The pros of eating a salad for lunch: It’s refreshing, healthy and full of vegetables. The cons: You’re hungry again by 2 p.m. It’s time to put something in your lunchbox that will actually keep you full between meals. Here are 26 high-protein sandwiches that are both satisfying and delicious. (You’ll be the envy of the break room in no time with these handhelds on your side.)
26 High-Protein Sandwiches That Are Bound to Keep You Full ’Til Dinner
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Published Jul 5, 2022
1. Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwiches (30g protein)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, high protein, special occasion-worthy
Forget about chicken salads past that lean on apples and dried cranberries for excitement. This one is bursting with vinegary, herbaceous flavor, thanks to quick-pickled onions and homemade tarragon mayo.
2. Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich (25g protein)
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, one pot, make ahead, high protein
Instead of an all-mayo dressing, this egg salad is made with just a bit of mayo, plus Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, vinegar and lemon juice. Fresh herbs and capers take it way over the top.
3. Buffalo Tuna Melt (47g protein)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, <10 ingredients
Canned tuna has rescued mealtime more times than we can count, but the tinned fish deserves better than mayonnaise and a few cracks of pepper. Here, it’s combined with spicy Buffalo sauce and ranch dressing before being blanketed in mozzarella cheese.
4. Crispy Tofu Bánh Mì (30g protein)
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, high protein, special occasion-worthy
Any vegetarians in the house? This plant-based take on the Vietnamese classic will change your life. The key is pressing as much liquid out of the tofu as possible before breading and frying it, so it turns out shatteringly crisp.
5. Rainbow Collard Wraps With Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce (15g protein)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, no cook, make ahead, dairy free, gluten free
As far as vegan meals go, this colorful pick is pretty darn filling, thanks to protein-rich hummus and sweet-and-spicy peanut butter dip.
6. Cheesy Roasted Mushroom Melts (21g protein)
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, sheet pan recipe
Chalk this sammy’s satisfying qualities up to the cheeses nestled inside. The bread is slathered with cream cheese, ricotta and mozzarella before being topped with roasted Portobello mushrooms and onions.
7. Mini Chicken Shawarma (22g protein)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, kid-friendly
We substitute traditional rotisserie shawarma with marinated chicken tenders that cook on the stove in just a few minutes. Don’t even get us started on the drool-worthy herbed yogurt sauce.
8. The Cuban Reuben (76g protein)
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein
This epic handheld is a scrumptious clash of the (sandwich) titans. Think garlic-orange pork butt in place of standard pastrami, crowned with a mound of red cabbage kraut and dill pickles on rye bread.
9. Hummus Grilled Cheese (23g protein)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, high protein
Salty aged cheddar meets roasted garlic hummus for an uber-satisfying 15-minute meal. Aren’t chickpeas magical?
10. Chicken Pesto Focaccia Sandwiches (36g protein)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Bright, citrusy pesto + crispy chicken breast + briny feta + sweet sun-dried tomatoes = a beyond-balanced crowd-pleaser. Bonus points for baking your own focaccia bread.
11. Chicken And Cheddar-waffle Sandwiches (56g protein)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, high protein
The trick to craggy, crunchy fried chicken? Double-dipping the pieces in both buttermilk and flour before frying them.
12. Thai Lettuce Wraps (17g protein)
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, gluten free, dairy free, make ahead
Not all handhelds call for bread. These refreshingly light wraps are loaded with ground chicken (though turkey or beef would work, too), cremini mushrooms and quick-pickled cukes and herbs (mint! cilantro! basil!).
13. Salmon Blt (41g protein)
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, one pan, beginner-friendly
A plain BLT (salty bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomato, for the uninitiated) is delicious. Add a thick fillet of lemon salmon and it’s just plain revelatory.
14. The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich (86g protein)
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Fact: Frizzled onions make *everything* better—even the flawless combo of grilled chicken, cucumber, tomato and fresh dill-yogurt sauce.
15. Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches (41g protein)
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
Aka the easiest, most elegant way to serve sammies for a crowd. The meaty trifecta of Genoa salami, pepperoni and prosciutto is rounded out with roasted red peppers and sliced provolone.
16. Buffalo Chicken Wraps With Blue Cheese And Celery (36g protein)
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein
How do these spicy handhelds come together in just 20 minutes, you ask? The secret is diced store-bought rotisserie chicken.
17. Grilled Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich (14g protein)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
It’s the quintessential school lunch for a reason. (That reason being that PB&J is simply delicious.) If you’ve never had the classic fried in butter until the bread turns crispy, buckle up.
18. Oven-baked Chicken Kofta Wraps (32g protein)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: gluten free, low carb, high protein, crowd-pleaser
BRB, diving headfirst into a bowl of lemon-garlic aioli. Thanks to substituting bread with lettuce, these wraps are gluten-free and low-carb.
19. Lamb Shawarma Sandwich (21g protein)
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein, dairy free
Shawarma is usually roasted on a big spit, but this adaptation calls for searing the thin-sliced lamb shoulder in a skillet instead. Pass the lemon-tahini sauce, please.
20. Ham, Swiss And Apple Sandwich (29g protein)
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
This is one update that even your picky eater can get behind. Not only do thin-sliced red apple and honey mustard complement brown sugar ham beautifully, but the fruit also adds crunch to this otherwise soft sammy.
21. Grilled Peach, Prosciutto And Mozzarella Sandwich (61g protein)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein
Behold: The fastest summer dinner of all time. Feel free to grill the peaches before placing them on the sandwich for a touch of smokiness.
22. The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich (39g protein)
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, high protein
You’ve had eggs in a hole (or in a basket, if that’s your preferred term) before. But have you ever tried it with a bagel? There’s plenty of ham and cheese hiding beneath its sunny top.
23. Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches (73g protein)
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, high protein
Trust us: They’re worth every minute of the six-hour cook time. By the time the beef chuck is finished, it’ll be fall-apart tender.
24. Roasted Sweet Potato And Bacon Open-faced Sandwich With Herbed Ricotta (26g protein)
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein
Catch us having this for dinner at least twice a week all autumn long. Not only do sweet potatoes contain a bit of protein, but they also boast high amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin A.
25. Fried Chicken Blt With Jalapeño Honey (56g protein)
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, dairy free
Hot honey tastes otherworldly on everything from pizza to vanilla ice cream. But this decadent sandwich piled high with heirloom tomatoes, avocado and fresh basil just might be our favorite use for it to date.
26. Pancetta-wrapped Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (34g protein)
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, one pan
When in doubt, wrap it in fancy bacon. Consider that our life motto. (Not that garlic butter and melty mozzarella cheese need much help.)
For even more great recipes, check out our first cookbook, Only the Good Stuff.
