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This is the best bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich in the world, with tender toast, crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce. When tomatoes are in season, this is the greatest way to make the most of them.
A BLT is a perfect lunch on its own, but chips are always welcome alongside a sandwich, and I think a handful of crispy potato chips or maybe old-school Fritos would be delightful. A pile of sweet potato fries or a scoop of French potato salad would also be ideal!
Table of Contents
The Ultimate BLT Sandwich recipe: The platonic ideal of one of the greatest sandwiches ever (including a surprising second use for mayo!).
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Ingredients
A run-of-the-mill BLT is self-explanatory — The Ultimate, The Best BLT Sandwich needs a bit of discussion.
- Bacon – Thick-cut bacon vs. regular (at least that’s where I head most of the time), cooked to the perfect degree of crispness. Buying good bacon vs. everyday bacon is worth the extra few bucks here. You can make the bacon a few hours ahead of time, but it’s best not to refrigerate it before using it in the sandwich. Or, if you do refrigerate it, warm it slightly in a pan or in a low (300 degrees or so) oven so it regains its crispness.
- Mayonnaise – You will use mayonnaise not only in the sandwich but also in the griddling of the bread (again, pick a good mayo! You can never go wrong with Hellman’s or Duke’s). I like full-fat mayo, but you can use reduced fat if preferred. And yes, some people use Miracle Whip, and that’s a personal choice. As Amy Poehler says, “Good. for you! Not for me.”
- Tomatoes – Then, of course, you need to make sure you are using the most perfect, ripe tomatoes you can find. Make sure to nestle the tomato directly against the bread so that the toasted bread can absorb all of those lovely juices from the sliced tomato.
- Bread – Speaking of the bread, the best bread for a BLT has some density, and some presence after being toasted. A good sliced Pullman loaf or country white is perfect.
- Lettuce – Fresh, super crisp, big-leaf lettuce is best for a BLT. I like to use either romaine or iceberg, but you can also use leafy red or green lettuces. This is no place for mesclun.
But then you can keep going if you like; potentially adding a number of optional ingredients (just below) means that you will have a BLT worth the discourse.
How to Make the Best BLT
- Cook the bacon: You can bake your bacon (add 4 to 6 extra minutes to the cooking time for thick cut), or you can heat a skillet over medium heat. Or, fry the bacon for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning it every few minutes until it is nicely crisp but still pliable. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut each slice in half crosswise. Another option is to cook bacon in your air fryer.
- Toast the bread: Spread about 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on 1 side of each piece of bread.
- Place as many slices of bread as will fit, mayo side down, in a large skillet, and griddle them up until the mayo side of the bread is nicely browned, about 1 minute. Remove the bread from the skillet, let rest browned side up, and griddle up any remaining slices.
- Assemble the sandwich. Place 4 of the slices of toast browned side down on a cutting board. Place some tomato slices on each piece.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place 3 half slices of bacon on each slice of tomato.
- Top with a couple of pieces of lettuce.
- Generously spread the rest of the mayo on the non-browned side of the remaining slices of bread, and top the sandwiches with them browned side up. You now have a perfect BLT. Read on for some more ideas.
What to Serve With a BLT
The short answer is that a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich is the perfect meal unto itself. But we do love our side dishes! Think about pairing your BLT with a potato salad like Classic Potato Salad with Celery and Fresh Thyme or a heap of classic cole slaw.
BLT Variations and Substitutions
And even though this sandwich is near perfect on its own….there are plenty of ways to change it up. (Purists, look away. You don’t need to be here.) Here’s what you can add to your BLT!
- Add grilled or caramelized onions, or a thin slice of raw onion.
- You can include a sautéed thin chicken cutlet or a piece of broiled or grilled salmon fillet (this kind of makes me think of a Cobb salad sandwich).
- Change out the bacon for pancetta, or try turkey bacon. There are some vegan bacons on the market now — worth a shot if you are a vegan craving this classic sandwich!
- Add a slice of avocado or guacamole, or make a quick guac-ish mash: smash up some avocado with lime juice and maybe some minced scallion or minced cilantro.
