5-Ingredient BLT Flatbread Recipe

In the wide world of sandwiches, there are a few that have risen to the top to claim all-star status. Italian subs, grilled cheese, and the classic club are among those in the hall of fame for best sandwiches. Another is undoubtedly the BLT. Rich bacon, crisp lettuce, and ripe tomatoes — plus a healthy swath of mayonnaise — are the simple ingredients that combine to make this iconic and craveable dish. Many die-hard fans will have their favorite bread of choice for the sandwich, be it a thick whole wheat or a crusty sourdough. For a fun and interesting take, why not try this combo on a crisp grilled flatbread?

Recipe developer Taylor Murray brings us a BLT that is guaranteed to hit the spot. "I like switching it up by using a crisp flatbread for this sandwich because it allows the flavors of the sandwich to really shine through," Murray says. 

This simple sandwich can be made with just five easy-to-find ingredients. The core ingredients of any BLT are, of course, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Since the sandwich has so few ingredients, you should take care to try to find the best version of each. Ripe tomatoes on the vine will have the best flavor, especially if they are in season. There are many different types of lettuce, but here go for an extra crisp one like Little Gem. For the bacon, opt for thick-cut strips which will add heft to the sandwich. This particular recipe uses flatbread, which can be bought at the store or made from scratch. Finally, a bit of mayo serves as the finishing touch for the assembly of the sandwich and gives a nice crispness to the grilled bread.

Heat oven to 400 F.

Lay bacon strips on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Spread each flatbread with 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise.

Grill mayo-side down until marks appear, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Slice tomatoes about 1/4-inch thick.

Spread ungrilled side of flatbreads with the remaining 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

Top each flatbread with 3 slices cooked bacon.

Top with 3 slices tomato.

Season with salt and pepper.

Top with lettuce leaves and fold to finish.

Serve.

In this recipe, we opted to use the high heat of a gas grill to toast the flatbreads. (And depending on the freshness of your flatbread, you may not need to do this step at all, especially if you are making the flatbreads from scratch at home.) But there are plenty of other options for adding a nice char to the bread. A charcoal grill would work well to crisp the breads and would add an extra layer of flavor that a gas grill can't touch. If outdoor grills aren't an option for you, you can use a cast iron grill pan for indoor grilling on your stovetop to achieve a similar result. Just make sure the pan is properly preheated and seasoned for best results.

If none of those options are available, a quick toast in the toaster oven or under your oven's broiler should do the trick. Just keep a close eye on your toasting flatbreads.

When it comes to cooking bacon, there is a wide gap between bacon that's limp and soggy and bacon that is crispy and delicious. For a BLT sandwich, you definitely want to have the latter so that it stands up to the wetter ingredients like a ripe tomato. There are different techniques and theories as to how to achieve the crispiest bacon, but Murray has a clear favorite. "Without a doubt, baking bacon in the oven is the best way to get the crispiest texture," she says. "I also like the way that it creates a more mess-free experience and you can make way more at once without working in batches."

If you can't or don't wish to use the oven to crisp your bacon, you can use a pan on the stovetop. Just be sure to start with a cold pan and lay the strips in, slowly warming it up to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon on both sides until the it is crisp and the fat is rendered.