orleans and LOVED trying all the sandwich shops we found!
This looks absolutely amazing!! Definitely going to try it!
I’ve never heard of this sandwich before! I’m not much of a meat-eater, but the husband loves it- he’d devour this! That olive salad looks fantastic- I’d put that on anything!
This is one of my favorite things about New Orleans…. and now I can make it at home?? I may need permanent stretchy pants… thats ok thought right?
New Orleans is one of my absolute favorite cities- the people are so nice and the food is SO delicious! I went to New Orleans on business one about 9 years ago, shortly after mardi gras and had my first muffaletta and I was hooked! The spread was definitely my favorite part. Oddly, I’ve never tried making it at home. Yours looks seriously delicious- I think I may just need to try it! Thanks for sharing!