The Gunny Sack

  • Home
  • Autumn
  • Dinner
  • Recipe Index
    • All Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizer
      • Dip
    • Beverages
      • Coffee
      • Smoothie
    • Breakfast
    • Crock Pot
    • Dessert
      • Bars
      • Cake
      • Candy
      • Cheesecake
      • Chocolate
      • Cookies
      • Fruit Desserts
        • Apple
        • Banana
        • Pumpkin
        • Strawberry
      • Fudge
      • Ice Cream
      • No Bake
      • Peanut Butter
      • peppermint
      • Pie
      • Truffles
    • Dinner
      • Beef
      • Bread
      • Casserole
      • Chicken
      • Grilled
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Pork
      • Salad
      • Sauces and Dressing
      • Side
        • Potatoes
        • Vegetables
      • Soup
    • Snack
    • Holiday
      • Easter
      • Christmas
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine’s Day
  • About
    • About The Team
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Autumn
  • Appetizers
  • Desserts
  • Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Breakfast » Bacon Bits

    Bacon Bits

    Published: Jul 28, 2023 by Tonia Larson

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    ↓ JUMP TO RECIPE

    Once you make real Bacon Bits, you’ll be hooked! Crispy bacon crumbles take your dishes to the next level. Add to salads, soups, and eggs!

    A bowl with crumbled bacon bits inside.

    Homemade bacon bits are so easy to make, and they are so much better than the store-bought ones! These crunchy, savory morsels of goodness can take your recipes to a whole new level. You can even make a large batch ahead of time and store them in the freezer for later.

    What This Post Includes

    • What Kind of Bacon To Use
    • Way To Use Bacon Bits
      • Bacon Bits For Salad
      • For Soup
      • With Breakfast
      • For Appetizers
    • Make Them Ahead Of Time
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    A package of uncooked strips of pork.

    What Kind of Bacon To Use

    To make bacon bits, you only need one ingredient: bacon! You can use regular cut or thick cut, depending on how thick you want your crumbles to be.

    If you want spicy bacon bits, choose peppered bacon. And you can choose hardwood smoked bacon for a different flavor profile.

    Five strips of uncooked bacon in a frying pan.

    Lay the strips of bacon in a large skillet and cook them over medium-high heat. They will need to cook for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on how crispy you want your bacon to be. If you want to prepare a larger quantity at once, you can cook the bacon in the oven!

    Five pieces of cooked bacon in a frying pan.

    Use tongs to carefully turn the strips of bacon over once they are browned so that the other side can get crispy.

    Five strips of cooked bacon.

    Then, remove the crispy bacon from the pan with tongs and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.

    Hands are shown crumbling bacon.

    Once it has cooled, use your fingers to crumble it into bits. I prefer using my hands because the bacon bits end up being all different shapes and sizes. Or, if you prefer a more uniform look, you can use a chef’s knife to chop the bacon into pieces.

    Crumbled bacon in a pile.

    Way To Use Bacon Bits

    Bacon Bits For Salad

    We often use bacon bits for salad! In our 7 Layer Salad, bacon holds the top place, and it adds so much flavor to the salad. We also use it in our Broccoli Salad, and a Cobb Salad wouldn’t be complete without the addition of bacon crumbles!

    For Soup

    Bacon adds a salty, smoky flavor to soups. It can be added while the soup is cooking and used as a garnish as well. We used it in our Potato Bacon Soup with Beans, Corn Chowder, and Potato Soup.

    With Breakfast

    Real bacon bits make breakfast even better! It’s our favorite filling for omelettes! You can also add them to breakfast tacos, egg bake, puff pastry breakfast pizza, and bacon egg and cheese breakfast burritos.

    For Appetizers

    Appetizers get a flavor boost with the addition of bacon crumbles! You can sprinkle them on top like we did on our cheese fries. Or use them as part of the filling in things like loaded potato poppers or jalapeno popper bites.

    Bacon bits in a bowl.

    Make Them Ahead Of Time

    You can make homemade bacon bits ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator or freezer so that they are available whenever you need them! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to four months.

    Crumbled bacon in a parchment-lined bowl.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Is bacon bits real bacon?

    Yes, this bacon bits recipe uses real bacon.

    What are bacon bits made of?

    They are made from crumbled strips of crispy bacon.

    How should they be stored?

    Store them in an airtight, sealed container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Or you can store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.

    A bowl full of bacon bits.

    Bacon Bits

    Once you make real Bacon Bits, you'll be hooked! Crispy bacon crumbles take your dishes to the next level. Add to salads, soups, and eggs!
    No ratings yet
    ↑ Click stars to rate!
    Print Review SaveSaved! Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 5 slices bacon

    Instructions

    • Arrange the slices of bacon in a large skillet. *see note one
    • Fry over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, 4-5 minutes per side, until it reaches the desired crispiness.
    • Remove from heat and use tongs to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard the bacon grease in the pan or save it for another use.
    • Allow the bacon to drain and cool on the paper towels.
    • Use your hands to crumble the cooled bacon into the desired size pieces. *see note two
    • Store the bacon bits in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to one month.

    Notes

    One: Larger Quantity

    To prepare a larger quantity at one time, cook the bacon in the oven! See our post for all of the details.

    Two: Chop Bacon

    You can chop the bacon into bits on a cutting board with a chef’s knife if you prefer. The pieces may have more uniform cuts and not looks like crumbles.

    Three: Storage

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to four months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 27mg | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Course: Sauces and Condiments
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Tonia Larson

    More Breakfast Recipes

    • Cinnamon scones with icing.
      Cinnamon Scones
    • homemade bisquick in a mason jar with a black measuring cup.
      Homemade Bisquick
    • French Toast with berries on top.
      French Toast Recipe
    • acai bowl with tropical fruit on top.
      Acai Bowl

    About Tonia Larson

    Hi! I’m Tonia, the owner and recipe creator at The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 12+ years! My family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and delicious desserts include mouthwatering photos, dynamic videos, and step-by-step instructions to help you cook at home.

    « Apple and Blackberry Crumble
    Puff Pastry Veggie Pizza »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Tonia Larson and Brian LarsonHi, We are Brian and Tonia Larson! We hope you enjoy our family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and tasty desserts!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    sign up for emails button
    Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Nutrition Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in