Bacon bits (Kirkland bacon crumbles Copycat)

Homemade bacon bits is easy to make. My husband is always on the lookout for it at Costco whenever we go for grocery shopping. The Kirkland brand is called bacon crumbles FYI. He loves to use it on anything from snacking to adding it to salads, or just adding it to butter to make compound butter. Sometimes they run out so I decided to make mine.

This is one of the easiest recipes yet, all you need is bacon. Read along and find out exactly how to make bacon bits in easy to follow steps and in your own home. I tell you, nothing beats homemade.

Bacon Bits Recipe

Real Bacon bits, crumbles or crumbled bacon is a must have ‘pantry’ staple bacon lovers. it’s such a versatile ingredient that can be used in anything from dips and sauces to salads, Pizza toppings Omelettes and mashed cauliflower.

The convenience of it makes it all the more desirable. With this at your side sorry in your fridge, you can save the time you would need to cook your bacon when making a recipe that calls for it. Talk about forgetting to get it out of the freezer in good time.

Bacon bits Calories and carbs

This made from real bacon and are therefore a low carb food. This is the nutritional breakdown in this recipe. First, the calories in raw bacon differs from when it's cooked. Cooked bacon has less calories and total fat because of the oil (fat) that leaves after cooking.

I used a pound of Kirkland bacon for my homemade crumbles recipe and it yielded close to 8 Tbsp. The calories and carbs in my recipe amounted to 86 cal, 6.6g Total fat and 0.2g Total carbs. Per serving. (Check our my post on how to calculate net carbs and read food labels if you missed it)

Are Bacon bits Vegan? What are they made of.

Real Bacon bits are traditionally not vegan because they are made from real bacon. But good news if you are vegan, there are bacon bits that are vegan.

The very first time I heard this question, I thought it was a weird one knowing where real bacon comes from. Turns out I was wrong. It’s actually a normal question and yes vegan bacon bits really exist homemade and store bought alike.

The McCormick Bac’n pieces is a popular one and is made from soy products, liquid smoke and some flavors. I hear it does taste like real bacon. There are other brands like Bacon bits Y’all and Badia.

How to make Bacon bits or crumbles + Ingredients

What ingredients do you need? Real bacon! Nothing else but bacon.

Pic 1-3; Cut the bacon, transfer to a wide surface skillet.

Pic; 4-6; Fry to crispy perfection, drain in a paper towel lined plate and use immediately or store.

Using you Air fryer/oven and food processor.

You can also make this using your food processor. First you need to make crispy bacon in your air fryer, oven, stove top or instant pot.

Next dab the crispy yumminess with paper towel to get as much grease out of it as possible. Then you pulse a few times in your food processor and viola you are good to go. This method skips the cutting part.

How to store

Store this in an air tight container like a mason jar (I like to line the bottom with paper towel to catch more grease on storage in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to a month. Please store in a freezer bag if freezing. Do not not freeze in a glass jar. Thaw frozen bits in the refrigerator overnight to use in recipes.

If they are crisp and dry enough, they can be stored at room temperature in a cool corner for up to 2 days.

How to cut bacon for bacon Crumbles

There are various ways to cut bacon. In Half slices when you need to make it in your air fryer or instant pot. To cut bacon follow the steps below.

• Make sure the bacon is half frozen or cold in the least. This way it’s easier to make clean cuts.
• Use a sharp knife and a chopping board
• Place the bacon lying in a horizontal position on the chopping board, then slice across vertically to your desired sizes. In this case you will cut the bacon onto smaller horizontal strips before cutting vertically.

Quick Recipe Notes and Tips

1. Try to use thick cut bacon if you can find it. Partially frozen bacon yields cleaner cuts and is easier to handle. If you left it out on the counter for too long it’s now warm, pop in the refrigerator for about 30 mins or the freezer for 15 mins. Remember not to cut it too small as bacon shrinks as it cooks.
2. Using a large wide pan (I used my trusty cast iron braiser) to fry saves time and yields crispy bacon. Don’t over crowd the pan so it can cook evenly. Fry in batches if you don’t have a wide pan.
3. Line a plate paper towel to catch and absorb the grease. Save the extra grease for frying your omelette or pancakes.
4. Keep a keen eye while frying because it can easily turn from golden crispy to burnt.

Other DIY Homemade Keto Pantry goodies

• Keto Cinnamon Sugar
• Homemade sugar free Brown sugar
• DIY Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Homemade Almond flour
• Sugar free hot cocoa mix
• Easy homemade shredded cheese

Looking for support on your low carb journey? Join our Free Low carb / Keto friendly community on Facebook and don’t forget to say hello when you get in. See you on the inside.

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Homemade Bacon bits (Kirkland Bacon crumbles copycat)

Learn to make this all time favorite bacon bits in the comforts of your home. Nothing tastes better than homemade for a fun sprinkle on your salads, compound butter and dips.

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Course pantry staple, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 86 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb thick cut bacon

Instructions

 

Stove top Method:

• Cut bacon into small pieces.
• Fry in a cast iron enameled skillet/ braiser till crispy.
• Transfer to a paper towel lined plate absorb the oil. Use immediately or store for later.

Oven method:

• Arrange bacon on cooling rack placed on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 400 F for 15-20 mins or to desired crispiness.
• Let it cool then pulse a few times in a food processor.

Air Fryer method:

• Place bacon in the air fryer basket. You need to work in batches.
• Air fryer bacon for 7-8 mins at 400 F flipping half way through.
• Let it cool then pulse a few times in the food processor.

Notes

• Don’t over crowd the pan or air fryer. See blog post for more tips.

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcal

Keyword homemade bacon crumbles, how to make bacon bits

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