Spoon Fork Bacon

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò)

Jenny Park — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

If you’ve ever eaten at a Vietnamese restaurant, you may have shared a plate of Chả Giò. It’s one of the cuisine’s most famous appetizers. There is something so irresistible about crunching your way through a delicately crispy fried pastry wrapper into a warm, earthy, juicy filling. One roll always leaves us wanting more!

Like garlic noodles, potstickers, and fresh spring rolls, we had to recreate our favorite Chả Giò. The impossibly thin pastry wrappers are filled with earthy shiitake mushrooms, juicy shrimp, and pork. Then they’re fried until they’re ready to dip in sweet chili sauce and shatter with your first bite. The best part is how beautifully these freeze, so you can crush your craving with a better-than-takeout fried spring roll faster than any delivery.

How to Make Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò)

Ingredients

Process

Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add oil. Add mushrooms, carrot, and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Fill a tall pot with oil and preheat to 350˚F. Place all filling ingredients (including sautéed mushrooms, carrots, and garlic mixture) into a large mixing bowl.

Mix together until very well combined. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day..
Place a single egg roll wrapper onto a clean surface (so it looks like a diamond)and brush the surface with a light layer of egg wash.

Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold it about ½ way up to the opposite corner and press down to smooth and seal.
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling into a narrow log onto the overlapped portion of the wrapper.

Take both sides of the wrapper and fold them in, towards the center of the log of filling.
Brush the ends of the wrapper with more egg wash (as needed) and tightly roll each egg roll until completely closed and sealed.

Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side-down. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers have been used.Carefully drop 4 to 5 egg rolls into the hot oil at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and filling has just cooked through. Drain onto paper towels for 1 minute before transferring onto a baking sheet, lined with a cooling rack. Repeat until all egg rolls have been fried.

Tips for the BEST Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls

Fried spring rolls are simple, but the little things really do make a big difference. Follow these tips for perfect spring rolls every time.

The right wrapper makes a huge difference in how crispy these spring rolls become. We highly recommend using TYJ Spring Roll Pastry by Spring Home. They’re easy to handle, and the ultra-thin wheat flour pastry sheets fry up incredibly light and crispy without absorbing too much oil. Careful not to confuse these with egg roll wrappers, which are much thicker, or rice paper wrappers, which we use for fresh spring rolls. Neither of those will give you the same results.
Do your best to chop the filling ingredients finely and evenly. That way the filling holds together, and each bite has every ounce of flavor. If any of the ingredients are chopped too large, the rolls may have a harder time sealing together.
Refrigerating the filling for at least half an hour is essential, so don’t skip this step. Chilled filling will be firm and much easier to handle and roll, holding its shape inside the wrapper.
Two tablespoons is the perfect amount of filling for each wrapper. If you overfill them, they’ll be more difficult to roll tightly and seal. That means you’ll end up with exploded spring rolls and a mess in your oil.
It takes a bit more time, but work in batches, frying only 4 to 5 rolls at a time. This will help the oil temperature stays up. Overcrowding the fryer will lead to soggy rolls that absorb too much oil.
Transfer your freshly fried spring rolls to a cooling rack after just a minute of draining onto the paper towel. This helps excess oil drip away from the spring roll so that every side is perfectly crispy and crunchy.

Making Ahead and Freezing Spring Rolls

These Vietnamese spring rolls become the perfect make-ahead appetizer when you make a big batch and refrigerate or freeze them for later.

You can make the filling up to two days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until you’re ready to wrap your rolls. You can also refrigerate assembled, uncooked rolls for up to a day before frying them. Just place the rolls on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to fry them.

For longer-term storage, you can freeze uncooked spring rolls for up to 3 months. Prepare them as directed, placing them in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze for two hours, or until completely frozen, then place the spring rolls in an airtight container or freezer bag.

How to Fry Spring Rolls from Frozen?

When you’re ready to fry your frozen spring rolls, heat the oil as directed, then fry them directly from frozen. You may need to keep them in the fryer for an extra 1-2 minutes to make sure they fully cook through.

