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    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

    toasted BLT sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon

    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.

    slicing fresh tomatoes

    Cook the bacon crisp in the oven or in a frying pan.  Drain on paper towels.

    crisp cooked bacon on paper towels

    Toast your bread in a toasted or buttered up in a pan.

    toasting sourdough bread 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.

    layering bacon onto a BLT 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 Billy Parisi

    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.
    stacked homemade BLT sandwiches

    More Sandwich Recipes

    Be sure to follow me on FacebookYouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    The Ultimate Homemade BLT Sandwich Recipe

    5 from 8 votes
    This homemade BLT Sandwich recipe is stacked high with crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon and aioli on toasted sourdough bread.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes

    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.

    Notes

    Chef Notes:
    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 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.
    You can absolutely use plain sliced white bread.
    Tomatoes I like to use are vine-ripe, 5×6, Roma, heirloom, yellow, and green.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 882kcalCarbohydrates: 83gProtein: 36gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1959mgPotassium: 778mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4032IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 167mgIron: 6mg
    Course: dinner, lunch, Main, Main Course
    Cuisine: American

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