Here at Delish, we think bacon belongs on everything—it just brings that extra salt, crispy, and savory oomph to a dish. Bacon is an important part of a ton of our favorite apps, sides, mains, and even desserts—don’t even get us started on how integral it is to the perfect breakfast. Check out our 90 best bacon recipes for ideas on what to do with it, but really, you can pretty much go ham… er, bacon!
First things first: If you’re going to put it in everything, you’re going to want your bacon to be the best it can be. We like a couple different cooking methods, so we’ve included instructions and tips for success cooking it on the stove, in the oven, in the air fryer, and in the microwave. All will turn out delicious bacon, though some will be more chewy or more crispy, so experiment until you find which you like best.
Then you can get to eating bacon for every meal of the day. Looking for a delicious savory breakfast? A bacon, egg, & cheese (BEC) is classic, but don’t feel limited to just enjoying the combo on a sandwich. Check out our crispy hash brown-crusted bacon & cheddar quiche, our breakfast bombs, our copycat Cracker Barrel hash brown casserole, or our bacon weave breakfast tacos (with bacon instead of tortillas 😋) to see how much more you can do with the flavor combo. Want to enjoy bacon for lunch? Go for a classic sandwich, like a BLT or a club sandwich; a burger, like our bacon-beef 50/50 burger or our copycat Carl’s Jr. Bacon Western Cheeseburger; or a hearty salad, like our garlic herb wedge salad or Snoop Dogg’s BBQ chicken Cobb (you’ll flip over how he cooks his bacon). Need a salty, super-satisfying snack? Try our bacon avocado fries, our bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, our cheesy bacon spinach dip, or our BLT egglets. They make for great party apps too, and you might want to make extra—they’ll go fast.
Bacon isn’t as good at carrying an entire meal as, say, steak or chicken, but it can take a dinner from good to GREAT. Check out our creamy asparagus bacon gnocchi, our coq au vin, our bacon-wrapped meatloaf, or our beef bourguignon to see what we mean. Bacon is even welcome in desserts. Maple bacon is a classic combo, of course, but bacon pairs with tons of other sweet flavors too. Try our bacon cannoli, our bacon weave s’mores, our maple bacon cinnamon rolls, or our bacon chocolate roses to see how versatile it can be in sweets treats. Think of it like that little added sprinkle of flaky sea salt we often suggest atop desserts, and try adding bacon to all your faves.
One final hot tip for bacon lovers: After cooking it (particularly on the stovetop), save that bacon grease! It’s cooking GOLD. Use it anywhere you’d use oil for a massive flavor boost.
Classic BLT
A classic BLT doesn't need much to be good, but we added some special ingredients anyway! Here, we really elevate the bacon by brushing it with maple syrup and a little cayenne pepper, and spice up the mayo with some chili powder and paprika for a little kick.
Get the Classic BLT recipe.
Best Baked Beans
When it comes to year-round American cuisine, baked beans could quite possibly be looked at as one of the most classic side dishes. They’re sweet, tangy, savory, and the best part, surprisingly easy to make. Not to mention, they’re a one-pot wonder!
Get the Best baked Bean recipe.
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Skillet
If you’re looking for ways to jazz up your average rotisserie chicken and get your family excited about mealtime, look no further than this skillet recipe. With all the flavors of the beloved bar appetizer, it can take a boring roasted bird to new levels of deliciousness.
Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls
Is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls in the morning? We thought no, until THESE came along. Loaded with candied maple bacon, these are a serious upgrade your brunch guests will flip over.
Get the Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls recipe.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Here, we tossed crispy bacon, spinach, chicken breasts, and spaghetti in our creamy Tuscan-inspired sauce for a hearty chicken pasta dinner that's just as perfect for date night as it is for a simple and quick weeknight dinner.
Get the Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe.
Crispy Hash Brown-Crusted Bacon & Cheddar Quiche
The classic combo of bacon, egg, and cheese gets a #glowup with this delectable breakfast recipe. Because here at Delish, the only thing better than a bacon, egg, and cheese is a bacon, egg, and cheese with hash browns!