Variations

Chả Giò is incredibly versatile; you can’t go wrong with any of these substitutions or variations:

Adjust the protein – We love the combination, texture and flavor with ground pork and shrimp. You can use all pork or all shrimp, if you prefer. You can even swap some of the shrimp for lump crab meat or lobster, or use ground chicken instead of pork.
Add cooked and chopped cellophane noodles – They are traditionally added to these spring rolls and add a great texture to the filling. We left it out of our recipe just to simplify it a bit, but feel free to add some to your filling (a 1/2 cup should be good for the amount of filling).
Switch the mushroom: Maitake mushrooms have a really lovely, nutty, earthy flavor and meaty texture, but wood ear mushrooms are another traditionally used option. If you can’t get your hands on either, shitaki or even chopped portabellas will work.
Add veggies – For a little extra texture and flavor, add a bit of grated jicama or diced taro to the mix for a touch of sweetness.
Make it a meal – Instead of an appetizer, serve these fried spring rolls with Yum Woon Sen, Chicken Satay, or Lettuce Wraps for a full meal.

More Delicious Asian Appetizers You Will Love

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò)

With a savory pork and shrimp filling wrapped in a paper-thin pastry, fried up impossibly light and crispy, these Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò) are one of our most requested appetizers!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine vietnamese

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 100kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

filling

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces finely chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 medium carrot grated
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, cleaned and finely chopped
1/2 cup cooked and chopped cellophane noodles optional
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

assembly

2 large eggs well beaten
16 thawed spring roll pastry (wrappers)
5 cups oil for frying

optional dipping sauce

1/2 recipe sweet chili sauce

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add oil. Add mushrooms, carrot, and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Fill a tall pot with oil and preheat to 350˚F. Place all filling ingredients (including sautéed mushrooms, carrots, and garlic mixture) into a large mixing bowl.
Mix together until very well combined. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
Place a single egg roll wrapper onto a clean surface (so it looks like a diamond)and brush the surface with a light layer of egg wash.
Take the bottom corner of the wrapper and fold it about ½ way up to the opposite corner and press down to smooth and seal.
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling into a narrow log onto the overlapped portion of the wrapper. Take both sides of the wrapper and fold them in, towards the center of the log of filling.
Brush the ends of the wrapper with more egg wash (as needed) and tightly roll each egg roll until completely closed and sealed.
Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side-down. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers have been used.
Carefully drop 4 to 5 egg rolls into the hot oil at a time and fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and filling has just cooked through. Drain onto paper towels for 1 minute before transferring onto a baking sheet, lined with a cooling rack. Repeat until all egg rolls have been fried.
Transfer to a platter and serve with sweet-chile dipping sauce.

Notes

*Makes 16 Spring Rolls (Each Serving is One Spring Roll)*

*Nutritional information does not include optional cellophane noodles. Spring rolls would be 130 calories each, if cellophane noodles are included*

*Nutritional information does not include optional sweet chili dipping sauce*

Tips for the BEST Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls

The right wrapper makes a huge difference in how crispy these spring rolls become. We highly recommend using TYJ Spring Roll Pastry by Spring Home. They’re easy to handle, and the ultra-thin wheat flour pastry sheets fry up incredibly light and crispy without absorbing too much oil. Careful not to confuse these with egg roll wrappers, which are much thicker, or rice paper wrappers, which we use for fresh spring rolls. Neither of those will give you the same results.
Do your best to chop the filling ingredients finely and evenly. That way the filling holds together, and each bite has every ounce of flavor. If any of the ingredients are chopped too large, the rolls may have a harder time sealing together.
Refrigerating the filling for at least half an hour is essential, so don’t skip this step. Chilled filling will be firm and much easier to handle and roll, holding its shape inside the wrapper.
Two tablespoons is the perfect amount of filling for each wrapper. If you overfill them, they’ll be more difficult to roll tightly and seal. That means you’ll end up with exploded spring rolls and a mess in your oil.
It takes a bit more time, but work in batches, frying only 4 to 5 rolls at a time. This will help the oil temperature stays up. Overcrowding the fryer will lead to soggy rolls that absorb too much oil.
Transfer your freshly fried spring rolls to a cooling rack after just a minute of draining onto the paper towel. This helps excess oil drip away from the spring roll so that every side is perfectly crispy and crunchy.

Nutrition

The post Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Chả Giò) appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Blueberry Cobbler

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:48:41 +0000

Growing up one of my friend’s mom made the best Blueberry Cobbler. I always loved walking into their house after summer school and being overtaken by the most delicious aroma of sweet and buttery blueberries baking in the oven.

Our Blueberry Cobbler is inspired by that childhood recipe that I loved so much. It’s a simple dessert with the most delicious biscuit crust. Our secret is the addition of cornmeal in the biscuit that gives it a subtly pleasant nutty flavor. We love to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer treat!

What is a cobbler?

A cobbler is a fruit filled, biscuit topped dessert that originated from British-American settlers. A thick biscuit batter is either scooped or pours over the fruit filling before being baked.

