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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!

• Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing Recipe
• Homemade Ranch Dressing — Perfect for that Steakhouse Salad!
• Green Goddess Dressing
• Homemade Poppyseed Dressing