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! For more restaurant favorites, visit Best Copycat Recipes.
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 ½ 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 ½ 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 ¼ 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!
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe
- Homemade Ranch Dressing — Perfect for that Steakhouse Salad!
- Green Goddess Dressing
- Homemade Poppyseed Dressing
Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing
This copycat version of Rafferty's Hot Bacon Dressing is amazing and even better than the restaurant's!
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
- ½ an onion, diced
- ½ cups of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Bacon Grease leftover from cooking the bacon
- ¼ cup white vinegar
Instructions
- Fry bacon in the pan until crispy. Remove from the pan and place on cutting board.
- Take the diced onion and throw into the bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add back in the bacon.
- 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.
- Mix together the cornstarch and vinegar to create a slurry and pour in the pan with the bacon and onion.
- Mix together until it begins to thicken a bit.
- Use an immersion blender to puree some of the dressing. Mix together well and pour over salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 27Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Oooooh! I have to try this. I love making my own salad dressing. Can't wait to taste this one. Thanks!
I've never made a hot dressing. Nothing against them, just never got aroudn to it. this sounds yummy.
Sounds wonderful! Thanks for linking to TMTT.
I've had this dressing before and its delicious!
Wow! 8 slices of bacon ... I bet it tastes great. I know I would love it!
thanks,
Shirley
I just made this and it was like paste. Is that a typo on the cornstarch? I think 3 teaspoons would make more sense.
You are right Nancy1 I am SO sorry. It should be 3 teaspoons and not tablespoons. I have corrected that and thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Jennifer your initial posted recipe DOES read 3 teaspoons, It never said TABLESPOONS, So you didn't need to make any corrections. I love this dressing, I will have to try it just the way you wrote it. Thx
Thank you , I have eaten this many times in Bowling Green Ky, and I love it!! I will definely try this!!
So glad you found it. It is spot on to the original.
My grandma made a dressing almost exactly like this when I was growing up except she used apple cider vinegar. I think it adds more flavor than distilled vinegar.
I will have to try making it with ACV next time.
Does this keep well & for how long? Would it need to be reheated if refrigerated or can it be used cold? Thanks!
It keeps for about a week in the fridge. And yes, if it refrigerated, I pull some out and re-heat it in the microwave for it to be 'hot bacon" dressing.
Pair this dressing with honey mustard like Rafferty's does and look out! You have a party in your mouth. Don't mix them together then pour them on. Pour on the honey mustard on the salad first, then the hot bacon and let them melt together. This is mine and my husband's favorite dressing combo.
That's a great idea. I will try that next time too. Thanks so much!
Thank you for this! I am pregnant and almost an hour away from Rafferty’s. This has been a craving for weeks. This tastes just like I remember!
So happy I could help. It is THE BEST salad dressing ever.
@Jennifer Sikora, The nutritional information says 0 sugar. How can that be when there is sugar in the recipe.
So glad you got it worked out.
Yes it is the best dressing ever! Had few days ago in Evansville, We ALWAYS get this dressing every time we go to Raffertys in Louisville. KY. area. Trying your recipe tonight for supper.
Hope you liked it Charlie
@Jennifer Sikora, Sorry it was 0 fibre not sugar. 3 grams sugar.
I am so excited I found this! My husband and I used to live in Kentucky and Rafferty’s is our FAVVVEEEE! I got him started on it because it was the spot my mom and I went to almost every Saturday when I was growing up. This Christmas we’re in NC with just us and our baby girl and I decided to make our fave Rafferty’s meal for Christmas dinner. Marinated ribeye, loaded baked potato, in addition to a few other Christmasy dishes and this dressing is what will absolutely complete it! Can’t wait to make it, I’ve been craving Rafferty’s for monnnntths 🤤
I am so excited to hear that! This is why I try hard to re-make all my restaurant favorites. You will truly love the taste of this dressing.
I will try this, I love that dressing.
Why is there no honey in this recipe, I always thought Rafferty was called HOT HONEY BACON dressing. Just checking to make sure I have the correct recipe. BTW all of your recipes are great. Thanks
Because the original rafferty's dressing does not have honey in it. It is called Hot Bacon dressing. And thank you for the compliment!
What kind of honey mustard does rafertys use with the hot bacon dressing?
I am not sure. I will play around with some flavors and see if I can figure it out.
@Martha Whitler,
I use O'Charley's Honey Mustard Dressing with this. Together they are great!
This is also called wilted lettuce if poured on hot. Also I've had it served with a equil amount of Honey Mustered dressing.
My question is how long will it last in the fridge?
It doesn't wilt the lettuce. The dressing will last up to a week in the fridge. Be sure to reheat it before putting on your salad.
Could I use splenda in place of the sugar to make it sugar free? Seems like it would work.
You can try it. I am sure it would give it a bit of a different flavor.
Will this keep in the refrigerator for use another time? If so, should it be reheated?
Yes. As stated in the post you can refrigerate it and when you are ready to use, just reheat it.
Sounds delicious. Would be great over a spinach salad. Can this be made ahead?
Yes. You can make it ahead of time and place it in the fridge. When you are ready to use it, just reheat it.
How much does this make? Trying to figure out if I need to double it for a dinner party. Thanks!
I think for a dinner party, I would double the recipe.
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?
not yet but I am currently working on one.
@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.
That sounds amazing.
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!
Thank you!
just made the dressing today and is better than mine. I read the comments and decided to use red wine vinegar instead of white. It does give it a punch and i use white or rice vinegar all of the time. Thanks
You are so welcome!
Rafferty's was one of my favorite lunch spots. And their chicken tender salad with this on top / with honey mustard was the bomb
You are SO right. I might just have to recreate that salad to share here.....