What to do with Bacon Grease – 25 Best Ideas

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As you know, cooking bacon produces a significant amount of grease.
The fat comes in two distinct layers: a layer of clear bacon fat on top and a layer of cloudy white foam on the bottom.
If your frying pan doesn’t have a spout for pouring off liquid, just tilt it slightly so the liquid fat flows to one side and carefully pour it off.

Whats the best way to store bacon grease? 

Pour the liquid fat into a heat proof jar, such as an empty mayonnaise or mustard jar with a lid.

If you don’t have such a jar handy, any lidded container made of glass or rigid plastic will do.

Don’t use plastic soda bottles or milk jugs, as the grease will melt the plastic.

If you’re storing the jar of bacon grease on your counter, cover the mouth of the jar with a double thickness of paper towel to prevent anyone from accidentally knocking it over and spilling its hot contents.

If your frying pan has two spouts for pouring off liquids, you can pour off some of the clear bacon fat and save it.

Once it has cooled, you can screw the lid on and save your bacon fat until you need it for cooking or baking.

Here are some common ways to use bacon fat at home:

Bacon grease is a great way to add flavor to foods and it has some health benefits too. It’s also very affordable, so there’s no reason not to use it in your cooking.

If you don’t use leftover bacon grease up right away, transfer your bacon grease to a heat-proof container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

1. Bacon Grease Cornbread

• Make corn bread: Use bacon grease instead of oil or butter in cornbread.

2. Bacon Grease Garlic Bread

• Make garlic bread.
• Melt bacon fat in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Stir in 4 to 6 minced garlic cloves and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes, until the garlic turns golden brown.
• Brush grilled French or Italian bread with the flavored bacon grease before serving.

3. Bacon Grease Dip

• Use bacon fat as a dip for French fries.
• Use it as a dip or topping for steamed or boiled new potatoes.
• Drizzle the flavored oil over cooked vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

4. Bacon Grease Pancake Syrup

• Combine bacon grease with maple syrup (about 1:1 ratio) and spoon or brush on pancakes and waffles before serving.
• Drizzle bacon grease over what you’re serving for breakfast – pancakes, French toast, and grits.

5. Bacon Grease Popcorn

• Use bacon grease inplace of oil or butter when making popcorn in your microwave or on the stovetop.

6. Bacon Grease Potatoes

• Fried potatoes – Add bacon grease in place of some of the oil when frying.
• Hashbrowns – Add a little bacon grease to skillet and fry hashbrowns in grease.
• Smashed potatoes – Toss small red potatoes in a few tablespoons of bacon grease. Season with salt, black pepper and garlic power. Roast in oven. Smash with the bottom of a mason jar or coffee mug and finish baking.

7. Bacon Grease Eggs

• Pour off some of the bacon grease before cooking eggs sunny-side up or to make over-easy eggs.
• Throw a tablespoon of bacon grease into the skillet when you’re making scrambled eggs, omelets, and frittatas.

8. Grease a Cake Pan With Bacon Grease

• Add 2 tablespoons of bacon grease to what you would normally use for greasing a baking sheet, cake pan, or skillet.

9. Bacon Grease Roux

• Use bacon grease instead of oil when making a roux for Gumbo and other Cajun dishes.

10. Fry Oysters in Bacon Fat

• Fry oysters in bacon grease.
• Heat 1/4 inch of bacon grease in a skillet over medium heat until it’s very hot but not smoking, then add fresh oysters, flat side down.
• Fry oysters, moving them around occasionally with a slotted spatula to ensure they cook evenly, for about 3 minutes, until the edges curl and turn slightly brown.
• Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

11. Vegetables Sauted in Bacon Grease

• Add a spoonful of bacon grease to what you would normally use for sauteing vegetables such as onions or garlic.
• Drizzle warmed-up green beans, broccoli, cauliflower or asparagus with bacon grease before serving.

12. Bacon Grease Mashed Potatoes

• Replace some of the oil or butter when making mashed potatoes with bacon grease.
  
• Use what you would normally use sour cream to make Ranch dressing by whisking together 1/4 cup each of mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk with 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons bacon grease until well blended.

