Hawaiian Cola Turkey Sandwiches – cola marinated turkey breast, grilled to perfection then served on a bun with pineapple and a perfectly sweet and spicy sauce!
I thought I’d throw in one more turkey recipe because why not? Turkey can be enjoyed year round – not just during the holidays! But this time I wanted to do something different, so here we go.
Marinated turkey breast with coca cola, soy sauce, olive oil and lots of garlic. After a couple hours the turkey is grilled to perfection, then served on hot dog buns with lettuce, pineapple and my yummy sweet chili and mayo sauce.
I just think turkey breast is not used enough, people always run to cook with chicken during the year and we only think about turkey at Thanksgiving. But I think turkey breast is so easy to cook year round and so delicious. This really is a recipe you could make year round, during any season.
I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite shows to watch on the food network channel is Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and I just recently saw them make this cola marinated turkey breast. I knew I just had to try it myself because the turkey looked so moist, so I was intrigued.
Sure enough, this will be one of the best turkey breast you’ll ever have. We’re talking super moist, super flavorful and delicious. I loved it, we all loved it and it was gone in seconds. I couldn’t make the sandwiches fast enough, they were going like hot cakes.
Ingredients
Turkey
- Coca Cola – The sandwich’s namesake! This will help our turkey cook down with a beautiful glaze.
- Turkey – I used some boneless and skinless turkey breast today, it’s an under utilized bird that is good for year round cooking!
- Garlic- Use as much or little as you like.
- Soy sauce – We want to add some salt to this element of the dish and soy sauce will deliver that along with some good umami and color.
- Seasoning – Just ground pepper, we have enough salt going on thanks to our soy sauce.
- Olive oil – We want a light neutral tasting oil to cook our turkey in.
Sauce
- Sauces – Hot sauce (whatever kind is your favorite), sweet chili sauce, and mayonnaise.
- Honey – to add some sweetness to our sauce as well as some texture.
- Pepper – Ground black pepper, freshly ground if you can swing it.
Sandwiches
- Bread – I’m just using cut hot dog buns but feel free to use whichever bread you prefer
- Pineapple – Either from the tin or cut into chunks.
- Lettuce – I prefer to use romaine for it’s crunch and super clean flavor.
- Cilantro – Totally optional if you’re a cilantro hater but I find it lightens the whole thing up and gives the sandwich a great herb-y vibe.
Can I Use Diet Coke Instead?
No please do not use any diet soda for recipes like these. The artificial sweetener does not cook well in these types of dishes and will also impart a decidedly strange flavor onto your turkey. So go for the original stuff! Save the diet pop for sipping.
How To Make Hawaiian Cola Turkey Sandwiches
- Combine the marinade: In a medium size bowl whisk together the coca cola, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and pepper. Pour over the turkey breast strips, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Combine the sauce: While the turkey is marinating, prepare the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cook the turkey: Lightly spray a grill pan with cooking spray then heat over medium heat. Grill the turkey strips for about 5 minutes per side or to an internal temperature of 170 F degrees. Do not overcrowd the pan, so you’ll probably need to do this in a couple batches.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Slice the turkey into smaller thin slices. Slice the buns in half crosswise, lay a lettuce leaf on each bun, top with turkey breast slices, then pineapple, drizzle with mayo sauce, garnish with cilantro and sprinkle with some black pepper.
Slow Cooker Option
To prepare the turkey in a slow cooker, add the cola, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic and pepper to your slow cooker, whisk everything together, then add the turkey breast strips, tossing them around to make sure they are fully coated in the sauce. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 F degrees.
Not A Turkey Fan?
This recipe can be made with chicken as well. Either chicken breast or thigh will work prepared in the exact same way as the turkey in this recipe.
Love The Sauce?
The mayo sauce is my favorite yummy sauce from my Bang Bang Chicken recipe and thought it would go great on these sandwiches. Feel free to make extras and drizzle it over top of whatever sandwiches need a little pizzaz!
Storing Leftovers
The filling of this sandwich can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 – 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it as it’s better enjoyed fresh!
More Delicious Sandwich Recipes To Try:
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Smoked Salmon And Veggies Sandwiches
- Bacon Chicken And Arugula Sandwich
- Easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Classic Reuben Sandwich
- Bacon Omelette Goat Cheese Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwiches
- Leftover Turkey With Pistachio Pesto and Arugula Sandwich
- Cucumber Sandwich Bites
- The Best Homemade Burgers
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Hawaiian Cola Turkey Sandwiches
Ingredients
For Turkey
- 1 cup coca cola
- 1/4 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
- 2 lb turkey breast boneless and skinless, cut into long strips
For Sauce
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce
For Sandwiches
- 6 hot dog buns or panini buns
- 1 cup pineapple roughly chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup cilantro
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl whisk together the coca cola, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, and pepper. Pour over the turkey breast strips, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- While the turkey is marinating, prepare the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Lightly spray a grill pan with cooking spray then heat over medium heat. Grill the turkey strips for about 5 minutes per side or to an internal temperature of 170 F degrees. Do not overcrowd the pan, so you’ll probably need to do this in a couple batches.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Slice the turkey into smaller thin slices. Slice the buns in half crosswise, lay a lettuce leaf on each bun, top with turkey breast slices, then pineapple, drizzle with mayo sauce, garnish with cilantro and sprinkle with some black pepper.
Video
Recipe Notes
- To prepare the turkey in a slow cooker, add the cola, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic and pepper to your slow cooker, whisk everything together, then add the turkey breast strips, tossing them around to make sure they are fully coated in the sauce. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 F degrees.
- Please note prep time does not include time to marinate the turkey.
- This recipe can be made with chicken as well.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
I know nutritional information is an estimate, but can you tell me if it includes the roll, pineapple, and sauce? Thanks!
Yes, it includes everything that’s in the recipe. 🙂
Very tasty! The cola marinade gives really nice carmelization. Made the leftover filling into street tacos with warmed flour tortillas, which we liked even better than the buns.
Glad you liked them! 🙂
These look amazing!
Would these sandwiches do well as a meal prep item? Being made at the beginning of the week for lunches?
Do you think they would hold well in the refrigerator? Either way I’m going to try, just looking to add to my meal prep repertoire.
Thanks for posting!
Yes they would but you would need to assemble each day so the sauce would not make the buns soggy. It was so yummy you will enjoy it all week for sure….