10 Things to Do with Leftover Bacon Grease
Updated: Feb. 11, 2022
We all know that bacon makes everything better, so don't throw away your liquid gold after baking bacon for Sunday brunch! Save your bacon fat and learn what to do with bacon grease.
Watch as Taste of Home’s Associate Culinary producer Sarah Tramonte walks you through how to strain, store and use leftover bacon grease like a pro.
Bake with it
You can use bacon grease instead of butter or shortening in your savory baked goods. Whip up a batch of cornbread, biscuits or tortillas. Better yet, make a batch of bacon grease cookies and enjoy those sweet and salty flavors! If you’re sensitive to salt, we’d suggest reducing the salt by a quarter or half.
Boost homemade ramen
The difference between store-bought ramen and the fancy stuff you get at a restaurant is all in the broth. Whisk a teaspoon of bacon grease into your bowl and it’ll add the extra oomph to take things to the next level. Just one of our secrets to elevating homemade ramen.
Fancy up your popcorn
Instead of using butter or oil to pop stovetop popcorn, use that leftover bacon grease instead. Melt 1/4 cup of bacon fat in a large pot and use it to pop 1/4 cup of kernels. Finish it off with some shredded Parmesan to create an especially delectable treat.
Add it to ice cream
If sweet and salty flavors are your thing, you’ll love bacon ice cream! You only need a few tablespoons of cooled, rendered bacon fat whisked into your ice cream base. The flavor goes especially well when combined with maple syrup or cherries.
Infuse your grilled cheese with bacon, inside and out
Some people use butter to grill their sandwiches, and others opt for mayonnaise to create an eggy, crispy exterior. We like both of those methods, but using bacon grease is our favorite. Just slather the bread with bacon grease and fry until golden brown and delicious. Use this trick with one of our gooey grilled cheese recipes.
Turn it into salad dressing
Combining bacon grease and apple cider vinegar makes one of my favorite salad dressings (especially on a spinach salad). You’ll want to make it a warm vinaigrette, though, otherwise the bacon fat will be greasy and unpalatable.
Boost your breakfast potatoes
Potatoes can be bland, but not if they’re cooked in bacon grease! Whip up your favorite breakfast hash using bacon grease instead of butter or oil. It’ll not only keep the potatoes from sticking, but it’ll pump them up with bacony flavor. Learn how to make the crispiest breakfast potatoes.
Add meaty, smoky flavor to greens
Sauteed greens can be a tough sell (especially for picky eaters). Infuse your greens with a ton of flavor by cooking them in bacon fat. You’ll only need a spoonful or two to add a huge amount of flavor.
Make baconnaise
Skip the mayonnaise and make homemade baconnaise instead by swapping out the olive oil for bacon fat. You’ll need to melt it so it’s drizzleable, but allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the eggs to prevent them from scrambling.
Bacon-wash your bourbon
You might find bacon-washed bourbon behind the bar at your favorite craft-cocktail restaurant, but you can make your own at home and breathe new life into classic cocktails. Simply combine 1-1/2 ounces of hot, melted bacon fat with a 750ml bottle of bourbon. After infusing for four hours, place it in the freezer for a few hours to solidify the fat. Then, strain it through a piece of cheesecloth and store the bourbon at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Originally Published: February 11, 2022
