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| | Bacon bits are a wonderful addition on top of soups, salads, macaroni and cheese and a variety of dishes. Rich, fatty and crispy, they will give the blandest soup a boost and the plainest salad a kick.
So how to you cook perfectly crispy, evenly cooked bacon bits?
You could start out with cooked bacon slices and chop them once they’re cooked. If you have left-over cooked bacon slices, then that’s certainly an alternative.
Otherwise it’s usually easier to start with cutting the bacon in pieces before you cook it. Not only is it faster to cook the bacon bits, you also make sure all the pieces will be nice and evenly cooked.
While you can cook bacon slices in the oven or the microwave, we prefer to cook bacon bits on the stove.
Cut the bacon in as small pieces as you like. In a heavy-bottom pan (such as a cast-iron pan) cook the bacon on medium heat, stirring frequently. Bacon can burn very quickly, so don’t walk away from the pan. We usually find that it’s easier to pour some of the fat off as it renders, that way you can see and cook the bacon easier. Cook until the bacon is nice and evenly colored (about 10-15 minutes), them remove and let dry in a bowl lined with paper towels.
Tip! If you are using bacon bits as a topping on soup, then it’s tasty to add some onion as well. When the bacon is cooked about half-way through, add some diced onion. Continue to cook until the bacon is done and crispy and the onion is translucent.
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