This is how to make an unforgettable BLT sandwich that will leave you begging for seconds! The ingredients are simple, but with a few tricks, you will know how to make a BLT that really stands out in looks and flavor.
Ok. So maybe I’m not a professional BLT magic maker in the strictest sense of the word professional. A professional BLT magic maker is a good-hearted line cook who sneaks extra bacon into your sandwich.
I’m just an enthusiast. A professional enthusiast – can we leave it at that?
I mean, can you blame me? Thick slices of salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crispy lettuce in between two warm pieces of bread… This BLT is dream-worthy!
What is a BLT?
In case you never had a chance to try a BLT (seriously, try it if you haven’t), a traditional BLT stands for:
- Bacon
- Lettuce
- Tomato
There are so many different BLT recipes- from vegan to keto sandwiches and to recipes that even add like ten different ingredients on top of the lettuce and tomatoes.
A popular version I have seen at restaurants is a BLTA, with the addition of avocados.
In my recipe, I kept it simple! This is your classic BLT. The only thing I added to it is mayonnaise.
My motto: The simpler you keep your BLT, the better it will taste.
How to make a BLT
Here are my top seven tips for making the best BLT! In the following tips, I’ll share how to make a BLT sandwich that tastes as if you got it from a bakery!
1. Pick the best bread for BLT
Bread should either be perfect or perfectly horrible… Let me explain.
The best BLTs are made on fresh bakery-baked bakery bread. The more times you mention the word ‘bakery,’ the better the bread. I chose a soft loaf of bakery-baked white bread from Willa Jean Bakery in New Orleans.
If you can’t (or don’t want to) get your hands on bakery fresh bread, then go with the grocery store sliced white bread. Yes, I’m talking like Wonder Bread! It’s so soft and fluffy that it almost melts in your mouth.
Choose a healthier whole-grain bread or a few pieces of white bread – do what makes you happy. That’s what makes the best BLT sandwich!
2. Make sure to toast the bread
Toasting your bread adds a layer of complexity to this simple sandwich. It gives it a delightful crunch as you sink your teeth into the crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce.
You can toast your bread in the toaster oven to your desired shade of golden brown. If you want to toast bread in the oven, keep a close eye on it – Bread burns very quickly if you forget about it!
You can be like me and rub your sliced bread in lard and sizzle them in a cast iron skillet until mostly browned and a little burnt on both sides. I mean… I just said lard and meant it.
3. Choose the best tomatoes for BLTs
Heirloom tomatoes are the freshest, juiciest, and best kind of tomatoes for BLTs. Of course, you can’t beat the taste of sweet sun-ripened tomatoes from your backyard.
Let’s be real, though… it’s ok to buy tomatoes from Whole Foods because who has time for a garden? (If you do, then you are amazing).
4. Don’t skimp on the fresh, green lettuce
Don’t play. There is only one suitable lettuce for a proper and perfect BLT sandwich: iceberg lettuce.
We need a light, crisp, consistent crunch from our lettuce. Nothing less, nothing more. I will accept no argument to the point.
Bib lettuce will do in a pinch. Spinach… if you’re nasty.
Again, don’t play.
5. Layer on those BLT condiments
We’re going to talk about condiments because you want to get fancy, don’t you? Experiment with an aioli? Add some mustard? This would be your greatest mistake so just stop right there!
Let me save you from yourself. Mayonnaise is the only condiment to add to a BLT.
You don’t like mayonnaise? Yes, you do.
6. Grab that thickkkk bacon
Ain’t no BLT without some bacon. Yes, we can. Yes, we will.
If we’re going to use bacon, we are obligated to make it the real deal. Thick sliced, fatty, salty, perfect.
If you’re thinking about bacon made from a turkey, I’m sorry… no. I like the deliciously thick bacon portioned from the meat counter at Whole Foods. And if they have the black forest bacon, it’s your lucky day!
I’ve had the most success baking my bacon in a 375°F oven for about 15 minutes, removing the bacon from the pan, and lightly dipping my bread slices in the bacon fat before toasting.
TIP: Whatever you do, cook bacon with a shirt on. Don’t come home from Pilates, take your shirt off, and cook bacon in your sports bra and think that’s a good idea because I’ll tell you what… hot bacon fat comes atcha fast!
Trust me. Still hurts.
7. Keep it simple
Last but not least- Don’t add other things to it. When you think you want to add things to this sandwich, slow your roll. You’re messing with perfection!
Tread lightly. Ripe, sliced avocado is a suitable addition to this sandwich. Nothing else belongs!
You might also like these Praline Bacon BLT Sandwiches!
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How To Make The Best BLT Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: as many sandwiches as you'd like
- Category: brunch, lunch, dinner
Description
Make as many of these perfect sandwiches as you need all summer long!
Ingredients
- Thick cut bacon
- Thick sliced sandwich bread
- Mayonnaise
- Sliced heirloom tomatoes
- Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Iceburg lettuce
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. If you forget or don’t have foil, don’t worry, it won’t matter anyway because bacon fat gets all over the pan so much that the foil doesn’t do much.
- Lay bacon in a single layer. Place in the oven, whether the oven is properly preheated or not. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pieces towards the back of the oven are mostly burnt. Remove from the oven and place the slices on a paper towel to drain some of the fat. Then, eat a slice of bacon.
- Place a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly dip both sides of your sliced bread in hot bacon fat. Place in the warm skillet, flipping once or twice to brown on each side. Remove from the pan and smear generously with real mayonnaise. Spread the other slice of bread with mayonnaise too. Just, really do it.
- Layer warm, cooked (obviously) bacon over one slice of bread. Top with sliced tomatoes.
- Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Be civilized. Top with the exact right amount of clean iceberg lettuce. Another slice of bread goes on top. Slice that bad boy in half.
- That’s it – You’ve done it.
- Now what? EAT IT!
Keywords: blt, sandwich, recipe, summer recipe, tomatoes, bacon
Can you make a BLT ahead of time?
Honestly, no, you cannot. If you try to make a BLT and store it in the refrigerator, the juice from the tomatoes will soften the toast and the lettuce.
If you are running short on time, store each ingredient separately and skip toasting the bread. Then, all you have to do is build the BLT and eat it!
What to serve with BLT sandwiches
A bacon lettuce tomato sandwich is the perfect lunch. They are light, filling, and actually pretty nutritious, too (looking at you, lettuce). Serve it with other healthy sides for a lunch that will fill you up without dragging you down!
You can never go wrong with some baked chips or sweet potato fries.
On the other hand, if you are in the mood for lots of tomatoes, then add a bowl of tomato zucchini soup. You can’t even taste the zucchini, trust me! It’s full of fiber and nutrients and all those good-for-you-vitamins.
I hope you enjoy this BLT sandwich recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I gotta know!
