Bacon grease is the leftover fat rendered from cooking bacon. As bacon has grown in popularity over the years, more and more home cooks are wondering if they can use bacon grease instead of butter in their cooking and baking. The answer is yes, you can substitute butter with bacon grease in many recipes, but there are some important considerations to keep in mind.
Understanding Bacon Grease
Bacon grease forms when the fat from bacon melts and separates from the meaty portion during cooking. Many people simply pour off and discard this rendered fat, but it has great potential for adding flavor to all kinds of dishes.
Bacon grease is highly concentrated Just a small amount can impart a big bacon flavor It’s also very rich, with a high proportion of saturated fat. While delicious, bacon grease should be used moderately in cooking for health reasons.
When cooled bacon grease becomes a soft solid at room temperature with a creamy, thick texture similar to butter. However it melts at a lower temperature than butter, so must be handled differently in baking.
Benefits of Using Bacon Grease
There are several advantages to using bacon grease instead of regular butter:
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Intense bacon flavor – Just a tablespoon of bacon grease can give a whole pan of Brussels sprouts or a tray of roasted potatoes a noticeable smoky, salty bacon taste. This can elevate simple vegetables or baked goods to the next level.
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Moisture – The high fat content of bacon grease can lead to extra moist and tender baked goods like muffins, biscuits, or cornbread.
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Budget-friendly – Since it’s free and easy to save bacon grease after cooking bacon, it’s an economic alternative to buying boxes of butter.
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Natural preservative – Bacon grease can extend the shelf life of baked goods due to its saturated fat content and sodium levels.
Substitution Ratios and Tips
When substituting butter with bacon grease in recipes, there are some guidelines to follow:
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Use a 1:1 butter to bacon grease ratio as a starting point, then adjust to taste preference. The strong flavor of bacon grease means you can often use less volume than the amount of butter called for.
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Reduce any extra salt in a recipe, since bacon grease provides a salty flavor on its own.
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Add bacon grease to dough or batter at room temperature to prevent clumping. Melting it first if chilled.
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For baking, reduce oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning, since bacon grease causes faster baking.
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Store any unused bacon grease in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use. It keeps for up to 6 months.
Best Uses for Bacon Grease
Bacon grease works very well in place of butter or oil to cook eggs, popcorn, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and other vegetables. It’s also excellent for seasoning pans before cooking meat.
In baked goods, bacon grease can substitute for butter or oil in recipes like:
- Biscuits
- Cornbread
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Muffins
- Scones
- Cookies
However, bacon grease is not recommended for use in more delicate baked goods like cakes, custards, or pastries. The strong flavor and low melting point of bacon grease makes it unsuitable for these applications.
Health Considerations
While delicious, it’s important to moderate intake of bacon grease due to its high saturated fat content. Too much saturated fat is linked to increased LDL cholesterol levels and a higher risk of heart disease.
Bacon grease also contains sodium from the salt used to cure the bacon. Consuming too much sodium can increase blood pressure. People with hypertension or heart conditions should be especially cautious about their bacon grease intake.
To keep health risks low, limit bacon grease to no more than 1-2 tablespoons per person per recipe. Drain off any excess grease after cooking bacon. Supplement with oils lower in saturated fat for the remainder of the butter or oil called for in recipes.
Bacon grease can substitute for butter in many ways, adding great bacon flavor and moisture to all kinds of dishes, both savory and sweet. However, restraint is needed to avoid over-consumption of saturated fats and sodium when cooking with this rich and flavorful ingredient. With some care and common sense, bacon grease can be an inexpensive and tasty alternative to regular butter.
Bacon Grease: Better Than Butter?!
FAQ
Can I use bacon grease in baking?
Can you use grease as butter?
Can I use bacon grease instead of butter for grilled cheese?
Which is better for you, butter or bacon grease?
Is bacon grease better than butter?
Bacon fat is higher in monounsaturated fat (the good fat) than butter. Unlike margarine, bacon grease does NOT contain trans fat (aka “bad fat”). A comparison between a tablespoon of bacon grease, butter, and canola oil is quite interesting. Bacon grease has slightly less cholesterol than butter and only 2 more milligrams of saturated fat.
What are the best substitutes for butter?
The substitute that you might want to use depends on what you are using butter for. In baking you can use any fat such as olive oil, nut butters, or even avocados. In baking you can also substitute non-fats for butter such as Greek yogurt, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, or even applesauce. For replacing butter as a spread, you can use any fat, hummus, avocado, nut butter, or cheese. For cooking, canola oil can be a great sub, or avocado oil is also good because it has a high smoke point.
Can I use bacon grease instead of shortening?
Would it be an even substitution (e.g., a cup of butter/shortening for a cup of bacon grease)? Editor: I’d think that you can use bacon grease as you would shortening or butter in any recipe — the only caveat is that this grease will taste like bacon, so only use it in recipes where you’d like the flavor of bacon.
Can you use bacon grease for burgers?
If you’re pan-frying your burgers, you can use a bit of bacon grease in the pan to flavor them. 3. Pop popcorn Use my method for making stovetop popcorn but substitute bacon grease for the oil.