Hot Bacon Dressing is my latest obsession in the kitchen. It’s smoky and salty from the bacon, tangy, and has the perfect hint of sweet to balance everything out. This is my all-time favorite vinaigrette ever…in the history of all vinaigrettes. Because, bacon.
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Hot. Bacon. Dressing. Those words alone peak my interest. The flavors are what turn me from Team Creamy Dressing to Team Vinaigrette. It’s great on your weekly tossed salad, amazing on roasted veggies, and can turn boiled potatoes into a warm potato salad.
Historically, this dressing is more of a springtime situation, but I cannot wait to use it this fall. I think it’s gonna go so well with so many things. Hurry up fall!
hot bacon dressing ingredients
- Thick Cut Bacon
- Shallot or Red Onion
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Whole Grain Mustard
- Maple Syrup or Honey
- Fresh Chives
- Granulated Garlic
- Granulated Onion
- Kosher Salt and Gresh Ground Pepper
how to make hot bacon dressing
This Hot Bacon Dressing is super simple and that is just another one of a hundred reasons to make it. Here’s the rundown.
the bacon
To begin, we must address the bacon. I do not like chopping up raw bacon and feel like it is so much easier to cook it first, then chop. So that’s what we’re gonna do.
Layout the bacon onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put it into a cold oven. If you start with a cold oven, the bacon will cook more evenly. We eat a lot of bacon around here. I would know.
Cook the bacon until it becomes crispy. Now, it’s time to chop it while its hot. Chop, chop it while its hotttttt. See what I did there?! Apologies. I’ve had a lot of caffeine this morning.
Reserve the bacon fat that is rendered on the baking sheet. Simply pour it off into a glass measuring cup and set aside. You need about 1/3 of a cup of the bacon fat for this recipe.
the vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette portion of our Hot Bacon Dressing festivities, we need to begin by sautéing the shallot (or red onion would be great, too) in a little of the bacon fat. Just a teaspoon of the fat will do. Once the shallot is softened, set it aside.
Next, grab a mixing bowl. Into the bowl goes the bacon fat, sautéed shallot, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, granulated garlic and onion, maple syrup, and chives.
Mix everything together. Taste for salt and add any if you would like. To finish, add a healthy pinch of fresh ground black pepper and the chopped bacon. Mix that all around and try not to eat it before you serve it. For me, this takes great restraint.
hot bacon dressing tips and variations
consistency
There are several ways to personalize this dressing to make it your own. I like my version to be a bit chunky. If you like a smoother dressing, simply mince the bacon finer or use an immersion blender to break it down. You can’t go wrong here. Just do what makes your heart happy.
sweetness
I also don’t want my version of Hot Bacon Dressing to be super sweet. I like just a kiss of maple syrup to balance out the tang. If you want yours a little sweeter, add more maple. You could also use honey. And, I think hot honey would be amazing to add that touch of zing to the dressing.
why serve it hot (or warm)
As the name implies, this Hot Bacon Dressing is meant to be served warm. Once it cools down, the bacon fat will solidify. This is the nature of the beast. If the dressing has solidified, all you need to do is heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds or keep it warm using a double boiler. It takes very little heat to actually get it back to a dressing consistency.
recipe frequently asked questions
Hot Bacon Dressing origins can be traced back to old Dutch and German recipes. More modern associations can be attributed to the Pennsylvania Dutch. There are lots of opinions on exact origins, but it matters not to me. This dressing is amazing and you should try it. End. Of. Story.
Both! There is nothing in this recipe that would be of any issue to someone with these dietary concerns.
This dressing would make a shoe taste good. It’s obviously a wonderful salad dressing. A big tossed green salad, a spinach salad, or even over shaved Brussels sprouts would be top picks for me. However, this dressing is also wonderful drizzled over roasted veggies. I love it over the top of roasted butternut squash, broccoli, and even asparagus. Toss this dressing with boiled potatoes to make a fun version of potato salad! The sky is the limit on what you can do with this recipe.
This dressing will stay good 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Hot Bacon Dressing
Ingredients
- 12 oz thick cut bacon reserve 1/3 cup of the rendered bacon fat
- 1 shallot, minced or a small red onion
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp granulated onion
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Lay out bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place into a COLD oven and turn the heat to 400°. Bake until bacon is crisp.
- Carefully, drain off the bacon fat into a glass measuring cup. You need 1/3 cup of the rendered bacon fat. Finely mince the crisped bacon and set aside.
- Sauté the minced shallot in a skillet until soft.
- In a mixing bowl add the remaining bacon renderings along with the shallot, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, granulated onion and garlic. Mix together and check for salt levels. Add some if you would like, along with a pinch of fresh ground pepper.
- Stir in the minced bacon.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This is not the recipe for lean cuts of bacon. We want at least 1/3 cup of rendered bacon fat, so I do suggest a thicker cut, fattier bacon.
- If you don’t have 1/3 cup of bacon fat after cooking the bacon, add enough avocado or olive oil to make that amount.
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Hot Bacon Dressing recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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