Bacon grease is a flavorful and versatile ingredient that can add depth and richness to a wide variety of dishes! If you find yourself with leftover bacon grease after cooking breakfast, don’t toss it out – there are plenty of ways to put it to good use.
Here are 14 ideas for using leftover bacon grease:
- Roasting vegetables: Bacon grease can add a delicious, smoky flavor to roasted vegetables. Simply toss your favorite vegetables with a spoonful of bacon grease and roast in the oven until tender and caramelized.
- Sautéing greens: Use bacon grease to sauté kale, collard greens, or other hearty greens for a quick and flavorful side dish.
- Popcorn seasoning: Give your popcorn an extra boost of flavor by tossing it with a little bacon grease before popping.
- Fried rice: Add a spoonful of bacon grease to your next batch of fried rice for a delicious and savory twist.
- Grilled cheese sandwiches: Spread a thin layer of bacon grease on the outside of your grilled cheese sandwich before grilling for a crispy and flavorful crust.
- Searing and basting proteins: Bacon grease can add depth and extra richness to just about any protein! Try adding a few spoonfuls to a hot pan next time you’re searing or basting steak, chicken, pork, turkey, etc.
- Frying eggs: Add a spoonful of bacon grease to your frying pan when cooking eggs for a delicious and savory breakfast.
- Baking: Bacon grease can be used as a substitute for butter or vegetable oil in baking recipes. Try using it in place of butter in your favorite biscuit or cornbread recipe.
- Roasted potatoes: Toss diced potatoes with a spoonful of bacon grease before roasting for a flavorful and crispy side dish.
- Grilling: Use bacon grease as a marinade or basting sauce for grilled meats, vegetables, and more. The smoky flavor of the bacon grease will add depth and complexity to your grilled dishes.
- Gravy: Bacon grease makes for the best, most flavorful gravy! Simply use a few spoonfuls as the base when making a homemade gravy.
- Make baconnaise: Nothing beats mayo flavored with bacon! Make a homemade mayonnaise and substitute the oil in the recipe for leftover bacon grease for a spread that’s perfect for any sandwich.
- Soup base: Sear the proteins, saute the vegetables or even make a roux for your soup using bacon grease for an extra depth of richness and flavor!
- Mashed potatoes: stir in some leftover bacon grease to a fresh batch of mashed potatoes for a side dish that’s extra savory!
Here are some recipes on the blog that would be great to use with bacon grease!
- Carne En Su Jugo
- Make Herb Roasted Potatoes with Lemony Yogurt Sauce
- Jalapeño Turkey Burgers
- Juicy Classic Oven-Baked Meatballs
- Pollo Encebollado (Chicken Smothered in Onion Gravy)
- Easiest 4-Ingredient Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Pan-Seared Steak with Rosemary Garlic Butter
- Casamiento Salvadoreño (Salvadoran Beans and Rice)
- Chicken Quesabirria Tacos
- Queso Fundido Stuffed Jalapeño Tacos
- Juicy Oven-Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Juicy Oven-Baked Honey Chipotle Chicken Meatballs
- Mexican Chicken Birria (Birria de Pollo)
- Vegetable Fried Rice
As you can see, there are countless ways to use leftover bacon grease in your cooking. Next time you have a little bit of bacon grease left over, don’t throw it out – put it to good use and add some delicious flavor to your dishes.
