If bacon makes everything better, what makes bacon better? More bacon! BLT Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing has entered the chat. The classics are all accounted for, but this dinner salad has a few extra tricks up its sleeve. Ready in under thirty minutes means you can make it tonight!
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Of all the sandwiches in all the world, the BLT is the best. No one has ever had a bad BLT. Maybe some better than others, but it’s scientifically impossible for bacon, lettuce, and tomato, plus bread, to be bad.
Which is why it’s weird that it really can’t be modified for other dinner ideas. There is no timeline in which BLT soup or BLT pot pie or BLT casserole would be a palatable replacement. Now, BLT salad, on the other hand, is something we can all get behind.
As easy dinner recipes go, a dinner salad is an automatic winner. And this BLT bad boy can’t be beat.
Lettuce and tomato notwithstanding, the ‘B’ is in front for a reason. Bacon makes everything better. Just ask my chopped wedge salad and tomato salad with bacon. Bowls of sad, lonely vegetables, otherwise. Our BLT salad recipe calls for a double dose of bacon – bite-size pieces, not puny fairy dust bits, plus smoky bacon fat in the dressing – so you know we take the wellbeing of our vegetables extra seriously here.
And before you ask, trust – you’re not missing big slabs of bread when you’ve got crispy homemade croutons. Now, here’s where things get fun…
We could have dressed BLT salad with a creamy dressing to replace the requisite mayonnaise. But like we said – only bacon can make bacon better, so we’re dressing with a bacon vinaigrette and adding creaminess elsewhere: chunks of avocado and cheddar.
And while cheese is a controversial add-on for the sandwich, this is a BLT salad recipe, baby. We’re already living on the edge. Might as well live there to the fullest!
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make one of our favorite summer salad recipes – the BLT salad. Scroll for ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Salad Greens: we love the combination of crisp romaine and sweet butter lettuce. Feel free to make your own substitutions with what you have on hand or what is available; mixed greens and spinach are mild and sweet. Add a bit of radicchio or watercress if you prefer a little bitterness. Iceberg lettuce is crunchy and refreshing.
- Bacon: we use regular bacon, but thick-cut bacon works great for a meatier bite.
- Tomatoes: use cherry or grape tomatoes for best texture; larger diced tomatoes have tons of seeds and extra juice that will compete with the flavor of the dressing.
- Cheddar Cheese: dice a block of cheese into half-inch cubes for easily “forkable” bites; use either sharp or mild cheddar.
- Avocado: we love the creamy contrast that avocado brings to a BLAT, be it sandwich or salad. In this recipe, avocado takes the place of a mayo-based dressing and provides the creamy edge found in the best classic BLT recipes.
- Vinaigrette Ingredients: bacon fat replaces extra virgin olive oil in our smokey, zippy vinaigrette. Whisk it with red wine vinegar, whole grain mustard, and honey.
- Homemade Croutons: use half a loaf of your favorite bread (we like sourdough) to make the homemade croutons. Toss chunks of sourdough bread with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, then bake until golden brown.
Step-By-Step Recipe Photos
Make it a meal you say? No problem! BLT Salad is a fork-able spin on the classic sandwich. Elevate bacon, lettuce, and tomato to meal status with chunks of creamy avocado and cheddar cheese. Homemade warm bacon dressing and herby croutons are a perfect finish for this easy dinner salad.
- Slice or tear the bread into bite-sized (one-inch) pieces and toss with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Arrange on a baking sheet in a single, even layer. Bake in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
- Place the bacon in a cold skillet, then heat over a medium flame. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the bacon is golden brown and very crisp. Remove the cooked bacon using a slotted spoon, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Combine three tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat with red wine vinegar, honey, and whole grain mustard, then whisk until smooth.
- Combine the romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the crispy bacon, then drizzle with half the vinaigrette.
- Toss until the ingredients are well combined and evenly coated with dressing.
