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A stacked sandwich with layers of sliced grilled mortadella, burrata, greens, and pesto on crusty bread, cut in half and placed on parchment paper.
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Grilled Mortadella Sandwich with Burrata and Calabrian Chili Oil

Can't handle another boring lunchmeat sandwich? We got you. This one has a mountain of folded, skewered, and charred mortadella piled onto rustic bread with bold flavors from pesto and fresh burrata jammed on top. To finish it off, drizzle just a touch of chili oil so it all rounds out and what you get is the kind of lunch that ruins the mudane.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-American
Servings: 2 sandwich (1 sandwich each)
Calories: 1555kcal
Author: Kita Roberts

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Mortadella Skewers

  • 24 slices mortadella deli-sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste

For the Sandwich

  • 1 ciabatta loaf split
  • 2 tablespoons pesto jarred or homemade
  • 8 oz burrata room temperature (each ball of burrata should weigh about 4oz)
  • 2 handfuls arugula
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili oil jarred
  • Flaky salt to finish

Instructions

Bring Burrata to Room Temperature

  • Pull burrata from the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking. 30 minutes is better.

Skewer the Mortadella

  • Fold each mortadella slice in half, then in half again. Thread 12 folded slices tightly onto each flat metal skewer, leaving 1.5 to 2 inches of bare metal on each end. Repeat for the second skewer.
    Skewers of folded mortadella are arranged on a white plate, with a bowl of salt, a halved lemon, and a loaf of bread nearby on a burgundy surface.

Dress the Arugula

  • Toss arugula with olive oil and lemon juice. Set aside.
    A white bowl filled with fresh arugula leaves and metal tongs, placed on a dark surface with a bowl of salt, a lemon half, and a napkin nearby.

Sear the Skewers

  • Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add a thin film of olive oil. Lay one skewer flat in the pan and sear 2 to 3 minutes undisturbed until the edges char and the fat blisters. Flip and sear 2 to 3 more minutes on the second side. Hold on a wire rack in an oven preheated to warm (around 200°F or as low as it will go) and repeat with the second skewer.
    Grilling skewers of folded sliced mortadella are grilling on an electric grill, with brown edges and crispy grill marks visible.

Toast the Ciabatta

  • Remove the skewers. Place the split ciabatta cut-side down in the same pan and toast 1 to 2 minutes until golden and crisping at the edges.
    Three rectangular ciabatta loaves are toasting on an electric griddle, viewed from above.

Build the Sandwich

  • Spread pesto across the bottom ciabatta half. Layer dressed arugula over the pesto. Set the mortadella skewer directly on top. Hold the bread steady and slide the rod out cleanly in one smooth motion parallel to the sandwich.
    A hand assembling a sandwich with sliced grilled mortadella being pulled off a skewer, arugula, and pesto on ciabatta bread, next to a small bowl of salt.

Break the Burrata

  • Place the room-temperature burrata ball directly on the hot mortadella. Press it open firmly and smear heavily over the entire surface so the cream runs into the pockets and folds.
    Open sandwich on a white plate with pesto spread, arugula, slices of grilled mortadella and fresh burrata cheese. A small bowl of salt and a striped cloth are nearby.

Finish and Serve

  • Spoon Calabrian chili oil over the broken burrata. Finish with a pinch of flaky salt. Close the sandwich and serve immediately.
    Open sandwich with pesto spread on one half of ciabatta bread, arugula, grilled mortadella, burrata cheese, and chili oil on the other half, served on a white plate.

Video

Notes

  • Use flat metal skewers, not round - round skewers let folded slices spin during searing
  • Cold burrata tears, not smearing; room temperature is non-negotiable.
  • Don't crowd two skewers in one pan if they don't fit — sear one at a time if needed and hold them in an oven preheated to 200°F to keep them warm.

For a Gas Grill

Preheat to high and close the lid for 10 minutes to bring the grates up to temperature. You want a cast iron skillet or flat griddle pan set directly on the grates — the open flame and grill grates alone won't give you the flat, even surface contact you need for the fat to blister properly. Set the skillet over direct high heat, add the oil, and sear exactly as you would on the stovetop. The char will develop slightly faster from the radiant heat above and below — watch the fold edges at the 2-minute mark.

For a Charcoal Grill

Bank coals for direct high heat. A cast iron skillet over a full chimney of lit coals runs hotter than most stovetops — if the skillet is smoking hard within 30 seconds of the oil going in, you're there. Sear 90 seconds per side rather than 2 to 3 minutes; charcoal heat is more aggressive and the edges will go from char to burnt faster than you expect. The payoff: the smokiness that bleeds into the fat pockets is genuinely better than stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1555kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 95g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 34g | Cholesterol: 183mg | Sodium: 3497mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 687mg | Iron: 3mg