The PERFECT Bacon Sarnie Recipe

Nothing in this world is better than a perfect Bacon Sarnie — and this recipe proves it!

This iconic British Bacon Sarnie features gloriously crispy British back bacon fried in butter and sandwiched between slices of white bread toasted in heavenly bacon fat — then finished with copious amounts of tangy HP Sauce and Heinz Tomato Ketchup for the most incredibly satisfying sandwich experience of your entire life!

Behind Her Eyes Bacon Sarnie Scene

We recently watched the Netflix series called "Behind Her Eyes" which is set in England. This is a psychological drama involving a married couple Adele and David and a single mother Louise who enters their lives. It's a 6 part series based on the novel by Sarah Pinborough. Although not for everyone (there are disturbing scenes and quite a lot of adult content), it is intriguing and the ending is quite shocking!

As for me, I am always looking out for food in the programs that I watch. In Episode 1, there is a scene in which Louise eats a Bacon Sarnie. She eats this on her first day of her new job when wearing a lovely white blouse. Unfortunately a huge blob of ketchup from the Bacon Sarnie ends up on her blouse and she ends up in a bit of a panic. 😕

By the way, Louise's colleague who gave her the Bacon Sarnie states: "Bacon Sarnie what is better? Nothing...3 rashers of smoked best back is the highlight of my week."

What is a Bacon Sarnie?

A Bacon Sarnie, in my mind one of the best things in life, is Brit speak for a Bacon Sandwich. Now, you may be thinking who needs a recipe for a bacon sandwich? That's fair. So please think of this as more tips and info on how to perfect your Bacon Sandwich game!

So bacon lover, please read on to find out what you will need to make one of the best bacon recipes ever!

🥘 INGREDIENTS

Great news! This is a super simple sandwich to make, and you only need a few amazing ingredients including:

• British back bacon (see below for more information and the difference between American streaky bacon and British back bacon); you can use streaky bacon if you prefer and I recommend regular bacon over thick-sliced bacon
• White bread - I have also used multigrain bread before, but white bread is preferred
• Butter/spreadable butter - I recommend Kerrygold! It's Irish, and in my mind it's one of the BEST!
• Ketchup - I used Simply Heinz Tomato Ketchup - it's too good!
• HP Sauce - ooh I love this tangy brown sauce! More about this sauce below!

Back Bacon vs. Streaky Bacon

In the US, we are familiar with Streaky Bacon.

From the EnglishBreakfastSociety.com: "The streaky bacon that the Americans love is pork 'belly' cut from the fat streaked padding on the side of the pig."

The UK, on the other hand, prefer back bacon. Again from the EnglishBreakfastSociety.com: "The British do bacon right because we slice the meat properly so that rashers (slices) of bacon include belly and loin in one beautiful piece of meat to create an irresistible and unforgettable bacon eating experience."

Ok, so I am an American who grew up on streaky bacon. I also had the opportunity to live in the UK and experience back bacon. They both have their advantages and not many disadvantages that I can think of! However, I have to give the edge to back bacon, which is not a thick-cut bacon, for use in Bacon Sarnies. First of all, I'm trying to duplicate the British Bacon Sarnie experience, and second of all I think the taste and texture of the back bacon is perfect for bacon sandwiches.

So, if you can find back bacon for these Bacon Sarnies please use that! However, if all you can find is streaky bacon, then no worries...all is good. 😉

The Bread

Traditionally white bread is used for Bacon Sarnies. We will end up lightly toasting both sides (in butter and bacon grease!!) and you will still have a soft middle. This makes for an incredible sandwich eating experience!

You can butter both sides. However, I buttered one side and left the other side without butter. It worked. 🙂

The Sauces

Now the finishing touches are the incredible sauces. I highly recommend copious amounts of the following sauces for the perfect Bacon Sarnie dining experience:

• Heinz Tomato Ketchup (you can't go wrong with this!)
• HP Sauce

Most of us will be familiar with Heinz Tomato Ketchup. However if you aren't familiar with HP Sauce you are IN FOR A TREAT!

HP Sauce is THE BOMB. HP stands for Houses of Parliament, by the way. Here is an incredible article about HP Sauce from the Huffington Post called "HP Sauce: The Brown English Condiment You Need To Be Using." Try to find it at your local grocery store! If you can't find it, it can be ordered here on Amazon.

HP Sauce is the PERFECT accompaniment to a Bacon Sarnie. I recommend you add both the Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup AND HP Sauce. However if you could choose only one of the sauces? I pick HP!

🔪 Instructions

Heat up your griddle to around 350F or your cast iron to medium to med-high heat. Add the butter (or olive oil) and once melted add your back bacon slices. Fry both sides, turning frequently, until golden brown and just crispy (you don't want to overdo this part). Cooking bacon took me about 6 minutes.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are using streaky bacon, you won't need any butter or olive oil when cooking this bacon. 

Drain the crispy bacon on paper towels.

Add spreadable butter to 1 side or both sides of your bread. If using only 1 side, then begin toasting (on your griddle or pan which still has bacon fat) the side that does not have butter first. Allow the bread to soak up as much bacon fat without it becoming TOO greasy.

Then flip over and toast the buttered side.

By the way, if there is a lot of bacon fat on your griddle, if you want you can skip the buttering and/or remove some of the fat.

Assemble by placing half of the crispy slices of bacon on 1 slice of pan-toasted bread, and then half on another slice of toasted bread.

Add copious amounts of HP Sauce and Ketchup.

Top each with the remaining slices of toasted bread, then cut each sarnie diagonally.

Suggestions For Serving

It's time to enjoy SANDWICH HEAVEN! Doesn't this look absolutely gorgeous? I promise you this delicious bacon sandwich tastes even better!

Truly this is all you need for an amazing perfect breakfast or easy snack. You may want to double the recipe however, as you will more than likely want to indulge in more than one Bacon Sarnie.

Have I convinced you to take every possible step to ensure that a savory Bacon Sarnie shows up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in your life soon? I do hope so. 🙂

FAQ

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other great easy recipes that you may enjoy:

• Easy and Scrummy British Beans on Toast!
• How To Make The Best Ever HOT Scorpion Pepper Bacon
• Healthy Turkey Sandwich With Grilled Zucchini

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Cheers!

Grace