- Portion the salad into bowls and sprinkle with homemade croutons and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Essential Notes and Tips
- dice or chop each ingredient in this dinner salad recipe into uniform, bite-sized pieces for a balanced bite every time.
- use kitchen shears to cut the bacon – they’re so much easier to use than a chef’s knife for slippery bacon slices.
- cook your bacon the right way! always start bacon in a cold skillet, gently bringing it to a sizzle over medium heat. Cook until the fat renders out (you’ll need it for the dressing!) and the pieces are a deep golden brown; lastly, drain the bacon on a paper towel lined plate for maximum crispiness.
Recipe Variations
If you’ve never met a recipe you can’t tweak just a li’l bit, this section is for you! If you change things up, write a comment below and tell us all about it.
- add grilled chicken or grilled shrimp for a heartier meal
- add a poached or soft-boiled egg to transform this recipe from a dinner salad into a breakfast salad!
- swap sharp cheddar cheese for mild cheddar, gouda, fontina, or even blue cheese.
Did you make this BLT Salad? We’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
BLT Salad
Description
Ingredients
Croutons
- 8 ounces sourdough bread, sliced or torn into 1” cubes; (half a loaf, or 4 heaping cups)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Warm Bacon Dressing
- 8 strips bacon, diced into 1” pieces
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
Salad
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, diced to 1”
- 4 cups butter lettuce, diced to 1”
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (1 pint)
- 1 medium avocado, diced to ½”
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced to ½”
Instructions
For the Croutons
- Position a rack in the center of the oven, then heat the oven to 375°F.
- Divide the bread into 1” cubes, then place into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the bread with the olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Using your (clean) hands, gently toss the bread with the oil and seasonings until evenly coated.
- Arrange the bread cubes into a single, even layer on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook 12-15 minutes, tossing every 4-5 minutes, until the bread is dry, golden brown in color, and very crisp (see Note 1). Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
For the Dressing
- While the croutons bake, prepare the dressing. Place the bacon into a cold skillet (see Note 2). Heat over medium until the bacon starts to sizzle and the fat begins to render. Adjust the heat up or down to maintain a steady sizzle. Cook, stirring the bacon every 2-3 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the bacon pieces are deep golden brown in color, 7-9 minutes.
- Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel lined plate to drain (see Note 3).
- Transfer three tablespoons of rendered bacon fat into a small bowl or 1-cup measuring cup (see Note 4). Add the red wine vinegar, honey, and whole grain mustard, then whisk until very smooth.
For the Salad
- Place the romaine and butter lettuces into a large bowl; top with the cooked bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and cheddar cheese.
- Drizzle half the dressing over the salad base, then toss with tongs or salad spoons until the ingredients are well combined and evenly coated with dressing.
- Divide the salad between 4 plates or bowls, then sprinkle each salad with one-quarter of the croutons, as well as a bit of freshly ground black pepper (if desired). Serve with the remaining dressing on the side, drizzling more to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. Bake day-old bread for closer to 12 minutes; bake fresh bread for closer to 15 minutes.
- Note 2. Always start bacon in a cold skillet for even cooking. Placing bacon into a hot skillet will prevent the fat from properly rendering, creating chewy, not crispy, pieces of bacon.
- Note 3. The bacon will not stay crisp if it isn’t drained. Line a plate with 2 layers of paper towels, place the bacon onto the towels and spread into an even layer. All the bacon to drain for 5 minutes. You may also blot the top of the bacon pieces with another paper towel to remove excess fat.
- Note 4. To transfer the bacon fat, tip the skillet to the side so that the fat pools. Dip a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon into the fat and scoop up three tablespoons. Alternatively, nest a small fine-mesh strainer into a jar, then pour the fat from the skillet through the strainer into the jar. Use a measuring spoon to portion out three tablespoons.
Cal Abriola
Years ago in Nashville there was a restaurant called Houston’s. They had a Hot Bacon Honey Mustard Dressing that was out of this world. We would always go there for lunch because of that dressing. I have only been able to copy it once.