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How to Make Rafferty’s Hot Bacon Dressing

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If you love eating at Rafferty's then you are going to flip when I tell you that I have figured out how to make Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing!

Rafferty's has always been mine and Stephen's date night restaurant. It is a little on the pricey side, so we use it as a special place to go for just the two of us when we want to be alone and enjoy a fabulous steak dinner.

With my steak dinner, I get a salad that is covered in hot bacon dressing with hard-boiled eggs, potato sticks, and all the salad fixings that will cause you to blow your top!

No, it's not hot with spices, but it is warm, gooey, and filled with bacon. I am telling you, it is the ultimate warm dressing for any salad. It's not very healthy because it is full of sugar, but drizzled over a plate of greens, it becomes pure heaven!

How to Make Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing

This post was originally published in Jan 2010 but has had some changes made to it so we are republishing it with new photos!

To make this warm bacon vinaigrette, start by frying up 8 slices of thick-cut bacon over medium heat in a large skillet. Whatever you do, do not pour off those bacon drippings because you are going to use it for the dressing.

While your bacon is frying, dice up 1/2 an onion. I like to use sweet Vidalia onions because they add a little something extra to a dish. If you want a little more pungent taste, use a red onion.

Remove the cooked bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Then, place it on a cutting board.

Throw your onions in the pan with the rendered bacon fat and let them saute over low heat until they are translucent.

While the onions are finishing, chop up the crispy bacon into small pieces and throw it back into the frying pan with the onions.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar and remove it from the heat. Let it hang out while the sugar is melting. If you have sugar aversions, you can use maple syrup instead.

In another bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar with the tablespoon of cornstarch and make a slurry. You can also use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if you want. For an added kick, throw in some Dijon Mustard and kosher salt right at the end.

Once the sugar is melted, add the cornstarch slurry and vinegar mix to the bacon.

Time To Blend the Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe

At this point, you can leave it in huge chunks like this, or you can take an immersion blender and puree part of it. When you do, it comes out to this amazing thick warm bacon dressing that is to die for when poured over a salad. There are tiny bacon bits throughout and it is fantastic.

Here is my version and believe me, this easy hot bacon dressing tastes even better than Rafferty's! To finish off my salad greens, I like to sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil. I like to use a mixture of dark leafy greens and iceberg lettuce. This would even be great over a simple spinach salad. Honestly, any type of salad would work in this.

If you love salad, then you will love this recipe for my delicious Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing. I love to serve this dressing over freshly roasted Brussels sprouts or my delicious Blistered Green Beans.

When making dressings at home, a simple salad dressing mixer like this one comes in handy. Be sure to store any room temperature dressing in an airtight container. The leftover dressing should stay fresh for at least a week or two. You can reheat it in a small saucepan on the stove when ready to serve it over a salad again.

Want more dressing recipes? Try these out!

Yield: 2 cups

Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing

Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing

This copycat version of Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing is amazing and even better than the restaurant's!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
  • 1/2 an onion, diced
  • 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Bacon Grease leftover​ from cooking the bacon
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

Instructions

  1. Fry bacon in the pan until crispy. Remove from the pan and place on cutting board.
  2. Take the diced onion and throw into the bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add back in the bacon.
  3. Add the sugar to the pan with the bacon and onion and allow the heat to melt it. Add in some salt for taste. Remove from the heat.
  4. Mix together the cornstarch and vinegar to create a slurry and pour in the pan with the bacon and onion.
  5. Mix together until it begins to thicken a bit.
  6. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the dressing. Mix together well and pour over salad.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

40

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 27Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

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Jody

Wednesday 20th of March 2024

For Hot Bacon/Honey Mustard (because I order both in restaurants & combine), I follow this recipe but add Dijon, Honey & Mayo. I have also used Mayo when out of cornstarch. Very Good!

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 22nd of March 2024

Thank you!

Cathy

Wednesday 3rd of January 2024

So I am late to this party but I LOVE Raffertys hot bacon dressing paired with their honey mustard. I am def trying this. Do you have a good honey mustard recipe as well?

Patti

Monday 11th of March 2024

@Jennifer Sikora, Terrapin Farms Pecan Honey Mustard is a showstopper paired with this! Added chopped apples and shredded Swiss to the greens and was in heaven.

Jennifer Sikora

Thursday 4th of January 2024

not yet but I am currently working on one.

Kendra

Sunday 24th of September 2023

How much does this make? Trying to figure out if I need to double it for a dinner party. Thanks!

Jennifer Sikora

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

I think for a dinner party, I would double the recipe.

Sue

Tuesday 27th of December 2022

Sounds delicious. Would be great over a spinach salad. Can this be made ahead?

Jennifer Sikora

Tuesday 3rd of January 2023

Yes. You can make it ahead of time and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to use it, just reheat it.

Michele

Wednesday 17th of August 2022

Will this keep in the refrigerator for use another time? If so, should it be reheated?

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 19th of August 2022

Yes. As stated in the post you can refrigerate it and when you are ready to use, just reheat it.

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