Not quite in the mood for a “walking taco”? Maybe a “chip-bag sandwich” would hit the spot.
The chip-bag sandwich, a (somewhat) novel concept that recently went viral on social media, is not so much a sandwich as it is a sack of sandwich-like ingredients. Most recipes call for cold cuts, cheese, lettuce, some type of sandwich dressing, and, most importantly, an entire bag of crushed-up potato chips to dump the aforementioned ingredients into.
The resulting meal is usually eaten directly out of the bag with a fork.
“I’m someone that loves to put chips on my sandwiches already, so having this already done, on-the-go, [is] perfect,” TikTok reviewer Amanda Palmeri said of a chip-bag sandwich she ordered from Yaphank Deli in Yaphank, New York.
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Chip-bag sandwiches can be made to mimic any number of familiar sandwiches — BLTs, turkey clubs, chicken Caesar wraps, etc. — and each is usually paired with a specific flavor of chip. The most popular combination, though, appears to be diced Italian cold cuts mixed into a bag of salt & vinegar chips. Most iterations call for ingredients like mortadella, salami, provolone, lettuce, pepperoncini peppers and a splash of red wine vinegar, which are either mixed directly into the chip bag or placed in a mixing bowl with the chips, and then transferred back into the bag.
Yaphank Deli, mentioned above, claims to be the originator of “chip-bag sandwich.” Jenn Flynn, the co-owner of the family-run deli, told Nexstar that demand for the item exploded since posting a video of the offering to TikTok in April.
“It blew up. We couldn’t really keep up with it,” Flynn said.
She’s also aware of sandwich shops in New Jersey and Connecticut that copied her creation for their own menus, albeit with full credit to Yaphank Deli.
“We heard from one place, they said, ‘We’re gonna do it Connecticut-style,’ and they used a brand of chips from the area, and they did the Italian combo,” said Flynn. “It was nice to be mentioned [on their social media]. … To me, honestly, that’s a sign of respect.”
Yaphank Deli now advertises the chip-bag sandwich as part of its “gluten-free summer” offerings, alongside sandwiches which forego bread in favor of bell peppers or pickle halves — the latter of which is also a Yaphank Deli creation that went viral in 2024.
Flynn, however, said that she can’t take complete credit for the idea of the new chip-bag sandwich. Her family’s deli has served a similar item — the walking taco — at catering events in recent years.
A couple of Instagram users also observed similarities between the deli’s chip-bag sandwich and another bag-based treat, but Flynn didn’t cite that particular snack as an inspiration.
“This is what we did in jail,” one commenter wrote, apparently referring to the meals inmates sometimes make directly in chip bags or ramen pouches.
“I can assure you none of us have been to prison,” Yaphank Deli responded.
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