How to make our blueberry cobbler recipe

Filling Ingredients

Process

Baking Dish

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 10” skillet with butter. Set aside.

Blueberry Filling

Combine all filling ingredients.
Fold together until evenly mixed.

Biscuit Crust Ingredients

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk together.

Add butter and cut into the flour mixture until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms.
Pour cream into mixture.
Gently stir together until a loose dough forms.

Pour blueberry mixture into prepared skillet.
Top with scoopfuls of dough, evenly spaced over blueberry mixture.

Sprinkle turbinado sugar over cobbler and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving

Tools you will need

How to serve blueberry cobbler – hot or cold?

Many people wonder if the proper way to serve cobbler is hot or cold, but it can really be served either way! It’s just a matter of personal preference.

Our personal preference is to serve blueberry cobbler warm and with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream slightly melting against the warm blueberry filling is just the best!

Storing and freezing instructions

Storing

Leftover blueberry cobbler should be stored in the refrigerator. If baked in a cast iron skillet, carefully transfer the cobbler to an airtight container. If baked in a baking dish, tightly wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap followed by foil (to minimize the amount of moisture). Blueberry cobbler should be eaten within 2 to 3 days from when it was baked.

Freezing

If freezing the cobbler, bake in a baking dish (and not a skillet) for easy reheat. To freeze, allow the cobbler to cool completely, then tightly wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap followed by foil. Store in the freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, preheat oven to 350˚F. Unwrap cobbler and bake (fully frozen) for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cobbler has thawed and heated through.

The biscuit topping on the cobbler will be slightly soggy once reheated (nothing beats enjoying blueberry cobbler fresh!), but still delicious.

Variations for our blueberry cobbler

Use frozen blueberries if fresh blueberries aren’t available. The frozen blueberries should be used frozen. Just add an additional 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to the filling. The cobbler may also need an additional 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.
Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the filling or biscuit topping! The ground cinnamon adds a really nice aroma and flavor.
Add zest of 1 lemon to the biscuit dough. The zest adds a really nice subtle but bright citrus flavor to the biscuit crust.
Omit the turbinado sugar from the topping if you prefer a biscuit topping without the crunch.

Tips for the BEST blueberry cobbler

Don’t skip on the lemon juice. A little acidity brightens and enhances the natural flavor of the blueberries.
Use the cornstarch to avoid a soupy filling. The cornstarch will really help to thicken the liquids of the filling, creating a nice and thick blueberry filling that goes perfectly with the buttery biscuit topping.
Top the raw biscuit scoops with sugar! Although we mention above that you can leave it out (and you totally can), we think it adds a SUCH a great crunchy texture to the soft biscuit and blueberry filling, and balances things out nicely.

More fruit filled dessert recipes you will love

Blueberry Cobbler

The best Blueberry Cobbler you will ever taste! Our recipe is simple, packed with so much sweet blueberry flavor and topped with the perfect cornmeal infused biscuit crust. Serve it with scoops of vanilla ice cream for the perfect summer dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 578kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

blueberry filling

6 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

biscuit crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 10” skillet with butter. Set aside.

Blueberry Filling

Combine all filling ingredients.
Fold together until evenly mixed.

Biscuit Crust

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugars, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together.
Add butter and cut into the flour mixture until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms.
Gently stir in cream until a loose dough forms.

assembly

Pour blueberry mixture into prepared skillet.
Top with scoopfuls of dough, evenly spaced over blueberry mixture.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar over cobbler and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown.
Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving

Notes

Storing Leftovers

Freezing

The biscuit topping on the cobbler will be slightly soggy once reheated (nothing beats enjoying blueberry cobbler fresh!), but still delicious.

Nutrition

The post Blueberry Cobbler appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Tomato Butter Pasta (with Shrimp)

Jenny Park — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We love a good tomato sauce. Fresh tomato sauce, a bright and peppery Romesco sauce, and ultra-creamy vodka sauce all have a special place at the table. But when we want something that’s deeply rich and decadent, and seriously simple to whip together, we reach for the tomato butter pasta.

While many recipes for tomato butter pasta use a pan sauce, we roast cherry tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings until everything is blistered and bursting with flavor. All that flavor gets blended into a compound butter before melting into the pasta, creating a glossy, restaurant-quality sauce with barely any effort at all.

And when you toss everything with juicy, seared shrimp, you have a filling, date-night worthy meal ready to devour.