13. Bacon Grease Instead of Sour Cream on Baked Potatoes

• Use what you would typically use sour cream on baked potatoes.

14. Bacon Grease Warmed Up Baked Beans

• Warm-up leftover baked beans in a skillet.
• Pour off some of the bacon grease first, then warm them on low heat with about 1/4 cup chopped onion and a teaspoon or two of prepared mustard.

15. Bacon Grease Biscuits & Gravy

• Make what you would normally use cream gravy to pour over biscuits and other breakfast foods.
• Use 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in place of 1 tablespoon of butter or lard and saute about 1/4 cup diced onion until it is tender.
• Stir in 1/4 cup regular flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Gradually stir in 2 cups milk and simmer until thickened.

16. Bacon Grease Desserts

• Stir bacon grease into what you would normally use heavy cream to make whipped cream for desserts.

• Bacon grease cake – This is an old fashioned recipe from the depression.
• Bacon brownies recipe – Bacon and brownies unite into the ultimate power couple!
• Maple bacon cupcakes recipe – These cupcakes are an amazing combo of sweet and salty.

17. Cookies and Bread with Bacon Grease

• Use what you would normally use butter or margarine when baking bread or cookies.

• Bacon fat peanut butter cookies recipe – This is a cheap recipe to make and it tastes amazing.

18. Toast with Bacon Grease

• Replace what you would normally use butter on toast with bacon grease.

19. Fried Doughnuts in Bacon Grease

• Use it in place of what you would normally use oil or fat in frying doughnuts and other deep-fried items.

20. Bacon Grease Hollandaise Sauce

• Drizzle what you would normally use Hollandaise sauce over eggs Benedict.

21. Brown Meat in Bacon Grease

• Brown meat in bacon grease.
• Add a tablespoon of bacon grease to a skillet on medium-high.
• Add meat and cook until browned.

22. Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Grease Dressing

• As a new bride a few decades ago, this was one of the first salad dressings I learned to make. This salad dressing does not disappoint.

23. Bacon Butter

• Bacon butter recipe is here. Bacon butter is perfect on a hot steak or baked potatoes!

24. Bacon Grease Grilled Cheese

• Put a tablespoon of bacon grease into a skillet over medium high heat.
• Add a slice of bread and swirl the bread around to make sure the entire outside of the bread is coated in bacon grease.
• Add cheese slices and then top with another piece of bread.
• Cook until the bread is nicely browned and the cheese has started to melt.
• Flip the sandwich, when you flip it add another tablespoon of bacon grease to the pan before putting the sandwich in the pan.
• Continue to cook until both pieces of bread are browned and the cheese has melted.

What is a substitute for bacon grease if you don’t have any on hand? 

So, you’re all out of bacon grease and you need to make your dinner tonight.
What are you going to do? Worry not, my friend!
There are plenty of substitutes for bacon grease that you can use in your recipes. In fact, most of them are probably already in your kitchen.
Keep reading for some great substitutes for bacon grease!

• Butter or Margarine – This is a good substitute. However, you would lose the nice bacon flavor.
• Shortening – Much like butter or margarine, this substitute will work but again, you won’t have the nice bacon flavor.
• Oil – Canola, avocado, vegetable, peanut or olive oils. Again you will lose the wonderful bacon flavor that bacon grease gives.

How long will bacon grease last in the fridge or freezer? 

Bacon grease will last 1-2 months in the fridge and 1 year in the freezer.

Is it better to cook with bacon grease or butter? 

It is healthier to use bacon grease instead of butter. Bacon grease is made up of about 40% saturated fat, while butter is closer to 80%.

Is there a way to make cooking with bacon grease more healthy?

Yes, if you prefer cooking with less grease there are ways to make bacon grease healthier.

• Drain foods on paper towels after frying .
• Use what you need and pour the rest into ice cube trays and freeze.

What are the health benefits of cooking with bacon grease? 

Cooking with bacon grease can be beneficial to your health in many ways. Bacon grease contains more monounsaturated fat (healthy fats) than butter. Bacon also has less cholesterol than butter.

Have you tried using bacon grease lately?

What are some of your favorite bacon grease recipes? 

What did you make? 

Let me know in the comments below.

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