# Should I fry potatoes in bacon grease? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972 "2014-03-05T23:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/1 "2014-03-05T23:14:00Z")
I have a recipe I’m experimenting with tonight, part of which involves bacon and fried taters. I wonder if could use the left over grease from the bacon to fry the taters in? It seems like it would be awesome but I’m worried the salty bacon flavor may be too much. Thanks for any input. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/2 "2014-03-05T23:15:19Z")
Do it!! I’m hungry just reading it! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/3 "2014-03-05T23:18:49Z")
Do it! It’ll shave a year off your life or something, but you’re old, senile and shitting your pants at that point anyway. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/4 "2014-03-05T23:20:59Z")
I would - in fact I do it quite often. The bacon grease doesn’t seem to retain that much salt, compared to the bacon itself. If you’re adding the bacon back to the recipe, it makes a difference whether it’s thick-cut (saltier) bacon or regular/thin cut (not as salty.) Just drain the cooked bacon well first. Bacon is awesome. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/5 "2014-03-05T23:32:30Z")
Bacon fat is great, and not particularly salty (use lots of freshly ground pepper on the potatoes). But goose fat is even better, especially for deep frying. I regularly make thick-cut french fries (skin on) with goose fat, and they are a little bit of heaven in a bowl! :o ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/6 "2014-03-05T23:35:01Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Thanks for any input. If you want something to be thankful for, input those potatoes into that bacon grease! (Wait, you’re not talking _whole_ potatoes are you? That would be weird.) ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/7 "2014-03-05T23:54:03Z")
They would be tasty;) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/8 "2014-03-05T23:58:40Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > If you want something to be thankful for, input those potatoes into that bacon grease! > > (Wait, you’re not talking _whole_ potatoes are you? That would be weird.) This is America. If we can deep fry a whole turkey, we can darn well deep fry a whole potato! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/9 "2014-03-06T00:35:46Z")
You should fry _everything_ in bacon grease. If there’s bacon grease in the pan, and you need to fry something, that’s what you use. Whenever I make a recipe using bacon, I always make something fried (often eggs, but potatoes would work too) for the next meal, to use up the grease in the pan. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/10 "2014-03-06T00:37:46Z")
I do it all the time. It adds a nice smoky flavor to the spuds, which of course MUST be topped by an over-easy egg. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/11 "2014-03-06T00:40:15Z")
Yep. Yep. Yep, yep, yep, yep yep yep yep yepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyepyep! You will likely still want to add salt to what you’re cooking, just start with less and taste from there. To add to the alternative fats to use; also duck fat. Something about duck fat and potatoes is amazing, and it’s lower in saturated fat than butter. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/12 "2014-03-06T00:40:54Z")
I often start breakfast with bacon, followed (in the pan) with chopped potatoes (home fries), followed by an egg with onions. It takes less salt for the potatoes and egg than if I start with cooking oil, but seems efficient use of resources. Tastes great! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/13 "2014-03-06T00:46:59Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > This is America. If we can deep fry a whole turkey, we can darn well deep fry a whole potato! Didn’t say it couldn’t be done. Said it would be weird. Also didn’t say I wouldn’t try a bite. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/14 "2014-03-06T00:49:14Z")
As far as I know it’s impossible to make anything worse with bacon or it’s grease. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/15 "2014-03-06T00:53:46Z")
Absolutely not! What you _should_ be doing is frying _more_ potatoes in _more_ bacon grease. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/16 "2014-03-06T00:54:46Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > I often start breakfast with bacon, followed (in the pan) with chopped potatoes (home fries), followed by an egg with onions. It takes less salt for the potatoes and egg than if I start with cooking oil, but seems efficient use of resources. Tastes great! Just don’t try this in a pan that isn’t very non-stick. ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/17 "2014-03-06T01:03:22Z")
> [@randompattern](#): > > As far as I know it’s impossible to make anything worse with bacon or it’s grease. Except for maybe your arteries. But then again… it is bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/18 "2014-03-06T03:40:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > But goose fat is even better, especially for deep frying! :o Or duck fat! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/19 "2014-03-06T03:48:33Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Bacon fat is great, and not particularly salty (use lots of freshly ground pepper on the potatoes). > > But goose fat is even better, especially for deep frying. I regularly make thick-cut french fries (skin on) with goose fat, and they are a little bit of heaven in a bowl! :o Poultry fat in general works very well for frying potatoes. Duck fat is possibly the best of all, and humble chicken fat is quite delicious as well. Bacon grease is a distant second to poultry fat; it’s too smoky IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972/20 "2014-03-06T06:35:31Z")
I’d say give it a try. What’s the worst that could happen? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-fry-potatoes-in-bacon-grease/682972.md?page=2)