How to make tomato butter pasta

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a mixing bowl combine tomatoes, garlic cloves, oil, tomato paste, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Transfer mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tomatoes just begin to char and have cooked down a bit. Remove from oven and allow tomatoes to cool for about 20 minutes.

While the tomatoes cool, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Add a small handful of salt, the pasta and boil for 7 to 9 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. Drain and set aside.
Remove peels from garlic cloves and transfer tomato mixture (including peeled cloves) to a food processor with the butter, lemon zest, and a few grinds of pepper. Blend mixture until fully combined and smooth. Add salt as needed and pulse to combine.

Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Add the shrimp and sear on each side, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and immediately cover with a lid (to steam and finish cooking the shrimp through). After 1 to 2 minutes remove lid and transfer shrimp to a plate.

Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel and add 6 tablespoons of the tomato butter. Once butter has melted add pasta. Toss together until fully coated.
Parmesan and basil into skillet and toss together until evenly coated. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Top pasta with shrimp. Add more grated parmesan and basil leaves and serve.

How to choose the best cherry tomatoes for the best flavor

The ingredient list for this pasta is short, which means the quality of each ingredient matters. Cherry tomatoes are the star player, so choosing the best ones will take your sauce from good to mouth-watering. Here’s what to look for:

Choose a deep, even color. The color should be uniformly deep red, signaling that the tomatoes are fully ripe.
The sniff test. Because cherry tomatoes have a higher sugar content than larger varieties, they’ll smell slightly sweet when they’re ripe. If you can’t smell anything at all, that’s a sign they might also lack flavor.
Give them a squeeze. Ripe, flavor-packed cherry tomatoes should be firm when you press on them, but give just slightly. If they’re too soft or the skin looks wrinkled, they’re past their prime. If they feel rock-hard when you gently press them, they’re most likely underripe.

Substitutions and variations for tomato butter pasta

We really love this pasta as is, but it’s very forgiving and easy to adapt, using what you have on hand or making it fit your preferences. Here are a few ideas we know will work:

Instead of spaghetti noodles, use whatever you’d like. Other long shapes like linguine, fettuccine, or bucatini work well, or you can use a shorter shape, like rigatoni or penne.
Swap the shrimp for another protein. Seared scallops, grilled and sliced chicken, or even salmon all go well with the tomato butter sauce. You can also make it vegetarian by using white beans or chickpeas instead.
Add any extra veggies you have on hand to make this a true one-pot meal. Roasted zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, or wilted greens all pair well with the rich tomato sauce.
If you have other herbs on hand, fresh, torn parsley, thyme, or oregano could also pair well with this sauce.

Delicious shrimp pasta with tomato butter sauce garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Storing and reheating instructions

You can make the tomato butter up to a week ahead, making this pasta a super quick and easy dish for a weeknight. Just keep the butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

If you want to freeze your roasted tomato compound butter, roll the butter into a log and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to three months, then let it thaw in the refrigerator before using.

To store leftovers of the tomato butter pasta with shrimp, add the cooled, finished dish to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To reheat leftovers, we recommend using the stove for even reheating and to avoid overcooking the shrimp. Add the pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water to help loosen the sauce as it reheats. Stir frequently and remove as soon as it’s warmed through. You may want to reheat the noodles and sauce first, then add the shrimp at the very end to prevent them from becoming rubbery or overcooked.

Important tips for making tomato butter

The compound butter is really what makes this dish shine, so taking a few extra precautions while preparing it can go a long way! Here’s what to keep your eye on:

Roast the tomatoes until they’re charred, collapsed, and blistered. A good char adds a lot of flavor, and a nice long roast concentrates all the flavor and sugars, which is exactly what we want.
Leave the garlic in its skin when roasting instead of peeling it first. This helps the flavors become mellow and sweeter, and prevents them from burning on the pan (which will make the flavor extra bitter).
Let the tomatoes cool before blending them to prevent the butter from fully melting. This will help get a smooth, fully emulsified compound butter.
Make extra! Since we’re making a true compound butter, you can use leftover tomato butter to spread on roasted veggies, steaks, garlic bread, or serve on a butter board!

What to serve with tomato butter pasta

For a full, complete meal, serve this dish with some of our favorite sides:

More summer pasta recipes you will love

Tomato Butter Pasta (with Shrimp)

This tomato butter pasta turns a sheet pan of cherry tomatoes into a velvety smooth sauce that melts over spaghetti noodles and coats seared shrimp with an intensely rich, fresh flavor. It's a rich and elegant dish that comes together quickly for an easy weeknight meal!

