Cuban Sandwich Bowls Recipe

This Cuban Sandwich Bowl has all of your favorite Cuban Sandwich flavors just without the bread!

CUBAN. SANDWICH. BOWL = LIFE. Seriously, this is so, so good! Between the pork, crispy tostones, ham, avocado, and pickles I’m one happy lady when this meal is in front of me!

I was weary of adding mustard to a salad but it rocks. It wouldn’t be a true cuban sandwich without the mustard. And the pork? Well the pork is the most tender pulled pork I’ve ever made. I slow cooked it for 5 hours on high with a bit of applesauce which gave it a wonderful sweet undertone. Then I shredded it and tossed it with a mojo sauce. The bomb.

And if it couldn’t get any better I added some fried plantain chips that are quite addictive. Super easy too! We eat them all the time with salsa and guacamole.

Besides the plantain chips everything else can be made ahead of time, even shredding the cabbage can be done earlier. Then all you have to do is fry the plantains and assemble everything together. Easy! If you’re not a huge fan of cabbage you could also just use shredded iceberg lettuce. Oh, one more thing! The ham is just a standard all-natural honey roasted deli ham cut about a 1/2 inch thick. I bought 1 slice and it was enough for 4 bowls.

Do me a favor and make extra plantain chips okay? They’re seriously the best.

RECIPE CARD

4.67 from 3 votes

Cuban Sandwich Bowls

This Cuban Sandwich Bowl has all of your favorite Cuban Sandwich flavors just without the bread!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Keyword comfort food, delicious, healthy

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes

Author Maya Krampf from WickedSpatula.com

Servings 4

★ Review Print

Ingredients

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Ingredients for the Pork

• 1 lb pork loin
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Ingredients for the Plantain Chips

• 2 medium green plantains
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil
• sea salt (to taste)

Ingredients for the Mojo Sauce

• 1/3 cup olive oil (+ 1 tablespoon additional)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Other Toppings

• 1/2 lb deli ham (1/2 inch thick, cubed)
• 8 cups shredded cabbage
• dill pickles (sliced)
• 1 medium avocado (cubed)
• Yellow mustard

Click to convert between US & metric measurements:

Instructions

More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!

Instructions for the Pork

1. Place pork in slow cooker and cover with applesauce and apple cider vinegar. Set to high and cook 5 hours. When done shred and toss with 1/2 of mojo sauce.

Instructions for the Mojo Sauce

1. In a small pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Brown the 3 minced garlic cloves until fragrant about 1-2 minutes. Do not burn.
2. Transfer garlic to a small bowl and whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Instructions for the Plantain Chips

1. Place one cup of water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 3 minced garlic cloves in a medium bowl.
2. Peel the plantains and cut into 1 inch disks.
3. Heat 5 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat. Fry the plantains 1 minute per side until browned. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
4. Using the back of a flat wooden spoon mash the plantains until it's about half it's original size. Soak in the garlic water for one minute, pat dry, and fry once more about 1 minute per side.
5. Transfer to a new set of paper towels and season generously with salt.

Assembly

1. Place 2 cups of shredded cabbage or lettuce in 4 bowls. Top with pork, ham, pickles, avocado, plantain chips, and a drizzle of mustard. Serve remaining mojo sauce on the side.

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