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No spinach salad is complete without an easy Hot Bacon Dressing recipe to top it off. This simple Bacon Vinaigrette is quick to whip up and a great way to use up those leftover bacon drippings from your morning breakfast.
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We’re big bacon fans here and, lucky for us, I always keep a good stash of bacon in the freezer at all times. Aside from the usual bacon on Saturday mornings, we love to use it to elevate the flavors of our favorite recipes like a weekday meatloaf.
Since I’m not the biggest fan of salads, I love to add bacon to my greens anyway I can and that includes dousing them in this easy Hot Bacon Dressing. It’s tangy, sweet and rich with bacon flavor….and it’s ready in minutes.
My first encounter with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette was in the south on a simple spinach salad. The flavor is out of this world when drizzled over a pile of greens but it’s a classic on spinach salad with chopped egg and sliced mushrooms. It’s the perfect homemade salad dressing to put on ALL THE THINGS.
Hot Bacon Dressing
A southern classic vinaigrette, Hot Bacon Dressing is made of warm bacon drippings, a sweetener like sugar or honey, minced shallots, a hit of vinegar and simple seasonings like salt and pepper.
You just whisk everything together until thick and creamy then use it to top your favorite greens like spinach, kale, green beans or even Brussels sprouts!
How To Serve It
We love to serve our warm bacon dressing over this bright and fruity spinach salad but it’s also a great substitute for melted butter on these crisp green beans or stir it into some grilled potatoes for an extra pop of flavor.
TIPS FOR MAKING HOT BACON DRESSING
- While this is a great way to use up leftover bacon fat which I store in the fridge to make things like popcorn or scrambled eggs, it’s best if you make your bacon fresh in the same skillet you’ll whisk up your vinaigrette.
- To make the bacon dressing in advance, remove the bacon from the skillet and finish making the dressing in the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store the bacon in a separate container and warm for 10 seconds on a paper towel lined plate until crisp.
- To reheat your bacon dressing, microwave for 20 second increments at high power stirring until smooth and warmed through. Alternatively, you can warm the dressing in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Substitute the honey in the dressing for brown sugar, granulated sugar or your favorite low calorie sweetener.
- Switch up the vinegar called for in the bacon dressing with champagne vinegar, red wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar for a bolder flavor.
More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes
If you like this easy dressing recipe, you may also love this easy Apple Cider Vinaigrette….it’s on repeat almost daily here because it’s a cinch to make. We also love this easy Blue Cheese Dressing and this super simple Thousand Island Dressing.
Want something a little spicier, this fire roasted Pineapple Jalapeno Dressing is amazing as is this Avocado Ranch Dressing...it’s OMG…DELISH!
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Easy Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until crispy.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the rendered fat.
- Crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Add the shallots to the pan and saute until transluscent.
- Whisk the vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard into the bacon fat until slightly thickened and creamy. Remove from the heat.
- Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried doubling the recipe and it definitely did not come out creamy. I even added some extra dijon and it was still very greasy. What am I doing wrong?
You’ll need to whisk it vigorously until it becomes emulsified, it takes a bit longer if you double the recipe.
Chef here, the authors directions don’t specify how to make a proper dressing. The simplest way to emulsify a dressing is to start with the Dijon and whisk oil into it until incorporated and thick. The next step would be to rotate between vinegar and oil as to not break the dressing. Gently stir in shallots and bacon after making the base dressing. I’d reserve the bacon fat for this but still use the pan that fried the bacon to sauté the shallots. If it breaks start over with fresh Dijon and oil. No disrespect to the author just wanted to help.
My recipe does work as instructed and has been simplified for the home cook but thank you for adding your tips. I always welcome helpful advice from my online community!
Old husband but new cook. My Mom used to make this when I was a kid. My family called it wilted lettuce. Made it tonight for my wife and we loved it. Thank for bringing back childhood memories.
You’re very welcome! This dressing is my favorite, too. I love to dip breadsticks in it!
Can I use white vinegar?
Yes, it will just have a much more pronounced vinegar flavor instead of the hint of sweetness.
It was very tasty and I will make again. It wasn’t however in anyway creamy. But the again, I have never had one that was.
So happy you liked it!
I’m guessing that it was referred to as “creamy” as opposed to being similar to ‘Honey Mustard dressing’ or ‘Oil & Vinegar dressing’ or maybe just meaning well-blended. I see your point, but I am not sure what word does describe it that doesn’t sound negative, like sticky or viscous. [My very favorite salad is spinach with hot bacon dressing.]
Most people get the word “creamy” instead of saying viscous or well combined. It’s a visual cue to whisk it until it looks creamy.
I had this dressing in a restaurant once and have been looking for the recipe ever since. Thank youi.
Thank you for your comment! We love this one.
How much is one serving (cups, tablespoons, etc)?
2 tablespoons = 1 serving
I just made this. Amazing! I have literally achieved salad nirvana! Thank you for this great recipe
You’re very welcome! I too, love salad nirvana. 🙂
I made this recipe pretty much to the instructions, and it was absolutely delicious. I was so excited, I forgot to add the salt and pepper, but really didn’t miss it. I also used red onions instead of shallots, to make the dressing and added two hard-boiled eggs, sliced to the recipe. Maybe I didn’t follow the recipe as close as I originally thought, lol. We used fresh spinach from the garden and it made two pretty good size salads, for me and my wife. The next time I am going to try adding strawberries instead of the hard boiled eggs to give it more of a citrus twist . So good!!
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your twist on our favorite dressing. I do love it with strawberries, too!