17 Unexpected Ingredients That Pair Well With Bacon

Bacon is the sizzling star of breakfast tables across America — the secret ingredient that enhances countless dishes, and the panacea for pretty much any culinary disaster. Just add bacon, and everything will be ok. That's because bacon, in all its glory, goes with almost everything, including foods you never would have thought to pair it with. Just think of the most outlandish ingredient that comes to mind, and consider whether it might go well with bacon. The answer is probably yes.

To illustrate this idea, we propose a list of ingredients that you've probably never thought to cook with bacon. But first, let's be clear about a few things. In order for any bacon dish to truly work, you have to select a good quality piece of bacon. For most dishes, we recommend the center cut, which contains about 30% less fat than a regular cut and packs a stronger punch of pork flavor. You also have to establish a good cooking technique. Be sure to start with room temperature bacon and lay it on a cold skillet for more even cooking and to give the bacon fat enough time to warm up and act as a non-stick agent on the pan. Once you've got your method down, it's time to start experimenting with some unusual ingredients.

Now that we've established that bacon pairs well with sweet things, let's move on to something that is both sweet and acidic. Balsamic vinegar is an excellent complement to bacon's rich saltiness, especially when combined with brown sugar in a sticky glaze. Preparation is easy. Bake a half pound of bacon strips at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes while you whisk together brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Brush this mixture over the bacon strips and return them to the oven for 15 minutes until cooked to crispy perfection.

With this recipe, the better the balsamic vinegar you choose, the better the bacon will taste. According to Giada de Laurentiis, the best vinegar comes from its traditional homeland of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and will be labeled with the letters D.O.P., which means protected designation of origin, or I.G.P., which means protected geographical indication. These are likely to be the highest quality balsamic vinegar according to traditional methods.

The pineapple and ham combination has been well established. Hawaiian pizza is ubiquitous and we've all heard of roast ham covered in pineapple slices. But what if you substituted the ham with bacon? While roasting bacon for hours isn't going to work out for anyone, you might consider using bacon instead of ham next time you make a Hawaiian pizza. If you think pineapple on pizza is an abomination, you can move right along, but if you like it, know that the salts in the bacon can act on the pineapple to make it more flavorful.

The best way to create this more perfect union is to briefly caramelize the pineapple in bacon grease with a bit of sugar. As long as your bacon has a nice fatty bent that cuts through the acidity of the pineapple, even Hawaiian pizza doubters will reconsider their approach once bacon enters the fray.

Whether you're making a dessert or a cocktail, bourbon and bacon are going to come in handy, especially when used together. For example, next time you make peanut brittle, go crazy and add some bacon bits along with your vanilla, peanuts, and salt, right before adding the baking soda. For the extra kick from the bourbon, just brush the spirit over your bacon, along with some brown sugar, before baking it in the oven until crisp. Here you can also use pecans instead of peanuts, which also pair well with bourbon.

For something a bit more grown-up, use a nice, crisp strip of bacon as your garnish for a bacon-infused Old Fashioned. Just add your chopped, crispy bacon to your cocktail shaker with some brown sugar simple syrup, bitters, and ice. Once shaken, strain into a tumbler over ice, add the bourbon and garnish with your cooked bacon strip.

The magic of the chocolate and bacon combination occurs in the liminal space between the saltiness of the bacon and the bittersweet flavor of the chocolate. So feel free to add bacon to pretty much any of your favorite chocolate desserts. With summer in full swing, an appropriate first step might be to include a slab of chocolate in your s'mores. Spread some peanut butter on your graham cracker so that the bacon bits will stick to it, then layer on some banana slices and chocolate, and don't forget your warm and gooey marshmallow at the end.

Another idea is to put bacon bits on the frosting for these simple chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese and maple frosting. Just candy the bacon in the oven along with some freshly ground black pepper and brown sugar. Then chop up the result and press it into the frosting after spreading it over your cupcakes.

The only thing better than a nice, crisp apple is a soft, baked apple filled with nice, crisp bacon. In this apple, oats, bacon, chocolate, and raisins recipe you'll need to combine cooked bacon with the rest of the ingredients alongside a bit of bacon fat and Calvados, a unique apple-based brandy that originates from the French region of Normandy. Core the apples and stuff them with this formidable concoction, top with some maple syrup and butter, and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste with apple juice and additional Calvados, and bake for another 20 minutes.

The combination also works well in savory applications. Bacon and apple dumplings, for example, are relatively easy and fairly impressive. A win-win situation. First prepare the filling by sautéing apples, thyme, pepper, allspice, and salt in the bacon fat rendered from the already-cooked bacon. Then prepare the dumpling dough, add the filling, seal shut, and fry the dumplings until golden brown on both sides.

Peaches have a delicate, almost ethereal flavor and a smooth, buttery texture. Bacon is rough and tumble, and the exact opposite in every way. But you know what they say. Opposites attract, especially in this tasty, summery grilled peach salad with bacon vinaigrette. Cook the bacon, remove it from the pan, and then sauté the onion and garlic in its grease before adding the vinegar and reintroducing the cooked bacon along with some grapeseed oil. Then simply grill your peaches until lightly caramelized, add Romaine and Manchego cheese, and toss with your bacon vinaigrette.

For a heartier combination, try a grilled pork belly with peach salsa. Grill your pork belly to perfection and then just dress it up with a mixture of lime juice, onions, cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, olive oil, mint leaves, a white peach, a red bell pepper, and salt to taste. This is the ideal way to appreciate a heavy dish like pork belly even in the hot summer months.

We love coffee, and we love bacon. So of course we must combine the two — because drinking a cup of coffee alongside your breakfast bacon isn't enough sometimes. The pairing works: stir some maple syrup into your prepared coffee, fry up your bacon, and then brush the coffee glaze on top before it cooks completely. You get a beguiling interplay of bitterness from the coffee, saltiness from the bacon, and sweetness from the syrup. Serve the bacon with pancakes or eggs.

Another option is to use some of your leftover brewed coffee in a batch of bacon jam. Most bacon jam recipes do not specifically call for this, but you won't regret adding it. Although you won't taste the coffee with the bacon and sugar taking on center stage, the brew gives the jam a deeper layer of flavor by making the onions taste sweeter and the bacon smokier.

Time and time again, bacon has proven itself to be the ideal recipient of a strongly-flavored glaze. We've looked at coffee glazes and bourbon glazes, and now we'll take a look at how to use oranges. And just as with the other glazes, the execution is simple: just fry your bacon in your favorite bacon pan, and toward the end of cooking, brush it with a mixture of orange juice and honey. The tangy citrus will provide a pop of flavor, while the honey will make sure the sweetness in the oranges holds firm and creates a bona fide glaze.

Another way to combine oranges and bacon is in a simple salad. Peel your orange, dice it up, and throw it into a salad with cooked and chopped bacon pieces. Use mild, sweet lettuce so as not to overpower the flavors, and keep your star ingredients company with diced avocado, Bermuda onions, and toasted almonds.