Exactly How to Store Bacon Grease, According to Chefs

If you didn’t grow up in a family with a cook who taught you how to store bacon grease, it might seem like a foreign concept. We clean off all other pan drippings after cooking, so why save these?

You’re probably well aware of the superpowers of bacon fat, though. Many of our most popular dishes of 2024 feature bacon, and several of our fan-favorite million dollar recipes—named because they taste so rich and delicious—start by cooking bacon, reserving the meat for later, then employing some of the bacon grease to infuse even more flavor into the recipe’s next step. (Want to give this a try? Don’t miss our Million Dollar Tater Tot Casserole, Million Dollar Mashed Potatoes, or Million Dollar Dip.)

Even if a portion of the bacon fat is utilized later in the recipe, all of it rarely is. And many times, we’re just cooking bacon for the strips themselves and don’t have any use for the grease immediately. Rather than discarding the extra grease that’s left in the pan, our Test Kitchen and the chefs we spoke to suggest tucking it away for later. Here’s how to store bacon grease, including one essential step that will make your bacon grease stay fresh for as long as possible. Then discover the best (and worst) ways to use bacon grease in brand-new creations.

How to Cook Bacon to Be Able to Capture Its Grease

Although some folks on social media demonstrate it, we don’t advise air-frying bacon, since the fat can splatter and build up on the interior of the appliance and may lead the machine to smoke. You can also hit the “easy” button and cook bacon in the microwave. However, we recommend doing so between two sheets of paper towel to keep the strips crispy and from splattering—and those towels soak up the fat.

Our Test Kitchen has two preferred methods for how to cook bacon in a way that allows you to keep the grease: on the stovetop or in the oven. 

To cook bacon on the stove:

• Line a sheet pan foil and place the wire rack over the foil. Arrange bacon strips on the rack, being careful not to crowd the strips.
• Bake at 400° F for about 18 to 21 minutes, or until the bacon reaches your desired level of crispiness.
• Remove the rack and bacon from the pan, and allow the grease to cool for 3 minutes.

To cook bacon in the oven:

• Line a plate with paper towels.
• Arrange bacon slices in an unheated skillet, being careful not to crowd the strips.
• Turn on a burner to medium, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until your desired doneness, using tongs to turn occasionally.
• Transfer the bacon to the prepared plate, and allow the grease to cool for 3 minutes.

Use your crispy strips in your favorite bacon recipes (might we recommend Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole or Alice’s Spring Chicken?) and turn your attention to the liquid gold: our grease.

The No. 1 Step to Help Your Bacon Grease Stay Fresh For As Long As Possible

While the bacon grease is warm, but not scorching hot, transfer it to a liquid measuring cup. Into your storage vessel of choice, pour the grease through a fine mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth to capture any extra bacon bits. 

“If you don’t strain your bacon grease, it will cause the fat to turn rancid quicker than normal,” says Justin Harry, executive chef at TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida.

How to Store Bacon Grease

The best place to store bacon grease is in a wide-mouthed mason jar or a glass food storage container with a lid, because “glass helps reduce the flavor absorption. Plus, it’s safer and easier to heat the bacon grease in the microwave later on, if you like,” says Sarah Brekke, M.S., Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager.

Once you have your strained bacon grease in your glass storage container or jar, allow it to cool to room temperature, then press a layer of plastic wrap on top of the grease. Add the lid. While you can keep it on your counter, bacon grease will last much longer if you store your bacon grease in a fridge set to USDA’s safe refrigerator temp range of 32° to 40° F.

“When you’re using your grease, remove what you need for your recipe, then put it back into the fridge quickly. There is no need to let it soften first, just scoop it out,” suggests Jason Morse, the Highlands Ranch, Colorado-based chef-owner of Chef J BBQ Provisions and national spokesperson for Ace Hardware. “The more you soften and chill it again and again, the shorter the shelf life will be.”

Can You Freeze Bacon Grease?

You bet. Instead of straining your grease into a glass vessel, Harry recommends pouring it into a silicone ice cube tray. Freeze the grease until it is solid, then pop out the cubes and place them in a freezer-safe zip-top storage bag. Label with the name and date, and keep at or below 0° F, the USDA advises.

How Long Does Bacon Grease Last

When stored according to the recommendations above, bacon grease will last:

• On the counter: About 1 week 
• In the refrigerator: About 3 months
• In the freezer: 6 to 12 months 

How to Use Bacon Grease in Cooking (Plus a Few Recipes to Avoid)

Think of bacon grease like lard’s smokier, statement-making cousin. Technically, you can use bacon grease in any recipe that calls for butter, oil, or shortening, Harry says. But it can be helpful to brainstorm dishes in which the rich flavor and smoky quality will be a delight rather than a drawback.

“Avoid recipes where the bacon flavor would not mesh well,” Brekke notes. “Many desserts [like pastries or vanilla cake], seafood, stir-fries, or lighter-flavored items could get overpowered by the bacon flavor.”

On the flip side, our chefs agree that these are some of the best uses for bacon grease:

• Use it to fry or scramble eggs
• Add it to biscuit dough or cornbread
• Try it to kick off a fried rice recipe
• Use it to fry chicken
• Melt it as the cooking fat for popcorn
• Employ it in soups like Copycat Zuppa Toscana Soup or Cheesy Beer and Bacon Soup
• Toss it with roasted potatoes
• Scoop some into a skillet to set the tone for sautéed vegetables
• Use it instead of butter to crisp up the exterior of your next grilled cheese
• Add it to refried beans
• Try it instead of butter or oil in roux
• Get adventurous and use it to replace a small portion of the butter in your next brownie or chocolate chip cookie recipe