You may not have leftover bacon in your house often, but when you do, how do you make sure you use up every last strip?. It’s never going to taste as good the second time as it did when you first cooked it, right? Wrong!
Cooked bacon maintains its flavor well when refrigerated and is easy to reheat. It typically stays fresh in the fridge for up to five days when stored properly. Leftover cooked bacon is perfect for those busy nights when you want to throw dinner together quickly without dirtying too many dishes, and it’s a tasty way to reduce your waste, too.
Don’t throw away even a single strip of bacon again. Here are some delicious recipes to make use of leftover bacon—and tips for using bacon grease, too!
How to Store Leftover Bacon
If you’re cooking bacon and still have a few uncooked slices in the package, it’s a good idea to cook it all up and save the leftover bacon for later while you still have the dishes out.
You can save cooked bacon by putting it in an airtight container or bag after it has cooled completely and placing it in the refrigerator. If you don’t let it cool down before storing it, your bacon may get soggy. Try to drain off as much of the grease as possible prior to storing, too (but be sure to save it).
Alternatively, you can freeze your bacon, which can keep it fresh for as long as one month. To freeze, wrap cooked bacon tightly in a paper towel before placing it in a storage container. You can also consider crumbling your bacon before freezing to make bacon bits.
How to Reheat Leftover Cooked Bacon
You can use reheated leftover cooked bacon in place of freshly cooked bacon in just about any recipe. There are several ways to warm it up.
Reheat cooked bacon and restore some of its crunch by putting it in the oven or airfryer at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit for five to 10 minutes. If your bacon is thinly sliced or crumbled, a few minutes should be plenty. You can also reheat leftover bacon in a pan on the stove—cast iron cookware is great for this—or in the microwave. To use the microwave method, line a plate with a paper towel and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Then microwave for 30 seconds at a time until it’s warmed through.
Now your leftover bacon is ready to use!
Mouthwatering Recipes to Try With Leftover Bacon
Having cooked bacon on hand in the fridge is such a time-saving and clever trick, you will tell everyone you know to start saving their leftover bacon! Here are some of our favorite bacon recipes.
Corn and Bacon Chowder
This creamy, heartwarming recipe for Corn and Bacon Chowder calls for six to eight slices of bacon, but you can use however much you have on hand, and it will turn out excellent. This recipe is easy to prepare and perfect for picky eaters. A comforting choice for cooler evenings!
Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Rugelach
This delicious and fun-to-make Bacon, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Rugelach recipe may look fancy, but it couldn’t be more simple to prepare. Just grab your leftover bacon and follow the recipe as written to wow your family or guests with these miniature crescent rolled pastries. Reheat the bacon before preparing or use it right from the fridge.
Bacon and Roasted Corn Salad
This hearty and filling Bacon and Roasted Corn Salad recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes. It’s full of fresh produce balanced out by the smoky addition of bacon.
Bacon Cheeseburger Tacos
This gluten-free, keto-friendly Bacon Cheeseburger Tacos recipe proves that bacon and cheeseburgers can do no wrong. It’s easily customizable and just the thing for weeknight meals with the family. Have pickle chips, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on hand for serving!
Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Everyone’s favorite Brussels Sprouts and Bacon recipe is about as simple as it gets. Bring it as a side dish to your next get-together to impress your friends or keep it in your weekly dinner rotation.
What to Do With Leftover Bacon Grease
Whatever you do, don’t throw away your leftover bacon grease or dump it down the drain! Instead, set it aside to cool and put it in a jar with a lid. You’d be surprised just how many ways there are to use it.
Saving bacon fat is easy. After cooking your bacon, allow the grease to cool a bit in the pan. Then, strain it into a glass jar or other airtight container. Leftover bacon grease should be kept refrigerated or frozen to prevent spoilage. When refrigerated, it can last up to 3 months.
The best home cooks will tell you that bacon grease is the secret to many delicious dishes. It can be used to cook with or to add flavor and depth.
For example, you can use it in place of cooking oil to sauté vegetables or fry meat. Or, you can use it in place of butter to add richness when preparing something creamy like mashed potatoes. In fact, many fats can be replaced with bacon grease at a 1:1 ratio, but replacing just half of whatever cooking fat you’re using with bacon grease also gives great results—a little goes a long way!
Coleman Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon Is a Strip Above the Rest
Any bacon buff knows that all-natural bacon is as good as it gets.
All Coleman Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon products are uncured, free from artificial ingredients and added nitrites or nitrates. All of our pork is sourced from American family farms that never use antibiotics or added hormones. The animals are raised crate-free, the way nature intended.
Our wood-smoked bacon tastes delicious no matter how you use it. Next time you’re cooking bacon, save yourself some time by preparing more than you need. Your bacon dishes will always be a hit!
