How to Make a Better BLT Sandwich

A BLT sandwich is a classic, but you can make it even better with just a few simple tips. This is one of our go-to summer meals when we have fresh juicy tomatoes from the garden to use!

There are so many reasons to love a BLT. The timeless simplicity and wholesomeness, the crisp, salty bacon, the juicy, ripe tomatoes, and crisp leafy lettuce are all a perfect match. But you’ll be enthralled and amazed at the difference a couple of simple extra steps makes when getting a BLT right!

I know those sound like big promises, but if you’ll hear me out I think you’ll find that you can step up your BLT game with minimal effort.

Ingredient Notes

• Bread – For starters, the bread should be soft but sturdy enough to hold up under the juicy tomatoes. You don’t want anything too crusty or it will make biting through the edge of the sandwich difficult, but you also don’t want wimpy white sandwich bread that will immediately go soggy and be overpowered by the superstar elements of this sandwich.
• Salted Butter – Forget toasting your bread in the toaster. For the best BLT sandwich I recommend buttering both sides of your bread and toasting them on a griddle or in a skillet, like grilled cheese or french toast, before assembling your sandwich.
• Tomatoes – I don’t even bother with a BLT unless I have really good tomatoes available. My top choices are homegrown tomatoes from my garden or deliciously fresh, juicy tomatoes from the farmer’s market. I’ll go to the farmer’s market every Saturday during the summer just for those deliciously tangy and sweet heirloom tomatoes for my BLT sandwich! But a nice red on-the-vine tomato from the store can work too. Just avoid any pale pink tomatoes, which just aren’t worth your time when it comes to a BLT.
• Lettuce – I personally like green leaf lettuce best for my BLT but you can use mixed greens or even romaine or iceberg lettuce if you like it more crunchy.
• Bacon – This can be a divisive topic and everybody has their favorite approach to bacon. Personally I like mine crisp but still chewy so it doesn’t shatter apart on my sandwich.
• Mayo – One of my favorite ways to step up my BLT situation is to throw together a simple garlic aioli in place of regular mayonnaise. Bonus points if I have a few herbs like some chives or oregano on hand to add to it, although those aren’t strictly necessary.
• Cheese – Nobody come for me for adding cheese to my BLT but I love a slice of pepper jack or havarti cheese on mine and I think you just might like it too.
• Avocado – Also possibly a controversial addition, but a few slices of creamy avocado are just so good with all the other flavors and textures of a BLT. I say go for it.
• Salt & Pepper – One of the most frequent mistakes people make when throwing together a BLT is forgetting to season their tomatoes. Not only will the salt give a better flavor to the tomatoes but it will draw out some of the tomatoes juices before adding them to the sandwich so it doesn’t get as soggy.
• Olive Oil & Vinegar – Just a drizzle of these over your seasoned tomatoes helps bring their flavors to the fore without overpowering or overwhelming the sandwich. Feel free to omit if you want.

Let’s Make a Sandwich!

1. Cook the bacon. Whether you want to fry up the bacon in a cast iron skillet or cook it in the oven, you want to get your bacon crispy before you start on the rest of the sandwich.
2. Toast the bread. I grew up toasting my bread for BLT’s in the toaster and eating it dry, but buttered bread that has been toasted in a pan is definitely superior. Not only does it have better flavor but it also holds up better under the weight of the other ingredients. I like to toast both sides but you do you.

2. Season the tomatoes. Slice your tomatoes. I like around 3/8-inch thick slices, which are fairly thick without being over-the-top. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, then let sit on a plate for a few minutes while you work on the rest of the sandwich. The salt will draw out some of the tomato juices so they don’t make your BLT overly soggy.
3. Spread your bread with mayo or aioli. Add a generous amount of mayo or aioli to both sides of your toasted bread. If you are making my simple cheater aioli below, it’s just a matter of mincing up a garlic clove and mixing it with some mayo, lemon juice, and any herbs you feel like adding or have on hand.

4. Assemble. Pile your lettuce onto the bottom piece of bread, followed by the tomatoes and plenty of the crispy bacon (and cheese and avocado, if using). Place the top piece of toasted bread on your sandwich and give it a little press to make sure everything is friendly and not going to topple off. You can secure the sandwich with toothpicks, if needed. Slice in half and devour!