Piled high with meat, cheese, and fresh vegetables, the tripleta sandwich is a Puerto Rican standard that puts a new twist on the classic Cuban sandwich. The tripleta combines 3 meats (hence the name): cold lunch meat with cooked pork and chicken to make a hot, filling sandwich that's practically spilling over with ingredients.
🌯 About the Tripleta
It's basically a meaty sub sandwich, but with Caribbean flair. Make one for yourself for a yummy summer meal, or pile a whole plate with them for a delicious party entrée that your family's sure to love.
Back in Puerto Rico, the tripleta sandwich is traditionally served with a topping of fries or crispy potato sticks.
I like to serve it with chips on the side, but if you want to give your family the authentic tripleta experience, cut up a potato into tiny shoestring fries and throw them in the fryer. Top the sandwich with the fries for an extra burst of crunch.
Made It & Loved It
From Jacob D: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This recipe is really good. I am in culinary arts, and I am making this to present to my class."
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🍖 Ingredients
- Puerto Rican sandwich bread (pan sobao) - It's pillowy and soft like a sub bun, so your favorite sub bun or French baguette would also work well. It should be about 10" to 12" long, which will make 2 sandwiches.
- smoked ham slices - For the smoked ham, you can either slice up a pre-cooked, smoked ham roast or simply pick some slices up from the deli.
- chicken breast - I like using chicken in my tripleta but to be more traditional you could opt for grilled steak like carne asada. Check out how to cook carne asada on the grill here.
- plain chips - I like to serve chips on the side for some crunch but this is optional.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
📝 Recipe Tweaks
For a true Puerto Rican experience, add strips of fried plantain to the sandwich. It might seem like an unusual sandwich ingredient, but plantain chips are crispy and chewy and starchy, just like a potato. You could also try turnip fries.
You can also customize your sandwich by adding (or removing) different sauces, but don't stray too far--part of this sandwich's unique flavor comes from the distinct combination of ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce.
Some options would be white barbecue sauce, my own creation of homemade smoky maple sauce or spicy chipotle sauce.
🥖 How to Make a Tripleta Sandwich
Step 1. Season the meat. Season the raw chicken and pork with salt, pepper, cumin, parsley, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Step 2. Cook the meat. Cook the chicken and pork in a frying pan over medium heat until fully cooked (350ºF in an electric skillet).
🌡️ Chef's Note: The internal temperature should be 165°F for chicken and 145°F for pork.
Step 3. Cut the meat into pieces. Cut the chicken and pork into small pieces. Place in a bowl and add a little more Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
Step 4. Assemble and serve. Slice the baguette open and add the condiments, meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato. Slice the Puerto Rican tripleta sandwich in half and serve!
🍽️ Tripleta Sandwich Serving Suggestions
Being a street-food favorite in Puerto Rico, this tripleta sandwich is a great outdoor food. It's perfect for picnics, camping trips, packed lunches and backyard get-togethers.
It has hot, filling ingredients like pork and chicken, but the cold, fresh ingredients keep you from feeling sluggish and weighed-down in the heat. It's also fine to serve cold.
If you prefer, you can grill the tripleta sandwich after assembly to crisp up the bread and melt the cheese; a sandwich press would work perfectly!
If you're not going to be serving it right away, put it in the fridge for a while to keep it fresh and hold off on the condiments until it's time to dig in.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days, but keep in mind that the wet ingredients can make the bread soggy, the longer it sits. It's best to store vegetables separately.
👉 Joss' Top Tip
If you want to give your guests the chance to get creative, try setting up a "Make Your Own Tripleta Sandwich" bar where they can grab a sliced baguette and pile on their own choice of ingredients and condiments. This is also great for picky eaters.
💜 Hungry For More? Check Out These Mains
Did this tasty sandwich make it to your dinner table? If you tried this 🌯 Puerto Rican Tripleta Sandwich Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Puerto Rican Tripleta Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast - boneless & skinless
- 1 boneless pork chop
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley - chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce - + more to taste
- 1 French baguette or sub bun - 10" to 12"
- 3 slices smoked ham
- 3 slices Gouda cheese
- 1 tomato - sliced
- lettuce
- condiments - mayo, mustard, ketchup
- salt and pepper
- chips - optional (to serve on the side)
Instructions
- Season the raw chicken and pork with salt, pepper, cumin, parsley, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.1 chicken breast, 1 boneless pork chop, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Remove the chicken and pork from the marinade. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat, until fully cooked (350ºF in an electric skillet). It should take around 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through (the internal temperature should be 165°F for chicken and 145°F for pork).
- Cut the chicken and pork into small pieces. Place in a bowl and add a little more Worcestershire sauce, to taste.
- Slice the baguette open and add some mayo, mustard and ketchup.1 French baguette or sub bun
- Assemble sandwiches with the smoked ham slices, Gouda cheese, chicken and pork, lettuce and tomato. Cut in half to make 2 sandwiches.3 slices smoked ham, 3 slices Gouda cheese
- Serve with chips on the side!
Equipment
Notes
- For a true Puerto Rican experience, add strips of fried plantain to the sandwich. It might seem like an unusual sandwich ingredient, but plantain chips are crispy and chewy and starchy, just like a potato.
- This sandwich might have a few hot ingredients, but it's actually fine to serve cold, too.
- If you prefer, you can grill the sandwich after assembly to crisp up the bread and melt the cheese; a sandwich press would work perfectly.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days, but keep in mind that the wet ingredients can make the bread soggy, the longer it sits.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
jacob d says
This recipe is really good. I am in culinary arts, and I am making this to present to my class
Joss Dyckson says
That is such a nice compliment! Thank you so much, Jacob.
Franz Santiago says
Great sandwich, nice recipe, thanks! But maybe “vegetables” is a stretch, there is only parsley and lettuce.
Joss D says
Well, the tomato can be classified as a vegetable, so there's another one. Lol, thanks for the comment.
Lily says
This is unique and really tasty! I served a whole platter of them for our guests and they were a hit.
Joss D says
Thanks Lily! That's great.
Sierra says
I had never heard of a tripleta sandwich before but it is very tasty!
Joss D says
Thank you Sierra!