The Ultimate Homemade BLT Sandwich Recipe
Published June 4, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious homemade BLT Sandwich recipe is stacked high with crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon, and aioli on toasted sourdough bread.
I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating sandwiches. It’s actually some of my most memorable times from going to Salvaggio’s in Detroit to Clancy’s in St. Louis to pick up lunch meat. If you’re a big sandwich fan like us, then up your game with my Crab Cake Sandwich or Grilled Ribeye Sandwich
BLT
BLT is short for bacon, lettuce, and tomato, which are layered up on toasted bread. While it seems, the BLT has been around forever, the sandwich actually started to show up in British cookbooks in the early 20th century. The main rules for a good BLT are as followed:
- Crisp Crunchy Bacon – It can be baked bacon in the oven or fried in a pan
- Thinly Sliced Ripe Tomatoes – Any tomatoes are good to use, as long as they are fresh and ripe.
- Crisp Lettuce – The best lettuce to use is leaf lettuce such as green, red, or butterleaf. Iceberg is not permitted.
- Toasted Bread – Any bread will work, but I prefer it to be artisan like a sourdough.
- Mayonnaise – This can be homemade or pre-made.
How to Make a BLT Sandwich
Follow these very simple instructions to make a homemade BLT sandwich.
Start by preparing all of the necessary vegetables and set them aside.
Cook the bacon crisp in the oven or in a frying pan. Drain on paper towels.
Toast your bread in a toasted or buttered up in a pan.
Layer on the bottom toasted bread with aioli, lettuce, tomato, bacon, sprouts, and aioli on the other toasted bread and place that bread on top of the sandwich.
What Can You Add to a BLT?
While BLTs are very basic, I find there are several other ingredients you can add to the sandwich to enhance the flavor to personalize it, as I did with the aioli and sprouts. Here are some things you can add:
- Fried Egg
- Avocado
- Micro-Greens
- Onion
- Assorted Mayonnaise Sauces
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: BLT sandwiches are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done being prepared.
How to Store: If possible, keep all of the ingredients separate and covered and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the sandwich is already made, then cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 day. This will not freeze well.
chef notes + tips
- You can absolutely use plain sliced white bread.
- Tomatoes I like to use are vine-ripe, 5×6, Roma, heirloom, yellow, and green.
More Sandwich Recipes
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
The Ultimate Homemade BLT Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
For the Aioli:
- ½ cup aioli recipe
- ¼ cup shredded asiago cheese
- 1 tablespoon chiffonade basil
For the Sandwich
- ¼ cup softened unsalted butter
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 8 leaves leaf lettuce
- 4 thinly sliced large ripe tomatoes
- 24 strips crisp cooked bacon
- 1 cup alfalfa sprouts
Instructions
- Aioli: add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and mix together until combined. Keep cool in the refrigerator until it’s ready to use.
- Spread the butter evenly on both sides of all the sliced bread and cook on low heat in a large skillet until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
- To Plate: Spread some aioli on one side of a sliced toasted of bread and then layer on sliced leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, bacon, and sprouts. Spread some more aioli on another sliced of bread and then place it aioli side down onto the BLT sandwich and press down on it. Slice and serve.
The ABSOLUTE best BLT sandwich I have ever had. I love all of your recipes and videos.
thank you so kindly!!
GReat!!!!
many thanks!
Made this and have served it over and over again to lunch guests. People always love this sandwich. And it takes the stress out of preparing a meal. The avacodo and sprouts really make this sandwich! Thank you chef!
appreciate you trying it
Surely, I thought, I don’t need help with a BLT. I’m my gosh was I wrong! This BLT recipe takes a delicious sandwich to another level! Follow this recipe including going to the effort to pan toast the sourdough and you will not be sorry! I also used chef Parisi’s oven fried bacon recipe with success AND saved the fat from the bacon for his blueberry pie crust recipe! Thank you Chef! Another successful lunch served to out of town visiting relatives!
Awesome!
For a real treat, if you grow tomatoes, search out the variety Kelloggs Breakfast. They are huge, yellow/orange; one slice fills up an entire slice of bread.Perfect for your recipe.
I finish with a healthy sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper and pink Himalayan salt…😙😘