Course dinner, lunch, main dish

Cuisine French, Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

cooling 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 650kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

tomato butter

12 ounces halved cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves still in husk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced oregano
1/2 cup salted butter
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

pasta assembly

10 ounces spaghetti
1 pound extra large shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves plus more leaves for garnish
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400˚F.
In a mixing bowl combine tomatoes, garlic cloves, oil, tomato paste, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and toss together.
Transfer mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tomatoes just begin to char and have cooked down a bit.
Remove from oven and allow tomatoes to cool for about 20 minutes.
While the tomatoes cool, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Add a small handful of salt, the pasta and boil for 7 to 9 minutes or until cooked to desired doneness. Drain and set aside.
Remove peels from garlic cloves and transfer tomato mixture (including peeled cloves) to a food processor with the butter, lemon zest, and a few grinds of pepper. Blend mixture until fully combined and smooth. Add salt as needed and pulse to combine.
Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Add the shrimp and sear on each side, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the skillet and immediately cover with a lid (to steam and finish cooking the shrimp through).
After 1 to 2 minutes remove lid and transfer shrimp to a plate.
Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel and add 6 tablespoons of the tomato butter.
Once butter has melted add pasta. Toss together until fully coated.
Add shrimp, Parmesan, and basil into skillet and toss together until evenly coated. Adjust seasonings as needed.
Top pasta with more grated parmesan and basil leaves and serve.

Nutrition

The post Tomato Butter Pasta (with Shrimp) appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Panzanella Salad

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Our Panzanella Salad is everything we love about summer in one big bowl, with juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, creamy mozzarella cheese, fresh herbs, and homemade croutons all tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. It’s a simple, no-fuss salad that’s perfect for easy lunches, a laid-back summer dinner, or even as a pass-along potluck dish.

As if the combination of flavors and textures wasn’t enough to make us crave this salad, it all comes together without turning on the stove. Make it once, and we know it will become your go-to salad all summer long.

What is panzanella salad?

This classic Italian chopped salad was created as a way to use up stale bread, which puts our homemade croutons to good use. It’s a rustic-style salad featuring chopped veggies like tomatoes, onions, simple dressing, and bread.

Like all traditional recipes, plenty of variations have popped up over the years, and now you’ll often find mozzarella, fresh herbs, and cucumbers in panzanella salad.

No matter what ingredients you use, a true panzanella salad will have bread that’s soaked up enough dressing to soften, while still having a bit of a bite.

How to make our panzanella salad recipe

Ingredients

Process

In a large mixing bowl, combine croutons, tomatoes, and cucumber and toss together.
Tear fresh mozzarella balls over salad and drizzle with half the vinaigrette. Toss together. Allow salad to sit for about 15 minutes. (this will allow the croutons sometime to absorb the vinaigrette and slightly soften). When ready to serve, drizzle salad with more vinaigrette and top with basil leaves and mint leaves (if using).

Is balsamic vinaigrette a traditional dressing for this salad?

No, balsamic vinaigrette is not a traditional dressing for panzanella salad. A more traditional dressing is a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar mixture with a little salt and pepper. We use our balsamic vinaigrette in our version because we love the tangy and slightly creamy flavor of the vinaigrette combined with the different flavors and textures of the salad.

Variations for our panzanella salad

There are tons of ways to make this panzanella salad your own, depending on what you like and what you have on hand. Try some of these variations:

Swap the mozzarella cheese for crumbled feta or goat cheese. You can even add some shaved parmesan.
Use grilled veggies instead of fresh to add a smoky, warm element. You can even add grilled eggplant, zucchini, or peppers for a nutrient and flavor boost.
Swap the homemade croutons for store-bought, or go the traditional route and use day-old sourdough, French, or ciabatta bread.
Add a protein, like grilled chicken or white beans, to make it a filling main course.
Mix up the herbs by adding a combo of fresh basil, mint, parsley, dill, or chives.
Swap the balsamic vinaigrette with red wine vinaigrette or basil vinaigrette.

Prep ahead instructions

You can easily prep the ingredients for this salad ahead of time, so it comes together quickly when you’re ready to serve and eat it.

Make the croutons up to a week ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

The dressing can also be made ahead of time, ideally 1-3 days ahead, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The tomatoes and cucumbers can also be chopped up to a day ahead of time and stored in separate containers in the refrigerator.

Can panzanella salad be stored for leftovers?

