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Pan con Bistec is a pressed Cuban steak sandwich made with caramelized onions, fried steak, and crispy potato sticks. Super easy to make, packed with flavor, and requires minimal ingredients.

I grew up eating Cuban food and try to whip up Cuban recipes at least twice a month. Some of my favorite Cuban recipes include Cuban spaghetti, congri, and Cuban stuffed peppers.

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If you’ve ever visited Miami then you’ve probably eaten a pan con bistec sandwich. It’s super popular in cafes and restaurants and for good reason. Now you can make it at home, it’s so easy. The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting around while the onions caramelize. It takes about 20 minutes for the onions to cook, but after that, it’s a piece of cake. This sandwich comes together so easily and can be served with French fries, onion rings, or tomato avocado salad.

Ingredient’s You’ll Need

Recipe Ingredient Notes

• Steak – You can use any type of thin-sliced beef. Top loin sirloin, palomilla, rib eye, etc.
• Sazon – I used sazon completa, which is a spice blend that includes, oregano, cumin, garlic, powder, salt, and onion powder. It can be found in the Hispanic aisle at your local supermarket.
• Bread – Ideally you’ll want to use Cuban bread, but feel free to use French or Italian bread.
• Onions – Pan con bistec isn’t complete without caramelized onions.
• Garlic Mayo – this is my secret ingredient. Some people don’t add mayo to their pan con bistec sandwiches but I feel like it adds tons of extra flavor.
• Potato Sticks -adds crunch and saltiness. If you don’t have these on hand, feel free to use crushed potato chips instead.

How To Make Pan con Bistec

1. Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the onions to a large skillet with oil and cook over medium-low heat. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
2. While the onions cook, season the steaks with sazon and fresh lime juice. Once the onions are nice and caramelized remove them from the skillet and set them aside.
3. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. While the steaks cook, add 2 minced garlic cloves to the mayo and mix well. Season the mayo with salt.
4. Add 1-2 tbsp of mayo to the bread along with the steak, caramelized onions, and potato sticks. Brush the bread with some butter and cook in a panini press according to manufacturer instructions.

Recipe FAQS And Top Tips

Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?

Absolutely, in fact I encourage marinating the steaks the night before, they’ll be so much more flavorful. You can also caramelize the onions the night before. Place the onions in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Can I Make This Without Sazon?

Yes, if you can’t find sazon or don’t want to use it feel free to season the steaks with your favorite steak seasoning.

I Don’t Own a Panini Press Can I Still Make This?

Absolutely, melt some butter in a large skillet and place your sandwich in the skillet then press it down using a heavy cast-iron skillet.

Can I Add Cheese?

You can add any toppings you want however this sandwich traditionally doesn’t include cheese.

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