Gallery: Because Bacon: 35 Bacon Recipes We Love

Updated September 07, 2021

Bacon and Kimchi Steamed Buns with Carrot and Cucumber Slaw — Nick Kindelsperger

Whether it's stuffed into a sandwich, wrapped around some meat, scattered on top of a salad, or eaten straight from the pan, bacon transforms any meal from humdrum to pretty-much-the-best-thing-ever. You could say that it's the salty, smoky flavor or the intoxicating smell that keeps us coming back for more, but we prefer to think that it's the infinite variety of ingredients with which bacon pairs so well. And we've got 35 recipes to get you started.

Bacon, Cheese, and Scallion Waffles
J. Kenji López-Alt
It's hard to argue with bacon, especially when put into waffle batter with plenty of melty cheese and crunchy scallions. Except for cooking the bacon and grating the cheese, this recipe requires no more effort than it takes to make a regular old waffle.
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Bacon-Banana Waffle Sandwich with Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup
Elvis had a good idea with his peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwich. If only he'd thought to add maple syrup and some waffles!
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Grilled Kale Salad With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Lauren Rothman
We know, kale and bacon are trendy. But the combination of smoky, crunchy, soft, and slightly sweet (thanks to the apple cider vinegar) makes us wonder what took us so long to start eating kale and bacon together.
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Chinese Spicy and Sour Stir-Fried Cabbage With Bacon
Shao Z.
While chili pepper, garlic, and scallions provide a spicy kick in this recipe, it wouldn't be the same without the smoky, porky flavor of bacon. Blanched cabbage gets tossed with aromatics, sautéed in bacon fat, and then topped with crumbled fried bacon.
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Vegan Bacon
The trick to creating a good vegan substitute is not to imitate the original, but think about what flavors and textures the food should have. This vegan bacon is made from roasted mushrooms that are dusted with sugar, garlic powder, and paprika and then smoked.
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Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes With Bacon, Parmesan, and Parsley
Jennifer Olvera
Juicy cherry tomatoes are packed full of smoky, crunchy bacon, salty Parmesan cheese, creamy mayo, and a sprinkling of bright, fresh parsley for a simple, crowd-pleasing hors d'oeuvre.
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Pressed Stilton, Pear, Date, and Bacon Sandwiches
Maria Del Mar Sacasa
This sandwich is modeled on a cheese plate: it's filled with Stilton, crisp pear, and sweet dates. Plus, you know, bacon.
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Grilled Cheese with Bacon, Tomato, and Avocado
How do you say no to a grilled cheese with crispy bacon and rich avocado and juicy tomato? That's right—you don't.
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Skillet Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Kale
Yasmin Fahr
Some traditional recipes aren't meant to be messed with. Spaghetti carbonara is. This version using bacon and kale adds more complex flavors but keeps the eggy, cheesy notes we love.
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Bacon and Pimento Macaroni and Cheese
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Classic mac 'n' cheese gets a southern twist with crisped bacon and chopped pimentos. It's like eating a big, warm bowl of pimento cheese, but better.
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Polish Cabbage, Potato, and Bacon Casserole
Lauren Rothman
Cabbage and potato is a combination that's pretty hard to resist, but the bacon is what makes this casserole the dish your go-to comfort food.
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Bacon and Kimchi Steamed Buns with Carrot and Cucumber Slaw
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Pork buns meet easy weeknight meal. After marinating the cucumber, carrot, and ginger for just 15 minutes, everything comes together while the seam buns cook. The cool slaw and spicy kimchi off a bright contrast to the fatty bacon.
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Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Cocktail with Apricot Horseradish Dipping Sauce
Sydney Oland
Upgrade your shrimp cocktail with bacon! The trick to getting perfectly cooked bacon and shrimp is microwaving the bacon beforehand so neither component is over- or under-cooked. The apricot horseradish dipping sauce adds an absorbing sweet heat.
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Beer-Steamed Mussels with Bacon
In Belgium, mussels are frequently steamed in white ale for added flavor. This version one-ups that by tossing in some fried bacon for salty contrast.
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Chicken Chowder with Potato, Bacon, and Corn
Yvonne Ruperti
This chicken chowder is a meal-in-a-bowl kind of soup. Fresh corn, fragrant thyme, and smoky bacon get tossed in to amplify the flavor.
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Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Skewers with Pineapple and Teriyaki Sauce
Joshua Bousel
If dried out grilled chicken-breast skewers bring you to tears of boredom, you'll love how wrapping the chicken in bacon and dousing everything with a pineapple and teriyaki glaze keeps the meat juicy and full of flavor.
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Turkey, Bacon, and Broccoli Rabe Shooter's-Style Sandwich
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
Forget your normal bacon sandwich. This shooter's-style sandwich stuffs thick layers of turkey, perfectly arranged bacon, and garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe into a hollowed-out loaf of bread. The whole thing is pressed overnight before being sliced into generous, cake-like slices.
