Grinder Salad

About The Recipe

This Italian Grinder Salad is inspired by Grander Sandwiches, and it's made with all of the same toppings. This viral recipe gained popularity on social media (TikTok) and it's popular for good reason: it's flavorful, creamy, and full of tasty textures. 

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.

Salad Ingredients:

• ½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ⅓ cup sliced red onion
• ⅓ cup chopped pepperoncini
• ½ cup chopped cheddar
• ½ cup chopped turkey
• ½ cup chopped ham

Dressing Ingredients:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons juice from pepperoncini
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt & black pepper

How to Make Grinder Salad

This salad is incredibly simple and quick to make. Here's how to make it in 3 easy steps:

1. In a small bowl or jar, stir together the dressing ingredients. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of water, if needed, to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. 
2. Add the lettuce to a large mixing bowl and top with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to mix. 
3. Serve immediately. 

Ingredient Notes

This salad is very versatile and has a few popular variations. Here are some important ingredient notes and substitutes:

Iceberg Lettuce: Choose a fresh, crisp head for the best texture. You can also mix in some romaine lettuce for added variety.

Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any other variety of tomatoes can be used.

Red Onion: If you find raw red onion too pungent, soak it in cold water for a few minutes before adding it to the salad.

Pepperoncini Peppers: These pickled peppers add a tangy kick! Adjust the quantity based on your spice preference. These are also known as banana peppers. 

White Cheddar: Sharp white cheddar cheese works well, but feel free to experiment with different cheese varieties like provolone cheese, swiss cheese, mozzarella or colby jack.

Turkey and Ham: These can be swapped for your deli meat/cold cuts of choice. Popular options are turkey, ham, roast beef and salami. Use about 1 cup total of chopped deli meat.

Parmesan Cheese: It's popular to add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese as an extra topping to this salad. 

Bell Pepper: These are another popular addition to this recipe. Dice any color bell pepper and add it to your salad for some added crunch. 

About The Grinder Salad Dressing

The recipe for this salad includes a homemade Creamy Italian Dressing. It's easy to make with only 5 ingredients and can be customized based on your preferences.

Other Dressing Options

You can skip making homemade dressing and buy a store-bought Creamy Italian Dressing or any similarly-flavored dressing. Here are a few ideas for alternatives:

• Classic Italian Dressing
• Ranch Dressing
• Red Wine Vinaigrette

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

It's recommended to eat this salad immediately after tossing it as the lettuce ingredients will become soggy if they sit. If you do have leftovers, they will stay good in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

To help keep your salad fresh, store your salad and dressing separately in airtight containers and combine just before serving.

Top Tips

• Experiment with the spice level of your salad by adding more or fewer pepperoncini and red pepper flakes to suit your taste.
• Be sure to chop your ingredients into small pieces for the perfect chopped salad texture. 
• You can make a batch of dressing and store it separately (in an airtight container like a jar), adding it to your salad just before mixing. 

Similar Recipes

This Grinder Salad recipe is very similar to our Italian Chopped Salad and Antipasto Salad, which have similar ingredients.

If you would like to check out other Viral TikTok Salad recipes, here are our top 3 reader favorites:

• Viral Cucumber & Sweet Pepper Salad
• Hot Girl Summer Salad
• The Jennifer Anniston Salad