This copycat Cheesecake Factory Cuban Sandwich is bursting with flavor, is cheaper to make at home, and actually tastes better than the restaurant! Each pressed roll is piled with tender and juicy slow cooker mojo pork, thinly sliced ham, lots of melted cheese, and your favorite toppings!
While everything on the Original Cheesecake Factory’s menu has blown me away, when I had the Cuban sandwich, I knew I was going to figure out a way to make this at home! The flavor is out of this world and so much better than the standard sandwich. We make these using mojo pork leftovers and it’s like you are eating an entirely different meal!
Anytime we cook Cuban pork recipes, we typically serve it with a side of white rice or instant pot brown rice or instant pot black beans. But when it comes to sandwiches and hoagies, we like air fryer potato wedges or french fries instead. Looking for more mouthwatering sammies? Try our bite-sized burgers: bacon cheeseburger sliders and the best fried chicken sandwich you’ve ever tasted! One of our other favorites is our housemade meatball sub and homemade marinara sauce: Meatball Marinara Sub and Spicy Marinara Sauce.
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Why You’ll Love The Slow Cooker Cuban Sandwich
- Leaving the house isn’t required!
- It’s actually budget-friendly to make.
- Leftovers can be used to create other meals. These ingredients made a healthy serving of food!
- Better than the average sandwich you would normally make.
🥪 Ingredients:
- Olive oil – to brown the meat
- Minced garlic – Adds that great garlic flavor to the roast
- Spices – cumin, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, sea salt, black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- Navel orange and Lime – the citrus and spices brings this to the next level
- Pork shoulder or butt roast – this will be slow cooked and shredded
- Sandwich rolls – you can use Cuban bread, toasted brioche bun, or white sub rolls
- Swiss cheese (about 1 pound)
- Ham – delicious in this sandwich
- Dill pickle slices – adds that great pickle taste in each bite
- Yellow mustard and mayonnaise – dressing on the sandwich
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- We used mayo on the outside of our bread; if preferred, use butter. Or you can kick up your bread by toasting a mixture of butter and parmesan cheese!
- Not a fan of swiss? American cheese, provolone, fontina cheeses, or cheddar cheese will work as well.
- Some like to use leftover glazed ham or prosciutto instead.
- Feel free to toast the sandwiches in a panini press.
- This is also wonderful with sliced red onion, green onions, Italian cherry tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, fresh avocado, or even sun-dried tomato.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Summarize prep instructions here, if applicable.
Step 1: Mix the spices, oil, and orange zest in the bottom of the crockpot.
Step 2: Add the roast and coat it with the seasonings.
Step 3: Squeeze the orange juice in and place the peels on both sides of the pork. Then add the lime juice.
Step 4: Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Remove the slow roasted pork, trim, and shred with two forks.
Pro Tip: Using a shoulder or pork butt adds flavor from the fat that the pork tenderloin lacks.
Step 5: Slice open the rolls and spread mustard on both sides.
Step 6: Add the cheese and sliced mound of ham to each side.
Step 7: Add a few pickles, and a ½ cup of pork.
Step 8: Close the sandwiches and spread mayo on both sides.
Step 9: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Sear the sandwich on both sides. Flatten with a spatula while cooking. Once the tops are golden brown and you have melted swiss inside, it’s ready!
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve warm with a side of fresh fruit or crisp tortilla chips!
Recipe Tips for Cheesecake Factory Cuban Sandwiches
- The melted cheese on both sides helps to keep the meat and toppings in so they don’t fall out.
- If you have leftover pork use it to make tacos with soft corn tortillas or flour tortilla, enchiladas, quesadillas, alongside mashed potatoes, on top of penne pasta, or pile it high in a taco salad shell topped with homemade guac.
- There is enough seasoning for up to a 5-pound roast, just be sure it fits in your slow cooker.
- To make these sandwiches using a pork loin in the oven combine all of the rub ingredients in a food processor. Allow the loin to marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Line a roasting pan with foil, add the pork and pour the marinade over top. Cook for 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes, then slice it for sandwiches.
- If this leaves you with a sweet tooth from the richness of the sandwiches, try a nice light key lime pie Key Lime Pie, creamy caramel mousse, pecan brownie Turtle Brownies, or a simple chocolate mousse. Also, a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream with whipped cream on top will satisfy that sweet tooth.
Fun Fact
The Cheesecake Factory menu features over 200 items from an old-fashioned burger and shrimp pasta to their decadent dessert menu that we all go crazy for!
Recipe FAQs
These are best when they are fresh. If you know you will have leftovers, store the ingredients separately. Then toast and assemble the sandwiches just before serving.
If you tried this Cheesecake Factory Cuban Sandwich Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Cheesecake Factory Cuban Sandwich (Copycat)
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 whole orange
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3-5 lb pork shoulder or butt roast
Sandwich Ingredients:
- 6 sandwich rolls you can use Cuban bread or white sandwich rolls
- 24 slices swiss cheese about 1 pound
- 1 lb sliced Virginia ham
- 5 slices dill pickle slices
- 6 tablespoons yellow mustard or to taste
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise or softened butter to coat bread for toasting
Instructions
- In the bowl of the slow cooker, mix together the olive oil, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, pepper, and orange zest.
- Place the pork roast into slow cooker and turn to coat in the seasoning mixture. Once it’s fully coated, set the roast, fat side up, in the pot.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange into the pot and tuck the whole orange pieces (the halves that are left after squeezing out the juice) in with the roast. Add the lime juice to the pot.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on high until the roast falls apart. (Time will vary depending on size of the roast. Test doneness by pulling at the meat with two forks – it will easily pull apart without effort when it is done.)
- Remove the roast from the slow cooker and trim the fat. Gently pull apart the sections and remove large pieces of fat and discard.
- Shred the meat and/or chop into bite-sized pieces.
- To assemble the sandwiches, slice open a bread roll. Spread one tablespoon of mustard on the insides of each side of the roll.
- Layer two slices of swiss cheese on each side of the roll (the cheese will melt and help “glue” both sides of the sandwich together.) Add pickles to one or both sides of the bread.
- On one half of the roll, mound several pieces of ham. On the other half, mound about ½ cup of the prepared pulled pork.
- Carefully close the two sides of the sandwich together. Spread mayonnaise or softened butter on the outside of the sandwich roll (both sides).
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Transfer the sandwich (you may be able to fit two at a time) into the hot skillet. Use another heavy pan or a spatula to press down the sandwich, cooking until golden brown on one side. Flip the sandwich to cook on the other side, and continue to press down on the roll to make a grilled compacted sandwich.
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Comments & Reviews
Jessie says
I used this recipe paired with black beans to feed our extended family. There are 10 of us, and the recipe with a 3 pound roast easily made enough sandwiches for all of us. Use stone ground mustard, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Everyone raved about it. It’s a challenge cooking for a bigger crowd, so I’m always looking for recipes that fit the bill. This was perfect.