A club sandwich lives or dies on its crunch. Toasted bread, cold crisp lettuce, a ripe tomato, and bacon, the salty, crackly layer that makes every bite snap. We don’t cook bacon in our house, so for years my clubs were missing that one thing.
The fix was sitting in my deli drawer. Lay slices of beef salami on a parchment-lined sheet pan, slide it into a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes, and the slices curl into little cups, render their fat and turn as crunchy as a potato chip. They’re salty, a little smoky and full of garlic and pepper. Honestly, they have more flavor than bacon.
From there it’s a classic triple-decker: three slices of my toasted sourdough pan loaf, smoked paprika mayo on every slice, the crispy salami, sliced turkey, tomato and romaine, stacked twice and pinned together. Cut it in half and you get that tall, layered cross-section that makes a club look like a club.
If you’ve ever wanted a BLT without the B, this is it. No bacon? Crisp the salami.
A Little Club Sandwich History
The club sandwich showed up in New York in the late 1880s. In November 1889, a New York newspaper asked readers, “Have you tried a Union Club sandwich yet?” and described toasted bread layered with turkey or chicken and ham, which ties the name to Manhattan’s Union Club. A competing story credits the Saratoga Club in Saratoga Springs, the gambling house Richard Canfield bought in 1894 and turned into the Canfield Casino. Either way, the sandwich spread fast. By 1899 a steamer dining room menu listed the club sandwich for 25 cents and “with Bacon” for 40, which tells you bacon was once the extra, not the rule. That makes a no-bacon club feel a lot less like cheating.
Why This Works
- Salami crisps faster than bacon. It’s already cured and sliced thin, so 10 minutes at 400°F renders the fat and dries the slices into chips.
- Pull it a shade early. The slices keep crisping as they cool on a paper towel.
- Smoked paprika mayo brings back the smoke. A pinch of smoked paprika gives the whole sandwich the smoky note you’d normally get from bacon.
- Toast all three slices. Toasted bread holds up to the mayo and the stack, so nothing gets soggy.
- The middle slice makes it a club. The third slice splits the fillings into two layers, so it stays tall and holds together when you cut it.
How to Make a Crispy Salami Club
1. Crisp the salami
Lay the salami flat on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes, until the slices curl and darken at the edges. Move them to a paper towel to cool and crisp up.
2. Make the smoked paprika mayo
Stir a pinch of smoked paprika (and a squeeze of lemon if you like) into the mayo.
3. Slice the tomato
Slice a ripe tomato and season the slices with a little salt and pepper.
4. Toast the bread
Toast three slices of sourdough until golden on both sides.
5. Spread the mayo
Spread smoked paprika mayo on the first slice, all the way to the edges.
6. Add the crispy salami
Lay half the crispy salami over the mayo.
7. Add the turkey
Fold half the turkey on top of the salami.
8. Add the tomato
Lay the seasoned tomato slices over the turkey.
9. Add the lettuce
Top with a crisp romaine leaf.
10. Add the middle slice
Spread mayo on both sides of the second slice and set it on top. This is the slice that makes it a club.
11. Build layer two
Repeat with the rest of the salami, turkey, tomato and lettuce.
12. Top it off
Spread mayo on the last slice and set it mayo side down. Press gently and push in four picks.
13. Cut it
Cut with a serrated knife, holding the top steady so the layers stay put.
14. Show off the layers
Pull the halves apart and enjoy that cross-section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you crisp salami in the oven?
Yes. Lay the slices flat on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes, until they curl and darken. They crisp more as they cool.
What can I use instead of bacon in a club sandwich?
Oven-crisped salami is my favorite. It brings the same salt and crunch, with more spice. Smoked paprika in the mayo adds back the smoky flavor.
What’s the difference between a club sandwich and a BLT?
A club has a third slice of bread in the middle and usually adds turkey or chicken. A BLT is two slices with bacon, lettuce and tomato.
More Sandwiches to Try
- Chicago-Style Muffuletta Made in a Loaf Pan
- Turkey and Brie Melt on Sourdough
- The Best Tuna Salad Sandwich
What would you crisp instead of bacon? Tell me in the comments.
The Recipe
Crispy Salami Club Sandwich
Ingredients
Crispy salami
- 8 slices beef salami, thinly sliced
Smoked paprika mayo
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- lemon juice, a squeeze, optional
Sandwich
- 3 slices sourdough sandwich bread, I use my sourdough pan loaf
- 4 oz thinly sliced turkey
- 1 large ripe tomato, sliced
- romaine lettuce leaves
- salt and pepper, for the tomato
- 4 long toothpicks or sandwich picks
Instructions
- Crisp the salami. Heat the oven to 400°F. Lay the salami slices flat on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake about 10 minutes, until they curl, darken at the edges and the fat renders. Move them to a paper towel. They crisp more as they cool.
- Make the mayo. Stir the mayonnaise, smoked paprika and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
- Slice the tomato and season the slices lightly with salt and pepper.
- Toast the bread. Toast all 3 slices golden.
- Build layer one. Spread mayo on the first slice. Add half the crispy salami, then half the turkey, tomato slices and a romaine leaf.
- Add the middle slice. Spread mayo on both sides of the second slice and set it on top.
- Build layer two. Add the rest of the salami, turkey, tomato and romaine.
- Top and cut. Spread mayo on the last slice and set it mayo side down. Press gently, push in the picks, and cut with a serrated knife.
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