What Goes With Bacon? 27 Best Flavour Pairings

Bacon goes best with tomato, corn, eggs, potatoes, maple syrup and scallops, plus creamy partners like avocado and cheddar. Its salty, smoky, umami-rich fat makes sweet, starchy and green foods taste deeper, so it shines in breakfasts, salads, pasta and side dishes.

Vegetables & Sides

• Tomato — juicy tomato's acidity and sweetness cut through bacon's fat; the heart of a BLT.
• Corn — sweet corn and smoky bacon are a summer classic in chowders and salads.
• Green bean — crisp beans tossed in bacon fat taste rich and savoury.
• Potato — starchy potatoes soak up bacon fat in hash, gratins and loaded jackets.
• Kale — bacon's salt and smoke tame kale's bitterness.
• Leek — sweet, soft leeks and bacon make a perfect quiche or pasta base.
• Brussels sprouts — roasted sprouts and bacon is the side that converts sprout haters.
• Peas — sweet peas and salty bacon pair up in pasta, risotto and French petits pois.
• Mushroom — earthy mushrooms fried in bacon fat double the umami.

Fruit

• Avocado — creamy avocado balances crispy, salty bacon in sandwiches and salads.
• Banana — ripe banana's caramel sweetness plays surprisingly well with smoky bacon.
• Apple — tart, sweet apple cuts bacon's richness in salads and stuffings.
• Dates — sticky dates wrapped in bacon are the ultimate sweet-salty bite.

Sweet Things

• Maple syrup — maple's toasty sweetness balances salty bacon on pancakes and glazes.
• Sugar — brown sugar caramelises onto bacon for candied rashers.

Dairy & Cheese

• Brie — creamy, mild Brie melts around crisp bacon in toasties and tarts.
• Cheddar — sharp cheddar and bacon are a burger and baked-potato favourite.
• Parmesan — nutty Parmesan doubles up the umami in carbonara-style pasta.

Proteins

• Egg — rich, soft eggs and crisp bacon are the breakfast classic for a reason.
• Scallop — sweet, delicate scallops and smoky bacon make an elegant surf and turf.
• Chicken breast — wrapping lean chicken in bacon adds fat, salt and flavour.
• Lentil — bacon gives earthy lentil soup a smoky, savoury backbone.
• Black bean — smoky bacon deepens black bean soups and stews.

Sauces & Condiments

• Kimchi — tangy, spicy kimchi cuts through bacon fat in fried rice and pancakes.
• Mayonnaise — creamy mayo is the glue of the BLT and club sandwich.

Grains & Starches

• Pasta — salty bacon fat and starchy pasta water make silky sauces like carbonara and amatriciana-style dishes.
• Bread — toasted bread and bacon: sandwiches, butties and croutons.

Classic combos

• Bacon + lettuce + tomato + mayo — the BLT, perfect in its simplicity.
• Bacon + egg + Parmesan + black pepper — carbonara-style pasta, rich and silky.
• Bacon + maple syrup + pancakes — the sweet-salty breakfast hit.
• Bacon + scallop + pea purée — a restaurant classic, sweet, smoky and fresh.
• Bacon + potato + cheddar + sour cream — the loaded baked potato.
• Bacon + dates + blue cheese — a crowd-pleasing party bite.

Pairings to avoid

• Delicate white fish — bacon's smoke and salt can overpower mild cod or sole; keep it to a light crumb or skip it.
• Already-salty dishes — combining bacon with lots of soy, anchovy or salted cheese can tip a dish into too salty; cut back on other salt.
• Burnt rashers — very high heat chars the sugars and fat into bitter, acrid flavours, so cook it steadily rather than fiercely.

Chef Fizz's pairing tip

Save the rendered fat. A spoonful of bacon fat used to roast vegetables or fry eggs carries all that smoky, savoury flavour into the next dish. Keep it covered in the fridge and use it within a few weeks.