- Mix the mayo with some smoked paprika (pimenton), pureed chipotle in adobo sauce, harissa, minced fresh basil, cilantro, or another fresh herb of your choice (in this post, there are two video versions: plain mayo and Chipotle Mayo — also with guacamole). Or try Sriracha mayo!
- Slide on a fried egg.
- When you’re browning the bread, you could add a slice or a smear of cheese on half the slices (on the top as you brown the bottom). Try cheddar, Monterey jack, brie, or goat cheese. Cover the pan for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts slightly, and then assemble the BLTs (lightly mayo the non-browned side of the remaining 4 slices of bread).
The Ultimate BLT – The Original
The Ultimate BLT – The Spicy Edition
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The Ultimate BLT Sandwich
The best BLT in the world — choose the best bacon, the ripest tomatoes, the crispest lettuce, and your favorite bread.
Ingredients
- 6 pieces thick-cut bacon
- 8 slices good bread (such as a Pullman loaf)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (approximately; I use Hellmann’s)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 large perfectly ripe tomato (cut into 4 generous slices; or 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 4 lengthwise slices each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Romaine or iceberg lettuce (about 8 sandwich-size pieces)
Instructions
- You can bake your bacon (add 4 to 6 extra minutes to the cooking time for a thick cut). Or you can heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning it every few minutes until it is nicely crisp but still pliable. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, then cut each slice in half crosswise.
- Spread about 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on 1 side of each piece of bread. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. In the skillet, place as many slices of bread that will fit, mayo side down, and griddle them up until the mayo side of the bread is nicely browned, about 1 minute. Remove the bread from the skillet, let rest browned side up, and griddle up any remaining slices.
- Place 4 of the slices of toast browned side down on a cutting board. Place a tomato on each piece, season lightly with salt and pepper, place 3 half slices of bacon on each slice of tomato, and top with a couple of pieces of lettuce. Generously spread the rest of the mayo on the non-browned side of the remaining slices of bread, and top the sandwiches with them browned side up. You now have a perfect BLT.
Notes
Variations
- Add grilled or caramelized onions, or a thin slice of raw onion.
- You can include a sautéed thin chicken cutlet or a piece of broiled or grilled salmon filet (this kind of makes me think of a Cobb salad sandwich).
- Change out the bacon for pancetta, or try turkey bacon. There are some vegan bacons on the market now — worth a shot if you are a vegan craving this classic sandwich!
- Add a slice of avocado or guacamole, or make a quick guac-ish mash: Smash up some avocado with lime juice and maybe some minced scallion or minced cilantro.
- Mix the mayo with some smoked paprika (pimenton), pureed chipotle in adobo sauce, harissa, minced fresh basil, cilantro, or another fresh herb of your choice (in this post, there are two video versions: plain mayo and Chipotle Mayo — also with guacamole). Or try Sriracha mayo!
- Slide in a fried egg.
- When you’re browning the bread, you could add a slice or a smear of cheese on half the slices (on the top as you brown the bottom — any cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey jack, brie, or goat cheese. Cover the pan for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts slightly, and then assemble the BLTs (lightly mayo the non-browned side of the remaining 4 slices of bread).
Nutrition
Calories: 477kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 739mg, Potassium: 282mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 276IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Hellman’s is great, has more lemon juice than most.
La Costena mayo has lime juice in it and is more flavorful than Hellman’s.
Spinach has deeper flavor than iceberg which has about zero nutrition value.
You can get too much bacon. 4 thick slices per sandwich is plenty.
White bread is crap. Try Oroweat’s 12 grain bread, tastier and nutritious.
Mayo both pieces of bread generously and be generous with the black pepper.
Toasting the bread is optional.
Do this and it will blow this recipe away.
I make mine the same way except I use shredded lettuce, and the second the toast pops up I put a slice of american cheese on the hot bread. You really can’t taste the cheese but it gives the sandwich a bit of a creamy flavor. If you wait too long to add the cheese, it will not taste the same.
It’s all in the details, right? Sounds delicious.