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Barbecue Bacon Burgers
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
This bacon barbecue burger is over-the-top in a good way. There's crisp bacon, a smoky burger patty, soft onions, and sweet barbecue sauce.
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Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger
If you want the bacon-iest burger out there, this is it. Bacon strips are weaved together to ensure maximum coverage on top of the burger patty. The bacon fat is then used to cook the hamburger patty, toast the bun, caramelize some onions, and boost a thousand island-style special sauce. It may approach too-much bacon land, but ends up being just enough.
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Tangy and Sweet Tomato-Bacon Jam With Onions and Garlic
Jennifer Olvera
Classic fruit jams are nice, but when you have a bounty of tomatoes it's time to go in a savory direction. The addition of bacon, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce nicely complements the tomato's acidity. You'll want to put this jam on top of everything from sandwiches to cooked vegetables.
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Bacon Swizzle Sticks
Marcia Simmons
Bacon swizzle sticks are garnish, tool, and, snack all in one. The spiraled strip of bacon pretties up your drink, it's strong enough to stir with, and it tastes good.
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Bacon, Bourbon, and Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Bacon, hot chocolate, bourbon, and hazelnut liqueur are a match made in boozy drink heaven. But bacon isn't just crumbled on top; the rendered fat is emulsified into the drink for an extra bacony flavor.
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Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Robyn Lee
Simultaneously salty and sweet, the combination of chewy bacon and crisp cookie will keep you reaching for just one more.
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Bacon Praline
Ben Fink
Most desserts containing bacon seem, well, a little ham-fisted, but incorporating already-candied bacon into a slightly salty, rich caramel just makes sense.
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Wheatberry and Watercress Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
Vicky Wasik
Grain salads are forgiving and flexible, and nutty wheatberries take well to all kinds of vegetables like fennel, arugula, or carrots. But peppery watercress, red onion, and scallion add pungency to this salad, which is dressed with a vinaigrette of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and bacon fat.
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Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
This takes a classic Brussels sprouts and bacon dish, and adds a smoke flavor from the grill.
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Bacon Bahn Mi
Robyn Lee
Our recipe for Bacon Banh Mi brings our favorite Vietnamese sandwich home, swapping out the usual array of cold cuts and charcuterie for bacon but staying true to the other elements that make this sandwich so balanced and irresistible.
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Bacon-wrapped Turkey Breast with Cornbread Stuffing
Joshua Bousel
Keep your turkey breast moist by cooking it wrapped in bacon. Complete the meal with a savory cornbread stuffing.
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Bacon-wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese and Bourbon
A quick and easy hors d'oeuvres, these bacon-wrapped broiled figs are stuffed with blue cheese, and a buttery bourbon-spiked caramel glaze complements and contrasts perfectly with the salty, smoky, and sweet ingredients.
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Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
You know who get along great together? Cauliflower and bacon. That's who. But cauliflower and cream also have a thing going on. Put them together in this simple soup.
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Bacon Bourbon Jam
The taste of this jam is truly outrageous. Each bite contains layer upon layer of flavor, from the caramelized onions and garlic; to the sweet bourbon and maple syrup; to the smoky, salty, porky bacon. Try it on toast, in place of mayonnaise in a sandwich, or slathered on pancakes. It will keep for a month in the fridge.
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Creamy Orecchiette With Spring Onions, Fennel, and Bacon
The sauce for this simple pasta dish is inspired by French soubise, a rich purée of cooked onions and cream. This version uses spring onions and fennel that are quickly softened with the help of a little baking soda for easy blending. Smoky American-style bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano add savory depth to the sauce, which is punched up with a healthy amount of black pepper.
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Frittata with Bacon, Corn, and Gruyère
Emily and Matthew Clifton
You can throw almost anything into a frittata, but filling it with the sweetest summer corn and smoky bacon makes this a simple yet tasty dinner you'll want to eat all season.
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Penne Boscaiola (Woodsman-Style Pasta With Mushrooms and Bacon)
Vicky Wasik
This earthy, smoky classic pasta dish has all the flavors of the forest and a campfire packed into it. Loaded with mushrooms, bacon, tomatoes, and a touch of cream, it'll momentarily transport you from wherever you are to a cabin in a wintertime woodland.
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Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs With Avocado, Tomato, Onion, and Potato Chips
Deep fried bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with a quick salsa made with avocado, tomato, onions, and pickled jalapeños, along with mayonnaise and potato chips.
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