Why You Should Consider Topping Your Salad With Bacon Grease

While the deliciousness of your favorite veggies, plus assorted fruits, nuts, proteins, and/or cheeses cannot be denied, if you are eating a salad, chances are your main priority is being healthy. And if that's the case, we are willing to bet that you have never thought to pair your salad with bacon grease. Lifehacker, however, has let us on in on a little secret that just might change your mind.

Lifehacker writer Claire Lower is a salad expert. "Even self-proclaimed salad haters have been wooed by my artfully arranged piles of leaves and stuff," she writes. Salad tips are always welcome here! Some of us need extra, irresistible motivation to make salads seem appealing; some of us desperately need to shake up our tried and true salad routines; and some of us just need to get excited about even starting the salad journey to begin with. One of Lower's most mouthwatering ideas for elevating a salad happens to be the aforementioned bacon grease.

"The hot grease wilts and seasons your greens creating a perfect foundation for lots of contrasting fresh and crunchy vegetables, super sour vinaigrettes, and hot sauce," the Lifehacker guidance reads. This recipe for "Kilt, Killed, or Wilted Fresh Lettuce and Bacon Salad" from Real Tree seconds Lower's advice. Apparently the simple pleasure of crisp greens wilted by salty, savory bacon grease is a Southern and Appalachian classic. 

We don't know where this genius pairing has been hiding, but we are glad to hear about it now.

Considering the mass appeal of bacon, it's no surprise that people are always happy to find another use for something like bacon grease, which can be one downside of cooking bacon, considering that you have to let it cool and put it in a container before disposing. You can use bacon grease for everything from baking to mixology, so add Lifehacker's tasty salad hack to your list.

When it comes to health concerns — you want to keep that salad from veering into indulgent territory, after all — just know bacon's stats and practice moderation. After all, 68% of bacon's calories come from fat, per WebMD, and bacon is pretty high in cholesterol and saturated fat, too. However, keeping serving sizes low and not eating bacon everyday can make this a relatively guilt-free treat. You only need about a tablespoon or two of bacon grease to perfectly wilt and flavor your greens (per Real Tree). According to Eat This Much, one tablespoon of bacon grease has about 115 calories, five grams of saturated fat, and 12 milligrams of cholesterol. The fact that the rest of your meal is vegetables is a helpful counter, and balances lunch or dinner out nicely. All in all, this is a delicious salad to add to your repertoire and break out occasionally for a healthier take on bacon-y goodness.