The Perfect Bacon Sandwich

There’s no two ways about it – this is the most delicious way to construct a classic Bacon Sandwich!

For real though, could a bacon butty be one of the greatest sarnies of all time?! I mean it’s a British delicacy nevertheless. And every Brit is very protective over their version of a bacon sandwich, but I’m here today to ruffle some feathers and throw my hat in the ring. Follow me…

Perfect Bacon Sandwich

Alrighty, let’s talk bacon.

What kind of bacon to use?

For a bacon sarnie it’s back bacon over streaky bacon. If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while you know my love for streaky bacon, but back bacon is where it’s at for a bacon butty. You still get the nice crispy part of the tail, but more of the meat with the medallion. In terms of smoked vs unsmoked, I highly recommend smoked. You’re just missing out on flavour otherwise! Remember, bacon is the only main ingredient here, let it shine!

How to cook the bacon?

Pan frying gives you more control over the texture as opposed to baking. I recommend maintaining a medium heat as you fry. Too high and the fat won’t render down, too low and the meat won’t caramelize. Whilst I’m usually a fan of ultra crispy bacon, I recommend frying the bacon until it’s mostly crispy. Enough to render down and crisp up the fat, but not so much the bacon shrinks into oblivion. You want some of that meaty texture.

How many slices of bacon should be in a bacon sandwich?

4 slices of bacon per sandwich. Hear me out – remember the bacon shrinks, and 4 slices means two per side for a square slice of bread.

Bacon Sandwich

Best bread for a bacon sandwich?

Thick soft white sandwich bread. Let’s talk about that:

• Thick – The inside of the sandwich is gonna be oily, buttery and saucy. We need a slice which can contain that. Plus if you’ve not got indigestion after you’ve eaten a bacon sandwich you’ve done it wrong.
• Soft – You’ve got the crispy bacon, you want the outside to counteract that.
• White – Wholemeal is criminal and seeded bread is just distracting. A bacon butty is unhealthy, don’t pretend otherwise.
• Sandwich Bread – Save the fancy bread for something else. A bacon sandwich is rough and ready and usually for when you’re hungover. That thick soft white Hovis you’ve got in the cupboards does the job just fine.

Should you toast a bacon sandwich?

In my opinion – no. Like I said, the bacon is crispy, the softer the bread the better the contrast. At most I’d recommend toasting one side of the bread, just to use up the bacon fat.

What’s the best sauce for a bacon sandwich?

Traditionally it’s ketchup, and that’s my sauce of choice. Brown sauce is acceptable, but in my eyes that belongs with a sausage sandwich. As for mustard, chilli sauce, BBQ sauce or mayonnaise – pack it in, immediately.

Do you put butter on a bacon sandwich?

It’s called a bacon butty for a reason! Do not hold back on the butter – yes, butter both slices and don’t look back. Also make sure it’s proper butter (not margarine). Salted Lurpack for me!

Serving a Bacon Sandwich

I mean let’s not beat around the bush, bacon sarnies taste infinitely better when you’ve been on the razzle the night before. Not suggesting you do that just to make this sandwich, but just keep that in mind when you’ve woken up with a fuzzy head on a Sunday morning. Do you need anything with a bacon sandwich? A cup of tea, that’s it. The bacon sandwich is the main event, don’t mask it.

Looking for more obnoxious food talk about British sandwiches? Check out my Proper Sausage Sandwich!

For more similar sandwiches check out these beauties:

Bacon Sandwich Recipes

• Fried Egg Bacon Sandwich
• Sausage and Bacon Sandwich
• BLT Sandwich
• Bacon Grilled Cheese

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this classic bacon sandwich shall we?!

How to make a Bacon Sandwich (Full Recipe & Video)

The Perfect Bacon Sandwich

There's no two ways about it - this is the most delicious way to construct a classic Bacon Sandwich!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: British, English

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings (click & slide): 1 sandwich

Calories per serving: 761kcal

Author: Chris

Cost per serving: £4 / $5

Equipment

• Non-Stick Pan & Tongs
• Bread Knife

Ingredients

• 2 large thick slices of Soft White Bread (see notes)
• 4 slices of Smoked Back Bacon
• lots of Butter
• Ketchup, as needed

Instructions

• Add bacon to a pan over medium heat. Fry until the fat begins to renders down and the bottom side begins to brown. Flip then continue cooking until the fat mostly renders down and the meat is crisp, but still has a bit of bend to it. Remove from pan.
• Butter one side of each of the slices of bread. Add bacon so there's two on each half of the bread, then add ketchup. Add bread butter side down, slice through the centre and enjoy!

Quick Demo

Notes

a) Bread - soft white sandwich bread is all you need. Save the fancy bread for something else. Preferably squared slices so you can perfectly get two slices of bacon per half. If you're adamant you want to toast it, I recommend toasting just one side in the leftover bacon fat. Remember you really want the softness to counteract the crispy bacon.

b) Perfectly Crisp Bacon - Try and get cured bacon, it's packed with less moisture. If the bacon is 'wet' then pat it dry with paper towels otherwise it'll steam and won't crisp up. You want the bacon mostly crisp, mainly the fat on the tail rendered down. But you want a bit of the meaty texture of the medallion, so don't crisp it into oblivion. Plus it'll just shrink.

c) Multiple Sandwiches - Use two pans or keep the bacon warm in the oven. Don't cram all the bacon in one pan or it'll steam and the fat won't render down. That or just serve them one at a time! 

For tips and variations check out the full blog post just above the recipe card!

Calories - Based on 1.5 tbsp butter and ketchup:

Your Private Notes:

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

The Perfect Bacon Sandwich

Amount Per Serving

Calories 761 Calories from Fat 541

% Daily Value*

Fat 60.14g93%

Saturated Fat 11.364g71%

Trans Fat 0.714g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.62g

Monounsaturated Fat 4.841g

Cholesterol 46mg15%

Sodium 1151mg50%

Potassium 679mg19%

Carbohydrates 37.51g13%

Fiber 1.7g7%

Sugar 9.7g11%

Protein 18.79g38%

Vitamin A 667IU13%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 99mg10%

Iron 2.7mg15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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