How to Make a Club Sandwich

Last Updated: May 20, 2022 References Tested

The club sandwich probably first appeared at gambling houses (or clubhouses) in New York in the late 19th century—which is how it got the name “club sandwich.”^{[1]
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Research source} The club was designed to be a whole meal in a single sandwich. Since then, this sandwich has become an iconic classic, available at diners and roadhouses worldwide. If you want to make you own, try a classic club sandwich recipe, or change up the ingredients to suit your own tastes. Serve it up with some fries or potato chips, or pair it with a savory soup for a warm and wholesome lunch.

Ingredients

2-3 slices of white bread
2-3 strips of bacon
Mayonnaise
Sliced chicken or turkey breast
Sliced tomato
Lettuce
Salt and pepper (to taste, optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Classic Double-Decker Club Sandwich

1
Fry 2-3 slices of bacon until they’re crisp. Add bacon to a cold, flat-bottomed skillet and heat it slowly on low-medium heat, turning the bacon frequently. Fry the bacon until it’s crisp and foamy. Blot the bacon with a paper towel to remove the grease, then set it aside until you're ready to assemble the sandwich.^{[2]
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- If you'd prefer, you can also use pre-cooked or microwavable bacon for a quick alternative. Turkey or soy bacon are lower-fat alternatives.
- Be careful when you’re frying the bacon, since the grease can splatter and burn you! Use a good pair of tongs to help you turn it safely.
2
Toast 3 slices of white sandwich bread. Club sandwiches are usually made from plain white sandwich bread, toasted until it gets crisp. To make a traditional double-decker club sandwich like the kind you’d get at your favorite diner, toast 3 bread slices so you can place 1 in the middle of the sandwich.^{[3]
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Research source} Or, if you prefer a simpler single-layer sandwich, use 2 slices instead.
- If you want to cut the calories of this sandwich down, eliminating the middle slice of bread is a good way to do it. It’ll still taste great!
- Lay the slices of bread out in a row on a clean surface when you’re done toasting them.
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3
Spread mayonnaise on 1 slice of bread. Use a table knife to spread a thin layer of mayonnaise onto 1 side of the bottom piece of toast, to taste.^{[4]
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Research source} The mayo helps to keep the sandwich moist, but if you don't like it, or don't want the extra calories, it's perfectly fine to leave it off.
- Some recipes also call for a layer of butter on both sides of each slice of toast, which will make your sandwich even more rich and moist.^{[5]
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4
Layer on the sliced chicken or turkey. On top of the bottom slice of bread, add a few pieces of thinly sliced poultry. Chicken is the traditional choice, but turkey is also commonly used. Use deli meat, or slice up your own freshly roasted chicken or turkey breast if you want a thicker sandwich.^{[6]
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- The meat on a club sandwich is almost always cold. If you want to roast your own chicken or turkey for a club, all the better, but let it cool to at least room temperature before making the sandwich.
5
Top off the first layer with some lettuce and tomato. Add 1-2 leaves of crisp iceberg lettuce, and 1 or 2 slices of fresh tomato.^{[7]
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Research source} If you don't have iceberg, romaine, bibb, or other crisp lettuce varieties work perfectly fine.
- Spinach and other greens are also great substitutions, but iceberg lettuce is most traditional on a club.
- If you like, season your ingredients with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste.^{[8]
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Add another slice of bread and mayo. You’re halfway there! To start the second layer, you can add another slice of toasted bread, with mayo on both sides, if you're feeling indulgent. If not, feel free to hold the mayo, or leave the middle slice off entirely.^{[9]
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- If you choose not to add the middle layer of bread, add mayo to just 1 side of your second piece of toast. Put the bacon on the sandwich, top it off with the second bread slice, and you’re done.
7
Place the bacon on the second layer of bread. Start the second layer of the sandwich by laying the 2-3 pieces of cooked bacon on the top of the center piece of bread.^{[10]
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Research source} You can break up the pieces if they're a little too big for the sandwich.
- Alternatively, you can also put bacon on the bottom layer.^{[11]
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8
Add another layer of chicken or turkey, tomato, and lettuce. On top of your bacon, complete the second layer of the sandwich. Start with chicken or turkey, then put the lettuce and tomato on top. Go a bit easier on the second layer, so the sandwich doesn't become top-heavy.^{[12]
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Top the sandwich with the final piece of toasted bread. When you've got your tower built up, top it all off with another slice of bread, pressing down slightly to get the sandwich under control. If you want, you can add mayo to the top slice before stacking it on.^{[13]
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Cut the sandwich along both diagonals. Now comes the fun part. One of the most famous features of the club sandwich is the way it's cut. Use diagonal slices to make those classic little triangles and show off all the good stuff inside! To start, cut your sandwich from corner to corner, across one diagonal, and then again across the opposite diagonal, cutting it into 4 triangle-shaped slices.^{[14]
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- Use a sharp chef's knife for the best results. If you made a classic double-decker, you’ve got a lot of sandwich layers to cut through.
- Some people like to cut the crusts off before slicing the sandwich along both diagonals, so the sandwich slices are perfect triangles.
- Push a frilly toothpick down through the middle of each piece of the sandwich to help hold the sections together.^{[15]
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11
Serve your sandwich with chips or fries in the middle of the plate. Arrange the sandwich sections on the plate, spread out slightly with a gap in the middle, which you can fill with your side. French fries and potato chips are probably most common, but you could also pair a club with potato salad, coleslaw, or a green side salad, and a pickle spear.
- For a warm and soothing side, add a cup of chicken noodle or tomato soup. You can even dip your sandwich in it!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Club Sandwich Variations