Get the Crispy Hash Brown-Crusted Bacon & Cheddar Quiche recipe.
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
Jalapeño poppers are one of the easiest, most satisfying party apps. Mix cream cheese with pepper Jack, stuff it in jalapeños, and wrap it all in bacon. In the oven, the cheese gets hot and melty and the peppers mellow slightly. The combination is PERFECT.
Bacon Fried Cabbage
If you want to venture into the world of cabbage that goes beyond corned beef or coleslaw, try this fried cabbage on for size. Hearty and flavorful, it only requires 5 ingredients (if you don't count the salt and pepper). This simple recipe might just convert even the most ardent of cabbage haters.
Get the Bacon Fried Cabbage recipe.
Baked Brie Pasta
If the TikTok famous baked feta pasta is a tad salty for your taste or if you’re ready to try something new, reach for a hunk of brie instead. This melty, brie-coated pasta has earthy mushrooms, sweet shallots, and smoky bacon—kind of like if feta pasta had a cool older cousin.
Get the Baked Brie Pasta recipe.
Bacon Parm Crackers
This is the easiest app to whip together (it even works in the air fryer!), and everyone will love it. All you need is 3 simple ingredients and around an hour to turn any gathering into a party.
Get the Bacon Parm Crackers recipe.
Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders
Every sandwich is better in slider form, especially when it comes to the southern classic Kentucky hot brown. Just like the OG version, these are piled high with turkey breast, cheese sauce, crispy bacon, and juicy sliced tomatoes.
Get the Kentucky Hot Brown Sliders recipe.
Loaded Potato Skins
We expect nothing less than fully loaded from our potato skins. What does that mean to us? If it's topped with cheddar, sour cream, bacon, and scallions (or chives), it's loaded. Examples include (but are CERTAINLY not limited to): loaded mashed potatoes, loaded pickle chips, and loaded zucchini skins.
Get the Loaded Potato Skins recipe.
Garlic Herb Wedge Salad
We attribute this salad's greatness to three things: 1) a homemade garlic confit and blue cheese dressing that will knock your socks off, 2) fresh herbs both in the dressing and as garnish, and 3) thick. cut. bacon.
Get the Garlic Herb Wedge Salad recipe.
Creamy Asparagus Bacon Gnocchi
This speedy one-pan dinner is 100% pure comfort. With chewy gnocchi, crisp-tender asparagus, and a light cream sauce imbued with smoky bacon, it's suspiciously delicious for a dish that takes well under an hour.
Breakfast Bombs
These easy-to-make biscuit bombs are stuffed with all your favorite breakfast foods—scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and CHEESE. You could make them in the oven, but they take less than half the time in your air fryer.
Get the Breakfast Bombs recipe.
Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breast
Hasselback your chicken by cutting shallow slits into your chicken breasts (don't cut all the way through!) and stuff each slit with bacon and a creamy spinach and artichoke filling.
Copycat Panera Green Goddess Cobb Salad With Chicken
Panera’s Cobb salad is like no other Cobb salad. With the green goddess dressing, and the classic Cobb toppings, like, hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon—this salad always hits the spots when you need something hearty and filling, but still want to get your greens in.
Get the Copycat Panera Green Goddess Cobb Salad With Chicken recipe.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
If you're unfamiliar with dates, it's time to familiarize yourself! The date's sweetness is the PERFECT counterpoint to crisp, salty bacon and creamy goat cheese. We guarantee these will fly off the platter when your guests have barely begun to arrive, so make extra.
Get the Bacon-Wrapped Dates recipe.
Chicken Dijon
In the vein of chicken scallopini and our fan fave one-pan chicken & gnocchi, this dish is an ultra-creamy affair with simple seasoning, best served over cooked rice, angel hair pasta, or crusty sourdough bread so that you have something to soak up every last bit of deliciousness.
Get the Chicken Dijon recipe.
