You’ll love this roundup of 20 best bacon fat recipes if you enjoy the incomparable, savory, smoky flavor of bacon. From bacon fat cookies and cinnamon rolls to warm bacon vinaigrette salad dressing, bacon popcorn, main dishes, side dishes, and more, you’ll find plenty of delicious ways to utilize this flavorful fat.
I always keep a jar of bacon grease on hand to use for cooking and baking; do you? Saving and cooking with bacon drippings is a great way to add delicious flavor to a dish. (Check out “How Long Does Bacon Fat Last?” for detailed directions to extend the shelf life of this liquid gold!)
A tasty fat substitute for butter, vegetable oil and olive oil, bacon grease is a versatile ingredient that’s perfect for taking flavors to the next level.
These perfect bacon fat recipes have been developed by top food bloggers, and we are grateful for their permission to share them with you.
Be sure to check out our popular post “What To Do With Bacon Grease” for complete directions for rendering and saving this liquid gold. And for even more ideas, read 25 Ways to Use Bacon Fat.
1. Southern Green Beans (Instant Pot) – Bites with Bri
These Southern Green Beans (Instant Pot) are the most flavorful green side dish. They are steamed in chicken broth and sauteed in bacon grease. Does it get any better? And of course they are loaded with crispy bacon and onions. So good and ready in less than 15 minutes!
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2. Copycat Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice – The Food Hussy
Popeye’s Red Beans & Rice is one of my favorite take-out side dishes and making it at home is SO SIMPLE!!!! The best part is it’s ready in 20 minutes!
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3. One Skillet Crispy Potatoes – Lemon Blossoms
Skillet Potatoes with herbs, crispy bacon and Parmesan are perfectly seasoned and pan fried to golden perfection. Ready in about 30 minutes.
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4. Skillet Corn with Bacon – Joyous Apron
The only skillet corn recipe you will ever need! Tossed with crispy bacon bits, this yummy pan fried corn recipe is savory, sweet and loaded with amazing flavor.
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5. Turnip Gratin with Bacon – Kalyn’s Kitchen
This new recipe for Turnip Gratin with Bacon absolutely wowed us when we tested it, and turnips are such a great low-carb vegetable!
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6. Collard Greens Stir-fry – Simple Living Recipes
Collard greens stir-fry is the perfect quick and easy side for your meals. Thinly sliced and quickly sautéed with pieces of bacon, these collard greens are the perfect flavorful side dish.
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7. Easy Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon – Simple Living Recipes
A velvety, creamy spaghetti Carbonara that is full of flavor and so easy to make. It’s totally foolproof, so don’t worry about messing it up.
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Old Fashioned Bacon Grease Biscuits – BENSA Bacon Lovers Society
These flaky buttermilk biscuits are made with a combination of bacon fat and butter, for amazing flavor. They bake up golden brown in a cast iron skillet.
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9. Grilled Chicken Sandwich – The Jam Jar Kitchen
This Grilled Chicken Sandwich is topped with melty provolone, bacon, seasoned mayo and veggies, all on a brioche bun that's browned in bacon fat!
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10. Caesar Salad – The King of Salads – Braised & Deglazed
A rich, creamy caesar salad dressing made with fresh egg yolks and loaded with umami flavour from the anchovies, sharp parmigiano cheese and fresh garlic. Crispy croutons fried in melted bacon fat are the crowning touch!
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11. Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette – Flavor the Moments
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad will elevate your next cookout! It’s sweet and savory with smoky bacon, fresh veggies and it’s tossed in a bacon vinaigrette!
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12. The Best Gluten-Free Warm Spinach Salad Recipe Ever | Gluten-Free Foodee
Bright, tasty salads are perfect for the warmer weather. That’s why we are sharing with you the best gluten-free warm spinach salad recipe, featuring bits of bacon and a tasty dressing made from leftover bacon grease.
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13. Hot Bacon Dressing – Cooking with Curls
Adding Hot Bacon Salad Dressing to a spinach salad is the perfect way to impress your guests and a surefire way to get your kids to eat their salad! You’ll love this easy vinaigrette.
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14. Bacon Aioli – BENSA Bacon Lovers Society
Learn how to make creamy homemade bacon aioli sauce with this easy recipe. Bacon Aioli is the creamiest, silkiest homemade mayo with flavors of smoky bacon, garlic and lemon that's perfect as a dip or spread.
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15. Easy Cornbread in the Cast-Iron Skillet – Where Is My Spoon
This recipe for cornbread in a cast iron skillet is delicious, easy to make, and ready in 30 minutes. The moist and fluffy interior and the crispy crust make it irresistible.
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16. Smoky Bacon Popcorn – Accidental Happy Baker
Smoky Bacon Popcorn. Salty and smoky popcorn with pieces of crispy bacon mixed in makes the perfect snack. Bacon + Popcorn, with flavorful bacon grease used in place of oil. What’s not to love?
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17. Maple and Bacon Sweet Rolls Recipe – Saporito Kitchen
Maple and Bacon Sweet Rolls are smothered in maple frosting (made extra creamy with the addition of melted bacon grease in place of butter) and filled and topped with crispy bacon. Plenty of maple and bacon flavor makes these rolls perfect for a holiday breakfast!
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18. Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon and Pecans – Raspberries & Kohlrabi blog
Bacon Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Bourbon and Pecans are amazing. If you love salty-sweet combos, these are the cookies for you.
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19. Bacon Fat Ginger Cookies with Fresh Ginger – BENSA Bacon Lovers Society
Bacon fat cookies made with spices, brown sugar, molasses, fresh ginger, and candied ginger have a rich, old-fashioned flavor. Baking them with a combination of butter and rendered bacon fat makes a cookie that is soft and chewy. A sprinkle of sparkling sugar on top adds crunch.
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20. Keto Maple Bacon Cookies Recipe – Ketofocus
Everyone loves BACON! Especially on the keto diet, this cookie has the flavor of maple bacon paired with maple syrup. This keto cookie will surprise you by how good it is! Plus, it’s dairy free!
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How about you? What’s your favorite recipe for using a bit of bacon grease? Leave a comment below!
