What You Need To Know About TikTok's Chopped Sandwich Trend

TikTok is the place for food trends, and the chopped sandwich continues to take the social media platform by storm. In a TikTok video created in honor of the trend, a content creator is seen plopping lettuce, assorted deli meats, veggies, and cheese onto a cutting board. They vigorously chop up the ingredients with a butcher knife, then add mayo, olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings, after which comes more chopping. This veritable mess of a sandwich filling finally gets portioned into a hoagie roll and heartily consumed.

Despite the popularity of chopped sandwiches on TikTok and other social media platforms, not everyone is a fan. One person calls the sandwich "pre chewed," while another asks, "Can't I just put all that stuff on my bread and chop it with my teeth when I eat it?" Among those commenters who appear enthusiastic about the sandwich, many highlight the fact that chopping up ingredients allows you to enjoy them all in a single bite, which is not usually the case with regular deli sandwiches.

Like all food trends, there's a bit of mystery surrounding the origins of TikTok's chopped sandwich. While the ingredients differ, the viral recipe is somewhat similar to the chopped cheese sandwich, which is thought to have originated at a Harlem bodega called the Blue Sky Deli. The chopped cheese recipe calls for cooked ground beef instead of deli meats and also features cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. It should be noted that only the ground beef and cheese are chopped with this recipe, while the vegetables are placed on top of the meaty, melty mixture.

Treading further along the food origins chain, it appears that the chopped cheese may have been inspired by dagha yamneeya, an Arabic sandwich. Dagha yamneeya also features cooked meat and vegetables, which are chopped together and served on Yemeni flatbread. While all three sandwiches bear many similarities, there's no real way to tell whether it's more than just a coincidence. There are, however, a growing number of variations when it comes to TikTok's chopped deli version.

One of the great things about this viral TikTok sandwich is its versatility. You're not bound by any sandwich-making strictures when it comes to ingredients, although Italian sub-style fixings like salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, pepperoncini, olive oil, Italian bread, and Italian seasoning are standard in the recipe. However, you can swap any of these ingredients for other types of meats, cheeses, and veggies at your discretion. One TikToker made mortadella the star alongside pistachio pesto, mozzarella, and Calabrian chili paste.

Then there's the matter of when to chop up the ingredients. Some folks advocate chopping in stages, while others recommend that you pile on all the meats, cheeses, veggies, wet ingredients, and seasonings before you get to chopping. Additionally, you don't necessarily have to serve your chopped ingredients in a sandwich, as the recipe also makes an excellent dip or spread when served with crackers or pita chips. While the sandwich can be a bit messy and is definitely more labor-intensive than simply adding sandwich ingredients to bread, the chopped sandwich has clearly captured the attention of TikTok's passionate foodies. Has it captured yours?