Hot Bacon Dressing is also known as Pennsylvania Dutch hot bacon dressing, is the unexpected sweet, tangy and bacon-filled dressing that will dress up a simple spinach salad.
I love this dressing over spinach salad with thinly sliced red onion and mushrooms. I will also crumble blu cheese or dice up hard boiled egg for added flavor. Also if I don't have spinach in the fridge I will quarter a head of iceberg lettuce and make a wedge salad with warm bacon dressing poured over it.
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Here is why this recipe is amazing:
- While the name of the dressing is HOT bacon dressing the heat comes from temperature, not spice.
- The combination of the crunch and saltiness of the bacon and the tang of the vinegar is balanced out with the sweetness of the sugar.
- A great dressing to use if you have someone who is not a fan of salads. Call this a 'starter' salad dressing. Who doesn't love bacon?
- Not only use this dressing for spinach salad but use it to dress roasted Brussels sprouts and other roasted root vegetables.
🥓 Ingredients needed to make warm bacon dressing:
- bacon, cooked crisp. This would be a great use for your sous vide bacon!
- onion, finely diced
- sugar
- cornstarch - once the sauce comes to a boil, the corn starch will help thicken the dressing
- salt
- water
- vinegar - apple cider vinegar
- black pepper
🥓 How to make hot bacon dressing
- Slice the bacon into one-inch pieces.
- In a heavy bottom pan, cook diced bacon until crisp.
- Remove the crips bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Drain all but ¼ cup of bacon grease from the pan.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Whisk in the water and apple cider vinegar.
- Carefully pour the sugar/vinegar mixture into the pan. Scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the dressing to a simmer, whisking continually. Cook until thickened about 1 minute.
- Add the bacon back into the dressing and stir to combine.
- Serve warm over salad greens.
🥗 Spinach Salad Ingredients:
- Spinach - baby spinach, washed and dried
- Onion - red onion, sliced paper-thin
- Mushroom - white mushrooms, sliced thinly
- Bacon - crisped and crumbled
- Warm Bacon Dressing - see above or the recipe card below
🥗 How to make a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing:
- Slice the onion and the mushrooms thin.
- Place 2 cups of washed and dried baby spinach in bowls.
- Sprinkle each salad with onions, mushrooms and crisp, crumbled bacon.
- Warm the dressing and spoon over the salad.
Frequently asked questions, answers and tips:
Use your favorite bacon but I suggest use thick cut bacon for this recipe. The bacon is the star of the recipe and your best bacon should be used.
Vidalia onion, Wala -Wala onion, or other sweet onion work well in this dressing. If you want a more subtle onion flavor, use a shallot.
I reheat this dressing by microwaving it in a microwave safe container in 15 second interval, stirring to avoid hot pockets in the dressing.
This dressing is super popular at potlucks, church gatherings and bridal showers. To keep this dressing warm, keep it in a slow cooker set on low.
Hot Bacon Dressing
There is more to a recipe than just the recipe card. Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon (diced)
¼ cup onion (finely diced)- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the bacon into one-inch pieces.
- In a heavy bottom pan, cook diced bacon until crisp.8 slices bacon
- Remove the crips bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Drain all but ¼ cup of bacon grease from the pan.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.¼ cup onion
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Whisk in the water and apple cider vinegar.¾ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup water, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- Carefully pour the sugar/vinegar mixture into the pan.Scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the dressing to a simmer, whisking continually. Cook until thickened about 1 minute.
- Add the bacon back into the dressing and stir to combine.
- Serve warm over salad greens.
Notes
- Spinach - baby spinach, washed and dried
- Onion - red onion, sliced paper-thin
- Mushroom - white mushrooms, sliced thinly
- Bacon - crisped and crumbled
- Warm Bacon Dressing
- Slice the onion and the mushrooms thin.
- Place 2 cups of washed and dried baby spinach in bowls.
- Sprinkle each salad with onions, mushrooms and crisp, crumbled bacon.
- Warm the dressing and spoon over the salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Sarah Mock
you are more than welcome Joann. I am glad the flour worked out for you. I bet that salad was SO GOOD!
Joann Stephens
First time making this delicious dressing. I didn’t have corn starch so I used flour, it turned out perfect consistency. I made scallops and put that on top of the spinach then added the dressing, better than the restaurant I go to!
Thank you for sharing
Darcy
WOW!! Awesome! Thought it was going be too much vinegar but the sugar balances it out and makes enough dressing for a family. I really didn’t want to use the corn starch, but it made it the right consistency. Thank you very much!!
Sarah Mock
Your salad sounds delicious!!
I love the addition of egg and tomatoes.
Isn't it funny how everyone likes dressings at different sweetness? THIS recipe is my 'reduced' sugar dressing. I have seen others add a whole cup of sugar. Depends who you are!
Thanks, Lynette!
Sarah
Lynette
1/2 cup of sugar was too much for me so I used 1/4 cup. It’s still sweet but tastes great. Next time I am only going to use 1 tablespoon of sugar. It will still be slightly sweetened taste wonderful.
I prefer to cook all of the bacon before cutting it into pieces. That way you don’t have to mess with turning each little piece while it cooks.
I added about 1/4 cup more of water after it thickened, to thin the dressing a bit. I didn’t want it to be like gravy.
I also added a few grape tomatoes and 1 chopped hard boiled egg to my salad before drizzling the dressing. Wonderful!
Sarah Mock
That warms my heart to hear that you loved this recipe! I appreciate that you said that the recipe was easy to follow. That is my goal with all of the recipes. I share!
sarah
Cindy
I made the dressing! It was an easy recipe to follow! The dressing was delicious and I will make this again. Home made better than store bought and fresher and cheaper too!
Sandra
LOVE this dressing! Thank you for taking the time to include step by step photos, they are so easy to follow.