Ultimate BLT Sandwich with Cheese and Red Onion

> originally published on July 31, 2015 | updated on July 15, 2022 <

It doesn’t get much better than a garden fresh BLT on a hot summer day.  I mean, you put bacon and mayo with veggies and you really can’t go wrong, am I right?

What REALLY makes a BLT is … of course … the tomato.  A fresh tomato straight from the farmers’ market, your garden, your grandma’s garden, or wherever you may find it from will always be the key ingredient to a killer BLT.  The rest of it is just the icing on the cake.  Like … bacon icing on the cake.  Mmm. This recipe makes two BLT sandwiches and comes together in 15 minutes.

Ingredients for an Ultimate BLT Sandwich

• 1 large Tomato (preferably heirloom or beefsteak)
• Flaky Sea Salt
• 1-2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil (best quality)
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise (best quality, like Duke’s or Hellman’s)
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 4 slices Italian Bread*
• 2 leaves Romaine Lettuce
• 3 slices thick cut Bacon, cut in half and cooked until crispy
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced Red Onion
• 1/3 cup grated Cheddar Cheese

*I like to buy a loaf of freshly baked Italian bread and slice it myself, but you can use any thick cut, sturdy bread for this recipe! I have other recommendations listed further down in this post.

How to Make a BLT Sandwich

Believe it or not, there’s a bit of finesse to constructing the ultimate BLT sandwich. Here’s how I make my perfect BLT sandwich, step-by-step:

First, slice the tomato into slices that are 1/4″-1/2″ thick. Lay them out on a large plate, and sprinkle them all with sea salt and drizzle them with olive oil. Let the salt soak into the tomato slices for at least 15 minutes, upwards of an hour. This step creates the best tasting tomato slices for a BLT!

Next, stir 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper into 1/4 cup of good quality mayonnaise. Set aside.

Toast the bread in a toaster, or spread with butter and toast for about one minute per side in a skillet over medium heat. Let the bread cool slightly, then slather the black pepper mayonnaise over the tops of each slice of bread. Only spread mayonnaise on the sides of the bread that will be the inside of the sandwich.

Tear the romaine into pieces that are the same size as the bread. Divide them over one slice of bread, gently pressing them into the black pepper mayonnaise.

Divide the marinated tomato slices over the tops of the romaine, followed by three crispy bacon halves.

On the remaining bread halves that are slathered with black pepper mayonnaise, divide the red onions and shredded cheddar directly onto the mayonnaise. Place this half of the sandwich directly onto the bottom half, so the bacon, cheese, and red onion all squish together.

Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately with chips, salad, or your favorite side dish!

Best Bread for BLTs

Thick Sliced Italian Bread, Texas Toast, Sourdough, or thick sliced Whole Wheat Bread are all perfect options for the best bread for BLTs. You can even used sliced white bread, sliced whole grain bread, or even marbled rye. Your favorite bread will be perfect for a BLT, so don’t worry if you don’t have a specific kind on hand!

Use a bread with density and thickness. This particular BLT has quite a few layers inside of it, so using a bread that can stand up to the layers is key to making your BLT the best it can be. I buy an Italian loaf from the store and slice it into 1/2″-3/4″ thick slices, then toss them in the toaster to make them warm and crispy before building my BLT sandwiches.

Toasting the bread is a game changer in my opinion, because it adds an entirely new level of texture and crunch to a BLT. If you’re slicing your own bread, make sure the slices can still fit inside the toaster if you plan on toasting your bread first!

Best Bacon for BLTs

I recommend thick cut bacon for a BLT sandwich. If you have access to a great local butcher or farmer, their bacon usually tastes a lot better than store-bought bacon. But any thick cut slices will be perfect; Applewood Smoked Bacon, Center Cut Bacon, and Thick Cut Bacon are my favorites for a BLT. If you can find a combination of all three, well that’s just the holy grail. 🙂

Best Lettuce for BLTs

Romaine lettuce is hands-down my favorite sandwich lettuce. It’s crispy, crunchy, and has more nutrients that iceberg lettuce. However, you are welcome to substitute the romaine with iceberg if that’s your preference, or green leaf lettuce.

Best Tomatoes for BLTs

Heirloom tomatoes are the beautiful, oddly shaped tomatoes that you most oftentimes find at a local farmers market. They’re juicy, rich, and absolutely packed with gorgeous tomato flavor (if you want to dig deeper into this topic, I go on an on about heirloom tomatoes in this Heirloom Tomato Salad post!). Big, ripe, heirloom tomatoes are far and away my favorite tomatoes for a BLT. However, beefsteak tomatoes are easy to find and also work well!

Why is this an Ultimate BLT Recipe?

So, here’s a fun fact.  The best wings in the United States of America are served in Kansas City.  (If you beg to differ and have a valid restaurant with valid reasoning behind this statement, please send that information to me right here.  Mark and I are on a lifelong quest to find the best wings across the nation, and your input is GREATLY appreciated!)  Now, you may be wondering how we got onto the topic of wings when we are clearly discussing the ultimate BLT sandwich recipe.  Well, it just so happens that this restaurant [read: dive bar] also serves the best BLT in the United States of America … and I made it my goal to replicate this sandwich so my BLT dreams could live on when I am stuck at home.

So basically, this is my version of the best BLT I’ve ever had in my life, and I think it’s even better when the highest quality ingredients are used. The sharp red onion flavor, peppery mayonnaise, and rich cheddar cheese send this BLT over the top, and make it the ultimate version of itself (in my opinion).

But really, a BLT is simple.  A great tomato, a few other ingredients, and you’ve got it.  This dive bar just so happens to add extra flavor and texture to the beloved summer sandwich to seriously bring it to an ultimate BLT level. 🙂

[my additional tips!]

this is an old excerpt from the original post that I published back in 2015. I kinda like it, so it stays. 🙂

Actual Prep / cook time:  10 minutes

I sincerely hope you love this BLT recipe as much as we do. If you make it and share it on social media, you should tag me on Instagram so I can check it out! If you have any questions while making it, feel free to send me a direct email so I can try to help. And as always, if you really love this BLT, a comment and star rating below would be appreciated!

xx Sara