Fried Green Tomato BLT

Tomato season has always heralded summer to me. My parents had a large garden where I grew up in North Carolina, and I remember the multiple rows of tomatoes and the scent of their vines, which were staked and heavy with blooms and ripening tomatoes. They planted plenty, so when they started ripening, we were out picking almost every other day. The reward for the effort was sometimes a dinner of BLTs with crispy bacon and plenty of mayonnaise on toasted bread. This recipe for a fried green tomato BLT makes great use of those green tomatoes that never ripened.

Thick slices of green tomato are breaded with cornmeal and seasonings and fried to a golden brown. They’re layered on mayonnaise-slathered whole wheat bread with crisp lettuce and crisp bacon for a sandwich that’s equally good for lunch, dinner or weekend brunch.

What are green tomatoes?

While the height of summer celebrates ripe red tomatoes, as the season wanes, the vines are usually covered with green, unripe tomatoes. They’re tart and tangy and delicious in their own right; these are the green tomatoes you want for this and any fried green tomato recipe. Green heirloom varieties like Green Zebra are actually ripe, and are best used for salads (they make a good BLT, too!). Green, firm tomatoes are picked before they get even the slightest blush, and have a distinctive taste. They’re used in classic southern recipes, from pickled green tomatoes to green tomato relish.

Ingredients for Fried Green Tomato BLT

• Cornmeal:  Cornmeal comes in a variety of grinds. Look for medium-grind cornmeal (not cornmeal mix) for the tomato coating. Both white and yellow cornmeal work equally well.
• All-purpose flour: Flour adds silkiness to the coating and helps the cornmeal adhere to the tomato slices.
• Ground pepper: Ground black pepper is added to the cornmeal breading.
• Green tomatoes: Look for firm, pale green tomatoes for frying. Make sure to cut off both ends. If the core is deep, you can use a paring knife to remove most of it, but it’s not necessary because the slices will soften when you fry them.
• Oil for frying: Stick with a neutral cooking oil for frying, such as canola oil.
• Whole wheat bread: Use any store-bought sliced bread or any type of sourdough, boule or baguette. Toast the bread ahead of time to make the steps easier.
• Mayonnaise: Use your favorite mayonnaise brand for the sandwich. Duke’s is a Southern staple for its tangy flavor, especially in the Carolinas, where it was first produced.
• Cooked bacon strips: Your bacon choice can determine the flavor direction for the sandwich. Look for maple bacon to add a little sweetness, pepper bacon for a bigger pepper profile, or even smokehouse bacon like Benton’s (my favorite), which adds a smoky element to each sandwich bite.
• Iceberg lettuce: Readily available at most grocery stores, this crisp, firm lettuce is the classic “L” in BLT.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the tomato slices

In a shallow bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour and pepper. Dip the tomato slices in the cornmeal mixture to coat both sides, then shake off the excess and set them aside.

Editor’s Tip: This is the time to add any extra seasonings to the coating, such as 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, garlic powder, Old Bay or other seasonings mentioned in the Variations section below.

Step 2: Fry the tomatoes

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until it’s hot. In batches, fry the tomato slices until they’re browned, two to three minutes per side. Drain them on paper towels.

Editor’s Tip: Frying anything on the stovetop can cause grease splatters, so using a splatter guard is very helpful when frying the green tomatoes.

Step 3: Assemble the sandwiches

To serve, spread each slice of toast with mayonnaise. Layer half the slices with bacon, fried tomatoes and lettuce, then top them with the remaining toast slices.

Fried Green Tomato BLT Variations

• Use remoulade: Skip the store-bought mayonnaise and make your own remoulade, a traditional Louisiana condiment that will impart a satisfying, spicy flavor to the sandwich.
• Spice it up: Speaking of spicy, the coating can be spiced up anyway you’d prefer. Try adding a pinch of cayenne for a spicier tomato slice, kosher salt and garlic powder for extra oomph, or even amchur powder (an Indian spice made from dried mangoes) to enhance the pleasant sourness of the unripe tomato.
• Switch out the bread: Substitute rye bread or pumpernickel slices for the whole wheat bread, or go “full Southern” and make a biscuit sandwich.
• Add extras: For an added punch of protein (or as a vegetarian substitution for bacon), add a fried egg. Sliced avocado makes a great addition to any BLT.
• Get cheesy: To make this fried green tomato BLT truly decadent, crumble goat cheese atop the warm tomato slices before assembling the sandwiches.
• Forgo frying: If you don’t like frying on the stovetop, make oven-fried green tomato BLTs instead, or cook the tomatoes in an air fryer.

How to Store Fried Green Tomatoes

We don’t recommend storing whole sandwiches, since fried green tomatoes are best served the day they’re made. But if you have extra, store fried green tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat them in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F for 10 minutes, or in an air fryer or toaster oven. Do not use the microwave for reheating because this will make the crust soggy.

Fried Green Tomato BLT Tips

How can I keep from burning the coated tomato slices?

One of the biggest mistakes when deep-frying anything is failing to regulate the oil temperature. To ensure a deep, golden crust on your fried tomato slices, keep your oil at medium heat. You want consistent bubbles around the frying slices, but the coating can burn if the oil is too hot.

What’s the best way to make bacon?

The best way to make bacon for BLTs depends on your preference, but the best options are on the stovetop or in the oven. Frying the green tomatoes in the same pan you fried the bacon in will impart more bacony flavor to the sandwich. You can also bake bacon in the oven, which is an excellent hands-off way to cook a lot of bacon at once. How crispy should you make your bacon? That all comes down to personal preference. The longer you cook bacon, the crispier it becomes.

What can you serve with fried green tomato BLTs?

Follow my family’s summertime lead for an easy weeknight dinner by serving fried green tomato BLTs as the main dish, accompanied by a classic zesty potato salad, dill pickle potato chips or a crunchy broccoli salad. And anything that Dolly Parton says is good must be good, so her famous coleslaw is perfect alongside these BLTs.