← All recipes

Sandwiches · American

BLT

Crisp bacon, juicy tomato, cold lettuce, toast. Four things, done right.

Hands-on
15 min
Hands-off
30 min
Total
45 min
Makes
2 sandwiches
Serves
2

45 min total, 15 min active. Cook allows for the full bake (20 min plus up to 15 more); the oven heats while you prep. Thin bacon is often crisp at 20 min, making it closer to 30 min overall. Total = 15 min active + up to 30 min baking.

Oven 200 °C · 180 °C fan (400 °F)

Pan 2 matching rimmed baking sheets (US: 2 matching rimmed baking sheets)

  • easy
  • lunch
  • sandwich
  • classic
  • summer

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of BLT
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: 2 rimmed baking sheets of the same size · parchment paper · paper towels · toaster · serrated knife · oven mitts

Contains: wheat · egg

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Put a rack in the centre of the oven and heat it to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).

  2. Press the bacon flat

    Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and lay the 8 bacon strips on it in a single layer. Cover with a second sheet of parchment, then set the second baking sheet on top to hold the bacon flat. Wash your hands after handling the raw bacon.

  3. Bake

    Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes without opening the trays. With mitts on, lift the top tray to check. If the bacon isn't crisp yet, cover it again and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, checking every 5 minutes.

    Ready when: Cook it crisp: the strips are deep golden-brown along their whole length and the fat has turned golden and see-through, with no soft white or pink patches. A thin strip is too thin to check with a thermometer, so crisp is your safety cue. It firms up even more as it cools.

    Otto tried this firstOtto pulls the bacon at 20 minutes because it 'looks fine'. It bends like rubber. Back in for 10 more minutes, as the recipe says, until it's crisp.

  4. Drain

    Lift the bacon onto paper towels with tongs. Leave the hot fat on the tray to cool before you deal with it.

  5. Toast and season

    Toast the 4 bread slices. Cut each of the 2 large tomatoes into 4 thick slices, lay them on a plate and season with salt and pepper.

    Ready when: The toast is golden and firm enough to hold up to the juicy tomato.

  6. Build

    Spread the 3 tbsp mayonnaise over one side of each toast slice. On 2 slices, layer 4 tomato slices, 4 strips of bacon (broken into 2 or 3 pieces each) and half the shredded lettuce. Top with the other 2 slices, mayo side down, and cut in half.

Swaps

  • Instead of oven-baked bacon: pan-fried bacon You can pan-fry the bacon instead. Follow the heat and timing on your bacon packet and cook until crisp (same doneness cue as the oven step).
  • Instead of white bread and iceberg: toasted sourdough and green leaf lettuce Use 2 tbsp mayo and 2 tomato slices per sandwich.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
The bacon can be baked ahead. Refrigerate it within 2 hours and use it within 3 to 4 days. Build the sandwiches just before eating.
Storage
A finished BLT is made to eat right away, so there's no storage time for it. Leftover cooked bacon: refrigerate within 2 hours, use within 3-4 days. Raw bacon stays in the fridge at 4°C (40°F) or below.

If something goes wrong

  • Bacon still floppy at 20 minutes Why: Thicker bacon or a cooler oven.
    Bake 10 to 15 minutes more and check again.
  • Bacon curled and cooked unevenly Why: Nothing holding it flat.
    Sandwich it between two sheets of parchment with a second baking sheet on top.

Good to know

  • A tasty twist: sprinkle the tomato slices with 2 tsp sugar and top them with a generous tablespoon of dill pickle relish, and toss the lettuce with 2 tsp red wine vinegar.
  • Ordinary thick-sliced supermarket bread that toasts firm works best.

Safety

  • Raw bacon is raw pork. Keep it away from the tomato, lettuce and bread, and wash your hands and surfaces after touching it. Cook it until crisp: a thin slice is hard to check with a thermometer, but crisp bacon should have reached a safe temperature.
  • Bacon fat on the tray is extremely hot. Let it cool before moving the tray, then scrape it into the bin; never pour fat down the sink. Kids should leave the tray to an adult.
  • Bread can contain milk or soy, and mayonnaise contains egg. Check labels if you cook for allergies.