Homemade Bacon Bits made EASY

Recipe

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Learn how to make homemade bacon bits in the oven so they're perfectly crunchy and ready to be sprinkled over baked potatoes, salads, and more!

This recipe is a huge upgrade from the ones at the store, so grab your favorite bacon, and let's make homemade bacon bits!

a bowl of bacon bits with a slice of cooked bacon on the side

Making Bacon Bits with Real Bacon

Making homemade bacon bits with real bacon is super easy and tastes much better than the store-bought versions.

The bacon is cooked until perfectly crisp, then finely chopped so you can top them over salads, eggs, baked potatoes, or my loaded baked potato soup recipe.

Make these with whatever bacon you have available; even turkey bacon works with this method.

How to Make Bacon Bits in the Oven

As you’ll see in the video, I make these bacon bits in the oven to minimize grease splatters and give them a crunchy texture that’s easy to chop. Here’s how:

Prep.
To bake the bacon, you’ll need the oven preheated and a baking sheet lined with foil.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Until the bacon is dark brown and crispy.
Cool.
Remove the bacon from the oven and pat it dry between paper towels to absorb excess grease. Then, allow the slices to cool completely on a cutting board.
Chop the bacon.
Use a sharp knife to cut the bacon into fine, small pieces. Serve or refrigerate them in an airtight container.

raw bacon slices on a baking sheet on the left with crispy cooked bacon on the right

Short on time? Make bacon in the microwave in MINUTES, and then use that perfectly crispy bacon to make your homemade bacon crumbles.

Laura’s Tips for Homemade Bacon Bits

Are homemade bacon bits gluten-free?

Bacon bits made with real bacon are naturally gluten-free; however, for extra precaution, select a certified gluten-free brand of bacon or scan the ingredient list for gluten-derived seasonings and spice mixes.

How to store homemade bacon bits

Homemade bacon bits need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Since these are made without preservatives, they must be refrigerated; otherwise, they’ll go bad at room temperature.

Can you freeze them?

While you can keep homemade bacon bits in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, I don’t recommend it. When thawed, the bacon bits will lose their crispiness and won’t have the same texture you love.

How long do homemade bacon bits last?

Freshly made bacon bits will last for 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Frozen bacon bits can be defrosted overnight in the fridge or warmed up in the microwave.

Serve them up over my famous BLT salad, over this Cobb pasta salad, or even this wedge salad.

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How to Make Bacon Bits

a bowl of bacon bits with cooked bacon bits on the side

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 30

Learn how to make homemade bacon bits in the oven so they’re perfectly crunchy and ready to be sprinkled over baked potatoes, salads, and more!

5 from 8 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

12 ounces of bacon, any

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350F and position the oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Line a baking sheet with foil and place the bacon slices on the baking sheet.

Bake:

Bake for about 20 minutes, until they begin to turn dark and crispy.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the cooked bacon strips onto a stack of 3 to 4 paper towels. Pat dry them with another paper towel to absorb excess fat.

Chop:

Tranfer them onto a chopping block and allow them to fully cool.
With a large kitchen knife, finely chop them into small pieces.

Storage:

Keep bacon bits in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. If you freeze them, keep in mind that thawed bacon bits lose their crispiness.