The key to perfect panzanella salad is letting it sit long enough for the bread or croutons to soften, but not so long that they become soggy. It’s best eaten within 24 hours; after that, the bread may become too soft and soggy.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you plan to eat only part of the salad within the day, prepare the ingredients as noted above and combine just what you think you’ll eat, saving the rest for the next day or two.

What to serve with our panzanella salad recipe

This salad is the perfect side dish for any of these summer recipes:

More hearty salad recipes you will love

Panzanella Salad

Our Panzanella Salad is a no-fuss, fresh way to enjoy the summer harvest, loaded with fresh veggies and a flavorful dressing for a fun take on the traditional bread salad.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 442kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

1 homemade crouton recipe
8 ounces fresh mozzarella (about 3 balls)
8 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
1 hothouse cucumber halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch basil leaves
1/4 bunch mint leaves optional
1/2 balsamic vinaigrette recipe

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl combine croutons, tomatoes, and cucumber and toss together.
Tear fresh mozzarella balls over salad and drizzle with half the vinaigrette. Toss together.
Allow salad to sit for about 15 minutes. (this will allow the croutons sometime to absorb the vinaigrette and slightly soften).
When ready to serve, drizzle salad with more vinaigrette and top with basil leaves and mint leaves (if using).
Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Notes

Prep ahead instructions

You can easily prep the ingredients for this salad ahead of time, so it comes together quickly when you’re ready to serve and eat it.

Make the croutons up to a week ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

The dressing can also be made ahead of time, ideally 1-3 days ahead, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The tomatoes and cucumbers can also be chopped up to a day ahead of time and stored in separate containers in the refrigerator.

Can panzanella salad be stored for leftovers?

The key to perfect panzanella salad is letting it sit long enough for the bread or croutons to soften, but not so long that they become soggy. Its best eaten within 24 hours; after that, the bread may become too soft and soggy.

Nutrition

The post Panzanella Salad appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Liege Waffles

Jenny Park — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Be warned – once you try these Liege waffles, standard waffles will officially be in your past. The caramelized shell, soft and chewy inside, and pockets of crystallized, crunchy sugars make Liege waffles a one-of-a-kind breakfast. Unlike traditional waffle batter, Liege waffles are made with a yeasted dough, giving them a dense, completely irresistible, bread-like chew. Instead of granulated sugar, they use Swedish pearl sugar, which creates crunchy, candy-like pockets in every bite.

While we use a more standard technique for our savory Gruyere and Green Onion Waffles, Chicken and Waffles, and our Cheesy Herb Waffles, the effort and time to double-rise the dough is fully worth it for these rich, bakery-quality waffles. You can even start them the night before, letting the dough slow-rise in the fridge overnight, for a quick addition to a slow Sunday morning meal or a special occasion like Mother’s Day Brunch or Easter Breakfast.

What is a Liege waffle?

Liege waffles originated in the city of Liege in eastern Belgium, but they’re far from what you probably know as a “Belgian waffle”. While traditional waffles are light and fluffy, made with a pourable batter, Liege waffles are made from a brioche-like yeasted dough, giving them a denser, chewier texture.

Liege waffles are most often smaller and thicker than traditional waffles, with more irregularly shaped edges, since the dough is plopped into the iron rather than poured. And while you may be used to drowning waffles with sweet maple syrup, Liege waffles are sweet enough to eat on their own. Pearl sugar is a staple ingredient that melts and caramelizes as they cook, giving every bite a sweet, caramel-like flavor.

Differences between Liege waffles and Belgium waffles

In Belgium, you’ll find two distinct types of waffles: Liege waffles and Brussels waffles. In the United States, we associate Belgian waffles with Brussels waffles, while Liege waffles are distinctly different.

Brussels waffles are traditionally made with either yeast or whipped egg whites (although many recipes in the United States use baking powder) to create a pourable batter, and they have a seriously fluffy, light, and airy texture, large, deep pockets, and a light, more neutral flavor.

Liege waffles are made with a thick, yeasted dough, sweetened with pearl sugar. The dough is plopped into an iron to create irregularly shaped, dense, chewy, intensely sweet, caramelized waffles.

How to make Liege waffles?

Ingredients

Process

Combine sugar, yeast and milk and allow mixture to sit for 4 to 6 minutes or until mixture is bubbling and foamy.
Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl and whisk together. Create a well in the center of flour mixture and add yeast mixture.

Mix together with paddle attachment until a ‘shaggy’ dough forms.
With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla. Add butter, in a slow and steady stream, until fully combined and a sticky, wet dough has formed.

Cover and store in a in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Uncover and fold in pearl sugar.

