Paul, my chef-son, told me once that a savvy cook’s secret weapon just happens to be bacon fat. He says great chefs use it all the time. I found out a few years ago that he knew what he was talkin’ about when I tasted his bacon-fat-mashed-potatoes. Oh my!

We’re all familiar with this delicious and versatile byproduct of cooking bacon. But are we as familiar with its wide range of culinary applications? Talk about a versatile ingredient! Take a look at these ideas:

COOKING AND FRYING:

Sautéing and roasting vegetables: Substitute olive oil or butter with bacon grease for a richer flavor when roasting vegetables like Brussels sprouts, corn on the cob, or potatoes.

Frying eggs: A classic use for sure; frying eggs in bacon fat imparts a delicious, smoky flavor.

Frying and searing meat: Use it to fry burgers or sear meats like chicken or steak before slow cooking.

Frying potatoes: Make hash browns or home fries extra delicious by frying them in bacon grease.

Fried rice: Add a meaty edge to your fried rice by cooking it in bacon grease.

Gravy base: Use bacon grease as a base for a roux when making gravy.

BAKING:

Cornbread: Use bacon grease instead of oil or butter in your cornbread batter and to grease the pan for a savory twist.

Biscuits: Replace half of the butter or shortening in your biscuit recipe with solid bacon grease for added flavor.

Savory scones: Add bacon fat to savory scone recipes for a unique taste.

Pie crust: For a savory pie crust, like for pot pies, replace some of the butter with bacon grease.

Chocolate chip cookies: Interestingly, some bakers use bacon grease in chocolate chip cookies for a soft texture and a touch of savory-sweet flavor.

MISCELLANEOUS USES:

Salad dressing: Make a warm bacon vinaigrette by whisking rendered bacon fat with vinegar.

Grilled cheese: Spread bacon grease on the outside of your grilled cheese for a crispy crust and savory flavor.

Refried beans: Enhance canned refried beans by stirring in a tablespoon or two of bacon fat.

Seasoning cast iron: Bacon grease is great for seasoning cast iron skillets.

Popcorn: Pop your popcorn in bacon grease for a savory, flavorful snack.

STORING BACON FAT:

Strain it: Always strain out any bits of bacon to prevent spoilage.

Refrigerate: Bacon grease can last for 3-6 months in the refrigerator.

Freeze: For longer storage, freeze bacon fat, possibly in ice cube trays for easy thawing of small portions.

Check for spoilage: If the grease smells bad, has an off color, or a sandy texture, it has gone bad.

Drool-worthy ideas, yes? Well, I’ll close with the recipe for one idea that we’re gonna dive into this weekend—the afore-mentioned BACON FAT POPCORN! Oh my!

And one more tip: Paul says to spritz your bacon strips with water and you’ll have less shrinkage and next to no curling when they’re cooking.