How to Make Bacon Bits

A small bowl of bacon bits on a marble counter.

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Learn how to make bacon bits that are perfectly crispy, crunchy, and flavorful. Cheaper and better than store-bought!

Course Breakfast, Condiments

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Cooling time 5

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 37

Author Dorothy Bigelow

Equipment

Dutch oven or large skillet with high sides

Ingredients

8-16 slices bacon regular or thick-cut

Instructions

Use a sharp knife to cut your bacon into squares roughly ½-¾” in size. You can do this by lining up the bacon as packaged and slicing it into ½-¾” pieces vertically. Then, stack these rectangular pieces and slice them in half, making smaller squares. The particular shape of the bacon pieces doesn't matter as much - just aim for them to be roughly less than 1” on any side.
Use your fingers to gently separate any slices that are sticking together. Don’t worry about this too much, as they will break apart as they cook, but separated slices make for more consistent and even cooking.
Heat a Dutch oven (or a large skillet with high sides) over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes, or until it radiates heat when you hover your hand in the middle.
Add the bacon pieces to the preheated Dutch oven or skillet, and stir them gently with a wooden spoon to break them up.
As the bacon starts to cook, the fat will render and the pieces will start to crisp up. Continuing stirring occasionally to help them cook evenly.
Remove pieces with a slotted spoon as they are crisp and cooked to your liking, and place them on a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
Note: As the rendered fat increases in volume, your bacon pieces will cook more quickly, so watch them more carefully. If needed, turn down the heat if you find them cooking too quickly.
Continue to remove batches of pieces as they are cooked to your liking, and drain them on paper towels. Refresh your paper towels or start another plate if needed.
Allow the bacon bits to cool for 3-5 minutes before using; they will crisp up as they cool.
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. For the best results, recrisp your bacon bits in a skillet just until a small amount of grease is rendered. Then drain on a paper towel lined plate and use as desired.

Notes

Can I use turkey or beef bacon instead? I haven’t tested this with beef or turkey bacon, but I would not recommend this exact method. Beef and turkey bacon are very lean types and low in fat, so they do not render a significant amount of grease. Instead, I recommend cooking the slices as you usually would (typically in a skillet or air fryer), then chop them into small pieces with a sharp knife.

Storage: Transfer cooled bacon to an airtight container or freezer bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (most people store theirs for longer, but I recommend freezing it if you need it beyond day 3).

Freezing: Allow the bacon bits to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer bag, label, and freeze.

Recrisp the needed amount of bacon by adding it to a preheated skillet. Once a small amount of fat has rendered, transfer the crisped pieces to a paper towel lined plate to drain (there won’t be as much fat at the first time, but removing that fat will help with crispiness).

Ways to use bacon bits:

Salads (broccoli salad, caesar salad, etc)
Dips (like my loaded baked potato dip)
Soups
Baked potatoes
Appetizers

Nutrition