Re-cover, and allow dough to rise again for about 30 minutes, then uncover.
Heat waffle iron and scoop ⅓ cup batter into each well.

Press until each liege waffle has nicely browned and caramelized.
Carefully remove from waffle iron and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all batter has been used. Serve immediately.

What is Swedish pearl sugar?

Swedish pearl sugar is a key ingredient in Liege waffles. It’s essentially large chunks of white sugar that hold their shape and resist melting and dissolving, creating pockets of sweet, caramelized crunch inside and outside the waffles. Using regular granulated sugar won’t have the same effect, so if you want an authentic experience, crunch, and flavor, it’s worth using the real deal.

We’ve found Swedish pearl sugar easier to find than Belgian pearl sugar, which is even larger and can also be used for Liege waffles.

Tips to make the BEST Liege waffles

These waffles take more effort and patience than traditional waffles, but they’re so worth it. For the best Liege waffles without hopping on a plane, follow these tips:

Cold ingredients will slow down the rise, and hot butter could kill the yeast, so ingredient temperature is important. You want lukewarm water, room-temperature eggs, and slightly cooled melted butter so the yeast activates well and everything incorporates consistently into the dough.
The double rise is essential for well-developed flavors and structure. Don’t rush the rise, even though we know waiting to eat these is tough work!
Because this recipe is longer and more involved, it’s worth making sure your yeast is active. If it’s not bubbly and foamy after 5 or 6 minutes of sitting in the warm milk and sugar mixture, your milk may have been too hot, or your yeast is inactive, and you’ll want to start over.
Fold the pearl sugar in gently. You want to evenly combine it throughout the dough without crushing the pearls.
These waffles are meant to be irregularly shaped, so stick to the 1/3 cup and avoid overfilling the waffle iron. They spread as the iron presses down, and you want all of the edges to stay inside the iron, getting crispy and caramelized as they cook.
After cooking each Liege waffle, let them cool on a wire rack, not a plate or a paper towel, to help both sides stay crisp. Placing them on a plate will cause the bottoms to become soggy because of the steam.

What to serve with Liege waffles

Because these waffles are so sweet on their own, they’re delicious eaten straight from the waffle iron or dusted with a bit of powdered sugar. However, just because they don’t need sweet toppings doesn’t mean you can’t add them!

Top Liege waffles with:

Fresh fruit like sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or banana slices
Chocolate sauce and sea salt (as seen in our finished photos!), caramel sauce, or a thin swipe of Nutella
Whipped cream or ice cream (or both!)

For a full breakfast or brunch spread, serve a plate of Liege waffles with:

Storing Liege waffles and refreshing leftovers

Liege waffles are best when eaten fresh out of the waffle iron, but they keep and reheat surprisingly well, as long as you use the right method.

Storing

To store them for a few days, let them cool completely, then store them in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For freezer waffles, let them cool completely, then lay them on a parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze them until frozen solid (at least 2 hours). Once fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag, placing a layer of parchment paper in between layers to keep them from sticking, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheating and refreshing

We recommend reheating Liege waffles in the oven or a toaster for the best results.

For oven reheating: Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the waffles directly on the oven rack, or on a sheet pan, for 5 minutes, or until warmed through and re-crisped. Reheating from frozen may take up to 10 minutes.

For toaster reheating: Pop the waffles into the toaster to crisp up and warm through. Just be sure to keep a close eye on them, as the caramelized sugar on the outside can go from crisp to burnt very quickly.

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Liege Waffles

Liege waffles are the most decadent, delicious spin on traditional waffles with their crispy, caramelized shell and dense, buttery inside. One taste, and you'll know why its our favorite Belgian waffle!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Belgium

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Rising Time 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings

Calories 250kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

1 Belgium waffle iron

Ingredients

2/3 cup lukewarm whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1/2 ounce packet)
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large room temperature eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
⅔ cup Belgium pearl sugar

optional

1 cup milk chocolate (can use dark chocolate if preferred)
2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Combine sugar, yeast and milk and allow mixture to sit for 4 to 6 minutes or until mixture is bubbling and foamy.
Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer bowl and whisk together.
Create a well in the center of flour mixture and add yeast mixture.
Mix together with paddle attachment until a ‘shaggy’ dough forms.
With the mixer on medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla.
Switch to a hook attachment and add butter, in a slow and steady stream, until fully combined and a dough has formed. The dough will look slightly wet and sticky.
Cover and store in a in a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Uncover, fold in pearl sugar, re-cover, and allow dough to rise again for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Heat waffle iron and scoop ⅓ cup batter into each well and press until each waffle has nicely browned and caramelized.
Carefully remove from waffle iron and transfer to a cooling rack.
Repeat steps 8 and 9 until all batter has been used.

optional

In a double boiler (or in the microwave) melt chocolate until smooth. Dip each waffle into the melted chocolate (about 1/2 way) and shake off any excess.
Sprinkle sea salt flakes over the chocolate portion of the waffles. Allow chocolate to harden, then serve.

