Recipe

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This muffuletta recipe is an authentic New Orleans-style sandwich, stuffed with layers of meat, cheese, and the signature olive salad everyone loves.

Revisit New Orleans by making this muffuletta sandwich at home, regardless of where you live, with this simple recipe and authentic ingredients.

A muffuletta sandwich sliced into quarters on parchment paper on a wooden board

What is a Muffuletta Sandwich?

It’s a typical sandwich served in many traditional New Orleans delis and restaurants. Inside the soft, round bread, there’s plenty of Italian-style meats and cheese, and the iconic olive salad makes this muffuletta sandwich a guaranteed hit.

Living in New Orleans means having strong opinions about muffulettas, and I've got them. While I love picking one up from Central Grocery in the French Market, I also love making this sandwich at home with simple, authentic ingredients.

Ingredients

You’ll find most ingredients locally, no matter where you live, except for the olive salad, which you might need to order online (thank you, Amazon).

Bread: in New Orleans, we find it labeled as “Muffuletta bread” or Italian bread at most groceries. It’s soft and round, about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. It’s not a crusty, rustic, or sourdough bread. Think of a huge bun.
Olive salad: the star ingredient that makes this sandwich unique. Buy it on Amazon here.
Meats: sliced thin but not shaved. Capicola, the Italian version of American honey ham (which can be used here), Genoa salami, and Mortadella are the classics.
Cheeses: Provolone cheese is a must. Some New Orleans delis also add a layer of sliced Mozzarella or Swiss; locals still debate which is more authentic.

overhead view of ingredients with labels needed to make a new orleans muffuletta

Classic Italian olive salad is a mix of finely chopped green olives (with and without pimentos), chopped vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, celery, and red pepper), capers, and garlic. Tossed in olive oil, a little salt, and pepper. Buy the original here.

How to Make a Muffuletta

You’ll find a quick video in the recipe card below. Here is an overview of the correct assembly:

Slice the fresh bread horizontally and spoon some of the olive oil from the olive salad onto the bottom piece. Top too if you’re feeling generous.
Layer the meats, one layer at a time, covering the bread base.
Add the sliced cheese over the meats.
Top with olive salad, distributing it around the entire bread. Hold back excess oil in the jar.
Close the sandwich with the other half, gently pressing down so the top layer absorbs some of the oil from the olive salad.
Cut the Muffuletta into quarters, or 6 triangles if you want to stretch it. It’s enjoyed at room temperature or warmed.

4 image collage showing the steps for making a New Orleans muffuletta sandwich at home. Top left: spreading oil on the bread, top right: layering the meats, bottom left: adding the cheese, bottom right: topping it with the olive salad

Served Room Temp or Warm?

When you buy a fresh Muffuletta sandwich, you eat it at room temperature, but many people enjoy it warmed for 5 to 7 minutes at 350F in the oven. There’s no need to wrap it since it’s only baked for a short time.

A homemade muffuletta sandwich sliced into quarters on parchment paper on a wooden board

Storing Leftovers and Reheating Muffulettas

Refrigerate leftovers tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 30 days. Reheat it by removing the plastic wrap, wrapping it in foil, and baking it at 350F for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the meat is heated through.

New Orleans Muffuletta Recipe

A muffuletta sandwich sliced into quarters on parchment paper

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

This muffuletta recipe is an authentic New Orleans-style sandwich, stuffed with layers of meat, cheese, and the signature olive salad everyone loves.

4.99 from 118 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 round Italian bread, 10-12 inches, soft
1 ½ cups Olive Salad
¼ lb Capicola or deli ham, 6 thin slices
¼ lb Genoa Salami, 6-8 thin slices
¼ lb Mortadella, 6 thin slices
¼ lb Provolone, 4-6 thin slices

Instructions

Make the sandwich:

Slice the round bread in half horizontally. Spoon or drizzle some of the olive oil from the olive salad onto the bottom bread (the base). You can drizzle it on the top side too. Olive oil also works.
Layer the meats, one layer at a time, covering the entire base of the sandwich once. The deli meat should be sliced thin but not shaved. Traditionally layered with the Capicola (or honey ham) first, then the Genoa salami, then the Mortadella. Top with the sliced Provolone. Some local restaurans also add a thin layer of sliced Mozzarella or Swiss in addition to the provolone. This is a personal preference.
Spoon the olive salad over the cheese, starting from the center out, spreading it all around, leaving about an inch from the edge. I typically hold back some of the oil in the jar. Close the sandwich and gently press down to let the top bread absorb some of the olive salad's oil.

Serving:

Using a bread knife, slice the Muffuletta into 4 or 6 pieces and enjoy immediately.
Want to enjoy it warm? Place the whole sandwich, before slicing, on a large baking sheet, and warm it up for 5 minutes in a 350F preheated oven. Because it's going in the oven fresh and for a short time, there's no need to wrap it in foil.

Storing Leftovers & Reheating:

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or a zip and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat it, preheat the oven to 350F, wrap the muffuletta in foil (a piece or the entire thing) and bake it for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the meats have heated through.