1
Use a heartier bread for a more complex taste and texture. Most club sandwiches are made with plain white bread, but there's nothing stopping you from getting more creative. Try a club made with hearty multi-grain, or use marbled rye for a little more flavor.
- For a real creative treat, try using 3 different slices of bread—wheat on the bottom, rye on the top, and pumpernickel in the middle. Now you're talking!
2
Add 1 slice of your favorite cheese for a savory twist. Most clubs don't have cheese, but what sandwich isn't a little better with a slice of cheddar, provolone, American, or pepper jack? Sandwich rules were made to be broken. Top the ingredients on top of the middle piece of bread with a slice of cheese to make your sandwich extra tasty.^{[16]
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- Pimento cheese is a southern delicacy, made with spreadable cheese and a pepper kick. It'd go great on a club.
3
Switch out the meat to change up the flavor. A club is usually made with poultry, such as chicken or turkey. But what about a roast beef club? A corned beef club? A roast pork club? You can also pair up turkey and ham for a classic flavor combo.^{[17]
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- If you don't eat meat, try adding grilled zucchini slices, eggplant, tempeh, or portobello mushrooms instead of the meat.
4
Mix seasonings into your mayo for some extra kick. Plain old mayonnaise or Miracle Whip can make even a bad sandwich serviceable. But with a little extra work, that mayo can be great. Consider whipping up any of the following concoctions to add some zing:
- Pesto mayo (1 tablespoon (15 mL) of pesto per ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of mayo)
- Curry mayo (1/2 tablespoon (3.2 g) of curry powder per ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of mayo)
- Fry sauce (ketchup and mayo)
- Thousand island (French dressing, pickle relish, mayo)
- Sriracha hot sauce mayo (sriracha to taste, plus mayo)
- Brown mustard mayo (2 tablespoons (30 mL) of brown mustard per ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of mayo)
- Mayo and cajun seasoning (1 teaspoon (4 g) per ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of mayo)
5
Substitute other condiments to spice up your sandwich. If you like ketchup on your sandwich, go for it. Honey mustard? Barbecue sauce? Balsamic vinegar? Banana sauce? Louisiana chili sauce? Sounds great. The club sandwich is a pretty basic recipe that you can alter to any tastes. Experiment with different sauces to discover your favorite flavor.
- Try a different condiment on each slice of bread to make the layers distinct and unusual. It'll be the most epic club ever!

Community Q&A

Question

Can I add onions inside the sandwich?

Community Answer

Absolutely! You can add any sandwich toppings you like.
Question

What can I substitute for bacon?

Community Answer

It depends on why you can't use bacon. Do you want something kosher/halal? Use bacon-style turkey or halal chicken bacon. Vegan? I'm pretty sure you can get vegan bacon. Dieting? Use low-fat bacon or mushrooms or something. You could also use bacon salt (which is vegetarian and kosher), or eggplant bacon (there's a recipe online), or just use ham.
Question

Is there a specific condiment I should put on the sandwich?

Community Answer

Mayonnaise is the most common, but you should feel free to experiment!