This Smoky Bacon Mayo Upgrades Everything It Touches

Spread bacon mayo onto two pieces of toast and top with sliced tomato and lettuce for an almost-instant BLT. (Tara Donne/TNS)

This rich, smoky bacon mayo is the condiment equivalent of the song of the summer. Once you make it, you'll have it on repeat all season long. And who could blame you? Adding bacon fat and super-crispy bacon pieces to a simple DIY mayo gives you a flavor-packed spread that’s delicious on almost anything (as evidenced by the list below).

If you don’t want to fuss with making mayo from scratch, I’ve got a streamlined version that uses your favorite store-bought jar.

Once you try a taste, you'll be reaching for this irresistible condiment every chance you get. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it.

5 Delicious Ways to Use Bacon Mayo

1. Spread onto two pieces of toast and top with sliced tomato and lettuce for an almost-instant BLT. Bacon-lovers can add strips of crispy bacon, too.

2. Brush onto grilled corn and sprinkle with cotija cheese for a smoky twist on elote.

3. Dollop on top of halved, boiled eggs for an easy version of deviled eggs.

4. Use in place of regular mayo in your favorite potato salad.

5. Slather onto hamburger buns for the best-ever burgers.

Bacon Mayo

Makes 1 cup

• 8 ounces sliced bacon (about 8 slices)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut the sliced bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a medium frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp and the fat is foamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Pour the bacon through a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Pour the vegetable oil into a 1-cup glass measure. Add enough of the bacon fat and any little brown bits floating behind until you have 1 cup fat. If you don’t have enough bacon fat, add more vegetable oil until you have 1 cup.

Finely chop 1/4 cup of the cooked bacon. Save any remaining bacon for another use.

Place the egg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper in a blender. Turn the blender on to high speed and slowly drizzle into the fat mixture a little at a time. Once all the fat mixture is added, continue blending until the mixture is creamy and thickened. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides. Add the chopped bacon and blend until very well combined. Taste and season with more kosher salt if needed.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two weeks. The mayonnaise will thicken as it chills, so don’t worry if it looks looser than a typical mayonnaise.

Recipe Note

You can also make this recipe using store-bought mayo. Cook, cool, and strain 8 ounces bacon, then blend 1 cup mayonnaise with 1/4 cup bacon fat and 1/4 cup chopped bacon.

Grant Melton is a contributor to TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to [email protected]. Copyright 2021 Apartment Therapy. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.