20 Delicious Ways to Use Bacon Grease (2024)

Cajun Read Beans

Try these bacon grease-spiked red beans on the side of your favorite Cajun meal or serve them over white rice for a satisfying entrée.

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Arkansas Fried Veggie Skillet

Cornmeal-coated squash, potatoes, tomatoes, okra, onion, and green bell peppers are fried in bacon grease in this crowd-pleasing recipe.

Rockin Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Ginger Soup

Bacon grease adds extra richness and flavor to this velvety smooth soup made with blended carrots, sweet potatoes, and ginger.

Mama's Tomato Gravy

"This is the dish that puts my feet back under my mama's table," says recipe creator Melissa Dommert, who recommends serving over buttermilk biscuits for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Rush Hour Refried Beans

Make this quick side dish with just five ingredients you may already have on hand: bacon grease, a diced onion, garlic, pinto beans, and cumin.

Judy's Sauerkraut

Bacon grease adds subtle smokiness to this slow cooker sauerkraut recipe. Recipe creator and Allrecipes Allstar lutzflcat recommends serving with crusty rye bread, mashed potatoes, and freshly cooked apples.

Brian's Garlicky Prime Rib

A boozy marinade (made with bacon grease, dark beer, garlic, soy sauce, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce) keeps this prime rib nice and juicy through the cooking process.

Homemade Meatballs

Take your meatballs up a notch with a few tablespoons of bacon grease. "They are nice and tender, but won't fall apart," according to recipe creator Hayley Ryczek.

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Chili Colorado

Cozy up on a cold evening with a warm bowl of this satisfying chili. The pork, cooked in a bacon grease-vegetable oil mixture, is full of complex flavor.

Amazing Venison Meatloaf

"A super moist and flavorful meatloaf with a 'kick' using venison and pork sausage," recipe creator Anastasia Daleiden says of this dish, which contains just a hint of bacon grease.

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Egg in a Hole

"A delicious runny yolk egg cooked in the center of a piece of toast and eaten with a fork is a great way to enjoy an egg in a slightly different way," says recipe creator rosburn. You can make this easy breakfast with just four ingredients, including bacon grease.

The RIGHT WAY To Cook Greens!

In this authentic Southern recipe, collard greens are cooked in bacon grease. Recipe creator rjkuns says you can serve the dish straight out of the pan or you can boil the greens in water for a more tender texture.

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Gulf Coast Red Snapper

A sweet and savory marinade (made with bacon grease, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, and thyme) ensures perfectly flavorful fish every time.

Creamy Southern Shrimp and Cheese Grits

This restaurant-quality dish is easier than you think to make at home. It's "simple and delicious, and is made with things we mostly all have in our homes," according to recipe creator Bella V.

Black Beans with Pico de Gallo

"The beans were very good — bacon grease adds a wonderful flavor," raves reviewer Workin' cookin' mom, who served this recipe with carne asada tacos.

Texas Trash

Nobody will ever guess that bacon grease is the secret ingredient in this smoky, salty, and spicy homemade snack mix.

Pap Walters' Cornbread

"My father-in-law had the best, most moist cornbread I have ever tasted," recipe creator Thomas Jenkins says of this cornbread with bacon grease and cottage cheese. "He said he had a secret ingredient that he used and wouldn't tell anybody until a few weeks before he passed away."

Creamy Crab Chowder

This creamy chowder starts with onions, celery, and parsley cooked in bacon grease and butter. "This one gets two thumbs up for sure," according to reviewer and Allrecipes Allstar MommaBean3.

Old Time Kentucky Bacon Milk Gravy for Biscuits

"After frying your bacon for breakfast, use the bacon dripping to make true Kentucky biscuit gravy," says recipe creator Tess DeFevers Ehling. "Fattening? Oh yeah, you better believe it! Worth it? Yes!"

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Apple-Maple BBQ Sauce

Here's the secret sauce — made with bacon grease, applesauce brown sugar, maple syrup, and more — you didn't know your BBQ was missing.

More Inspiration

Hungry for more? Explore our entire collection of Bacon Recipes.

• Oven-Baked Bacon
• Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
• Air Fryer Bacon