Substitute For Bacon Grease
Bacon grease is a type of fat(or oil if you may) that is made from cooking raw bacon on a skillet or similar cooking utensil with low to medium heat temperature. It is actually a very popular cooking ingredients that has made its way to virtually everything we cook that needs oil, from frying to baking. The usefulness and popular acceptability of bacon grease comes from the absolutely unique flavors it leaves on every recipe it was used for. When you try something fried with bacon grease, you instantly know why it has become incredibly popular among cooks and the general public.
Do you to the nature of this bacon grease and where it is made from, it is quite easy to run out of some bacon grease and that would mean you are left to look for the best substitute for bacon grease. A replacement that would have flavors just as good as that of bacon grease is what you would need. In this article, we would be sharing with you some of the best alternatives that could serve as the perfect bacon grease substitute.
Substituting for an important ingredient in a recipe can be challenging, not because there aren’t good substitutes out there but rather how close in taste, flavor and quality are those other substitutes? It is the same situation when substituting for bacon grease. How good are the alternatives and how similar to the bacon grease will their flavors and taste be? In this article, we would compile a list of all substitutes for bacon grease that are the most similar to the experience you are used to getting from using bacon grease in your cooking.
Substitution For Bacon Grease(or Fat)
Salted Butter
Butter with a little bit of salt in it makes a good alternative to bacon grease, the salt in it makes it a little different from unsalted butter that has nothing added to it. Remember one of nice things about using bacon grease is the extra flavor it brings to your recipe, hence it’ll make no sense using an alternative that has nothing added to it. Salted butter adds a little bit of salt in your recipe so you might want to be careful about the need to add extra salt after using salted butter so you don’t excessively use salt.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is a very popular cooking oil, mostly popular among Asian countries and cultures. It is made from toasting the sesame seed and extracting the oil in it. Sesame oil is one particular substitute for bacon grease you can never go wrong with due to its versatility. Sesame oil can be used to make virtually all kinds of recipes where oil is needed. It has a unique flavor that it brings to your recipe and the aroma is unmatched. For some cultures it is popularly used for frying of meats of different kinds. It never disappoints in taste that is why sesame oil is the number one choice of oil for a lot of chefs all over the world.
Chicken Skin Grease
Chicken skin grease or chicken oil is made from slowly cooking chicken skin and chicken fat in a pot or deep saucepan with water, until the water is all dried up and the chicken skin and fat have become crispy leaving the oil separated from the skin. Chicken grease is an incredible bacon grease substitute for those who do not have bacon grease at home or those who for religious reasons do not eat bacon or bacon products. Chicken grease has that chicken flavor to it and it leaves it in what it is used to cook. The best part about chicken grease is you do not have to buy it from the store/supermarket but can make yours at home to your taste by using chicken skin and chicken fat from the butcher.
Lard
Lard is another incredible alternative to bacon grease and it is an excellent choice because it is also made from animal. But there are many types of lards, majority of the time lard is tendered pig backside. But lard can also be made from other animals such as lamb, beef, turkey , duck etc, basically any animal with fatty tissue. If you don’t eat any of these animals for religious reasons you might want to check very well to be sure you are getting lard that is from an animal that isn’t prohibited. Lard just like other animal grease that stands as substitutes for bacon grease, has an aromatic flavor every cook does not want to do with out. When you have no bacon grease and have need for for it, then lard is absolutely a great choice.
Peanut Oil
Some call it groundnut oil, peanut oil is one of the most popular kind of vegetable oil in the world it is a fantastic alternative to bacon grease you should consider when cooking. peanut oil has it’s own unique aroma, flavor and crispiness but it is not like that of bacon grease. For deep frying and baking, you can not go wrong with peanut oil. It is one of the most readily available oils in the market, but can still be made from home for those who want to try their hands at experimenting with peanuts.
Ghee
Ghee is another popular oil used in different Asian cultures for cooking and it can be a really great bacon fat substitute. Ghee is butter but with a little bit more to it than regular butter or salted butter. For one, it tastes much sweeter than both regular butter and salted butter. This gives ghee an edge in any recipe you expect or want that sweet tasting in it. Ghee unlike most other butter is not thick but liquid fat, made from cow milk butter.
Beef Fat
Beef fat is another animal fat that is a good replacement for bacon fat or bacon grease. Beef fat, just as the name suggests is made from beef and cow fat. It is a good alternative to back grease especially for those who can’t eat pork products but can eat cow products. It is little similar to butter but entirely not the same thing especially as it could contain some flavors and spices depending on how it was made.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is another bacon grease substitute that comes from plant like peanut oil. Olive oil is made from grinding olive seeds and extracting the oil from it. It is a very popular type of oil all over the world for its distinct flavors. It has strong flavors, so any cook using olive oil as a bacon fat substitute has be a little more careful. It is a great choice for someone looking to experiment with something new or someone whose entire diet is totally vegetarian and doesn’t want animal fat or oil. It is a great supplement for spices and herbs in your food.
The above list of fats and oils are the best recommend substitutes for bacon grease any cook could ask for. They are healthy and great choices. While some might be out of option for some individual, for many reasons such as religion, health, dieting and even personal choice, there are still a whole lot of alternatives on the list from plant based to animal fat based substitutes for bacon grease. In the next section we would answer all the popular and frequently asked questions about bacon grease substitutions. These are popular questions provided by upcoming cooks and people who are not sure of what alternatives to use when they run out of bacon grease while cooking.
FAQs About Bacon Grease Substitutes
Can you substitute oil for bacon grease?
Yes you can substitute olive oil, peanut oil or other kinds of oil for bacon grease when cooking. You just have to understand what kind recipe you are making and the role bacon grease plays in it to know the best substitute.
Can I use olive oil instead of bacon grease?
Olive oil is a great substitute for bacon grease especially when you want that strong flavor and aroma it brings to your food. Just know that the flavor from olive oil can be strong, so you should be sure you don’t want it suppressing other flavors.
Can I substitute bacon grease for butter?
Bacon grease brings a lot of deep flavor to whatever you are frying it with especially when it is replacing butter. Bacon grease is a fantastic substitute for butter anytime.
Can I substitute ghee for bacon grease?
Ghee is a good substitute for bacon grease, it is even a very popular kind of butter/oil that is used across the world due to its sweeter taste and flavor.
How do you make bacon grease?
Bacon grease is made from cooking raw bacon in a skillet with low to medium heat temperature. This is done until the bacon is getting dry while all the fat has finished dripping out.
Don’t forget to share this list of bacon grease substitutes and alternatives with your friends who are cooks and want to learn how to replace bacon grease in their recipes.
Oge
Jennifer Ihe