Copycat Subway Tuna Sandwich Recipe

While Subway is known for its tasty tuna sandwiches, some are skeptical about the ingredients due to certain rumors about the provenance of the tuna as well as the hygiene practices that may or may not be observed by employees. Well, the one way to make sure you know exactly what's in your tuna is to be your own at-home sandwich artist, which is what you can do with developer Catherine Brookes' recipe that, she says, "features all of the ingredients mentioned on the website." She tells us she thinks this sandwich is "a close match for the original sub," but she's chosen to cut down a bit on the excessive amount of mayonnaise seen in one employee video that reveals how the chain really makes its tuna salad. She also adds a bit of lemon juice to the tuna salad to give it a tiny bit of tang.

"Tuna, cheese, and fresh crisp salad are such a classic combination," enthuses Brookes, adding "This Subway copycat recipe has all the right components for a perfect sandwich." If you're not a fan of American cheese, though, she says you can use any other type of sliced cheese you prefer. You could also leave the cheese out for a dairy-free sub, omit any of the vegetables you don't care for, or add other items from the Subway sandwich bar such as pickles, green peppers, or jalapeños since the chain makes each sandwich to the customer's specifications.

To make the tuna salad, you'll need canned tuna, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. For the subs themselves, sub rolls, lettuce, a cucumber, tomatoes, a red onion, sliced black olives, and American cheese will be required. Brookes notes that "The original Subway version uses white sliced cheese," although Subway's menu also offers a choice of provolone, pepper jack, and a Monterey/cheddar blend.

Squeeze the lemon juice and remove any seeds. Mix this juice with the mayonnaise and the tuna. You do not need to use your hands as in the Subway video, since a spoon or spatula will do the job just as well.

Cut open the sub rolls and top the bottom halves of each one with a leaf and a half of lettuce. Follow this up with half the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions per sub, then another leaf and a half of lettuce plus half of the olives, as well. If you're in the habit of rinsing lettuce, Brookes advises drying it with paper towels before layering it on the sandwiches "so it doesn't make the bread soggy."

Divide the tuna between each sub, spreading it out to cover the vegetables and fill the roll. Put a slice and a half of cheese on top of each sandwich, then cover the subs with the top halves of the rolls. As a last step, press down on the sandwiches to flatten them slightly and make them easier to eat.

If you can't finish your sandwich, Brookes advises wrapping it in plastic before storing it in the refrigerator, although Subway itself is partial to paper wrappers. If you don't need two sandwiches, she advises, "Feel free to half the recipe to make just one serving."