Bacon Salt makes it easy, and pretty fun, to put bacon flavor on just about anything. Shake it on eggs, fries, popcorn, or whatever is in front of you, and you get that taste without cooking a strip or putting a skillet on the stove. Start with a little, then see what else you want to try it on.
If you've ever finished a plate of eggs and thought it needed one more thing, this is that thing. Fries, a baked potato, a bowl of popcorn, a salad that tastes a little polite: they all take it well. The flavor is familiar, which is why it's easy to get heavy-handed. A light shake is really the whole trick.
We've got a flavor for almost any plate. Hickory, Maple, and Cheddar are the jars we keep closest to the stove. Jalapeño, Original, Peppered, Applewood, and Bourbon are in the family too.
Start small, and add it at the right time
A pinch is plenty for a first pass. On two scrambled eggs, that might be a small shake between your fingers, not a long pour from the jar. On fries or popcorn, dust it the way you would salt, then taste. You can always add more. You cannot take it back.
Timing matters as much as the amount. The seasoning clings better on hot food that still has a little fat or moisture, like fries right out of the oven, corn with butter, or popcorn that is still a bit oily. On eggs, avocado toast, and burgers, wait until the end so the flavor sits on top instead of disappearing into the pan. Soup is often better with a shake at the table than with a dump at the start of a long simmer. Dress a salad first, then finish with Bacon Salt, or most of it slides into the bottom of the bowl.
Eggs
Start with eggs if you are new to the jar. Scramble them as you usually do, then add a pinch just as they come off the heat. A fried egg can take a sprinkle on the yolk, or right on the plate. If you want a slightly sweet breakfast edge, Maple Bacon Salt is the one we reach for. It's our go-to breakfast seasoning, and it belongs on hash browns and toast too. Original is a great all-purpose shake here. If you are cooking breakfast for a few people, it also works in a sausage biscuit gravy egg bake.
Popcorn
Popcorn might be the most fun use, because the seasoning gets into every crevice. Make it the way you like, then, while it's still warm, toss it with a little melted butter or oil so the salt has something to hold onto. Cheddar Bacon Salt is excellent here, and on other snacks. If you want some heat, mix Cheddar with Jalapeño Bacon Salt. We call that combination Cheddarpeño. We already wrote out a Bacon Salt seasoned popcorn recipe if you want the exact steps, and the same toss works on a batch of pretzels. If you are putting out a bowl for a crowd, we also have an easy snack mix and a recipe for savory roasted almonds.
Fries and potatoes
Potatoes and bacon flavor are old friends. Fries, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, and baked potatoes all take Bacon Salt well. Season fries and roasted potatoes when they come out of the oven or the fryer, while the surface is still hot. A baked potato can get a sprinkle over butter or sour cream. Mashed potatoes can take a pinch stirred in, then a little more on top. Hickory, Original, and Peppered are all at home on a potato. Tater tots take it the same way fries do, and we have a bacon cheeseburger tater tot casserole if you want a whole pan.
Avocado toast
Avocado toast already wants something salty and savory. Mash or slice the avocado, add lemon or lime if you like, then finish with Bacon Salt. A small pinch is plenty. The fat in the avocado carries the flavor, so you get a lot from a little.
Burgers
A burger is already a good place for bacon flavor, even when you aren't stacking a strip on the patty. Season the meat lightly as you normally would, then add Bacon Salt on the cooked patty, on the bun, or mixed into the mayonnaise. Hickory Bacon Salt has a smoky lean that works especially well here. Applewood, Peppered, and Bourbon are excellent on a burger too. One even sprinkle, or a pinch stirred into a spoonful of mayo, is usually enough to taste it in every bite.
Grilled vegetables and corn on the cob
Hickory is the flavor we reach for on the grill, including steaks, chicken, vegetables, corn on the cob, and fish. For vegetables, toss them with a little oil first, grill them until they pick up color, then sprinkle on Bacon Salt as they come off the grates. If you add it too early over a high flame, some of the flavor can fade. The same timing works on a sheet pan in the oven.
Corn is even simpler. Butter the cob, or brush it with oil, then roll or sprinkle it with Bacon Salt while it's hot. If you already cooked a pack of bacon for the rest of the meal, the salt is still a good move on the corn and the vegetables.
A Bloody Mary rim
A Bloody Mary already lives in the same neighborhood as bacon: tomato, spice, and a little salt. To rim a glass, wet the edge with a lemon or lime wedge, or a little of the mix, then dip it into a shallow plate of Bacon Salt. Twist once, tap off the extra, and pour the drink. You can also add a pinch to the mix itself, but the rim is the fun part, because you taste it first.
If you'd rather not pour from a jar onto a plate, we make J&D's Bloody Mary Bacon Salt Rimmer Tins for this. We also have a Bloody Mary recipe if you want a full pour to go with the rim.
Salads and soups
On a salad, Bacon Salt does the job that crumbled bacon usually does, without asking you to cook and chop a strip. Build the salad, dress it, then finish with a light sprinkle. It is at home on a wedge or a spinach salad. A simple bowl of greens with tomato and cucumber works too. If you want a full plate to try it on, we already have a chicken salad with greens and balsamic dressing.
For soup, think of it as a finishing salt. Tomato soup, potato soup, corn chowder, and bean soup all take a shake at the end or at the table. Stir, taste, and stop when you can find the bacon flavor without losing the soup itself. A pot of chili can take a finishing shake too, and we already have a crockpot bacon taco chili if you want a full recipe.
If you're cooking around a diet
A lot of people pick up Bacon Salt because they want bacon flavor without cooking a strip of bacon. The product pages for Hickory, Maple, and Cheddar list those jars as vegetarian, and the ingredient lists do not include pork. That is why vegetarian cooks shake it on eggs, potatoes, and vegetables when they miss that taste.
People who are cutting back on meat or fat often use it the same way: a pinch of seasoning instead of a pan of bacon. Low-carb and keto cooks tend to put it on eggs, salads, and grilled vegetables. We are not making a medical claim here, and we are not saying every flavor fits every diet. If you are cooking for a specific restriction, read the label. That is the sure way to know.
What else it is good on
Once you get the hang of the pinch-and-taste method, the list gets longer in a hurry. Pasta with a little butter or olive oil can take a shake, and so can roasted Brussels sprouts, leftover potatoes, or a grilled cheese. A sandwich can take it too. We already have chicken bacon ranch hoagies if you want one to build, and a 3 bean bacon hotdish if you would rather put a pan in the oven. Keep the jar near the stove, not buried in the back of the spice cabinet. A small shake, at the right moment, is usually all it takes.