Notes

**Nutritional information does not include chocolate or sea salt options**

Storing Liege Waffles and Refreshing Leftovers

Liege waffles are best when eaten fresh out of the waffle iron, but they keep and reheat surprisingly well, as long as you use the right method.

Storing

To store them for a few days, let them cool completely, then store them in a single layer in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating and Refreshing

We recommend reheating Liege waffles in the oven or a toaster for the best results.

Nutrition

The post Liege Waffles appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Tomato Salad

Jenny Park — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Nothing screams summertime like biting into a juicy, fresh tomato. Our Tomato Salad Recipe packs all the fresh and earthy flavors into a delicious side dish. We promise you’ll want a steady supply of fresh tomatoes to serve this cool and juicy salad all season! Along with our other summer favorites: Heirloom Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Plates and our Heirloom Tomato Tart.

This Tomato Salad features juicy heirloom tomatoes, briny olives, red onion, and creamy burrata dressed in a lemon herb vinaigrette. In just 15 minutes, you’ll have a fresh and juicy tomato salad ready to serve. Serve it up with lunch or dinner or even take it along to your next BBQ or cookout. If you love Caprese Salad, you will love this loaded variation.

How to make our tomato salad

Vinaigrette Ingredients

Vinaigrette Process

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Close lid and vigorously shake until well mixed. Adjust salt and pepper as needed, close lid and again. Set aside.

Salad Ingredients

Salad Assembly Process

On a large plate or platter, spread tomato wedges in a single layer.
Drizzle with some vinaigrette. Allow tomatoes and vinaigrette to sit for 10 minutes.

Top with thinly sliced red onion, olives and burrata pieces.
Drizzle more vinaigrette over salad. Top with fresh herbs and serve.

Best tomatoes to use

The variety of tomatoes you use is less important than the ripeness and sweetness of the tomatoes. It truly makes the biggest impact on this salad.

Heirloom tomatoes are our favorite choice since they tend to be the most vibrant in color and rich in flavor. You can also use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or even Roma tomatoes. These varieties tend to be meatier and less watery than other varieties. Mix it up for a unique look and flavor profile, using some red, purple, yellow, and orange tomatoes!

Variations

Vegetables. The original recipe uses tomatoes (which can’t be swapped), red onions, and olives. Try diced cucumber, bell peppers, or even chunks of avocado.

Cheese. You can’t beat the creaminess and flavor of burrata, but try swapping with fresh mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese for a different flavor profile, or if you can’t find burrata.

Herbs. Try different combinations of fresh herbs for the vinaigrette and to garnish your tomato salad — thyme, oregano, parsley, and cilantro are all potential contenders for this recipe.

Protein. If you want this salad to be a bit heartier, add a protein source like chickpeas, diced grilled chicken, or shrimp.

Prep ahead instructions

This salad is best when eaten fresh on the same day, but you can make the different components ahead of time to save time and effort when you’re ready to enjoy it.

Vinaigrette

You can mix the vinaigrette ingredients together and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 48 hours ahead of time. Because of the fresh herbs, the vinaigrette may not stay fresh past that point. Before mixing with the tomatoes, give the bottle a good shake to re-emulsify the ingredients, as they may settle after sitting.

Salad Components

You can dice the salad ingredients, including the tomatoes, olives, and red onion up to 48 hours ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator in a covered container. While you can combine them and store them covered if your tomatoes are watery or juicy, they may lead your onions to become soggy, so storing them separately is recommended.

When you’re ready to serve, just combine the tomatoes, dressing, and other ingredients as directed.

What to serve with our tomato salad?

This tomato salad is perfect for a summer lunch, dinner, or potluck party. Serve alongside a loaf of crusty bread and any of these recipes:

Serve with grilled proteins

Green summer salads

Fresh appetizers

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Tomato Salad

A fresh and vibrant tomato salad featuring juicy heirloom tomatoes, creamy burrata, and a zesty lemon-herb vinaigrette, for a refreshing and flavorful dish perfect all summer long.

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 289kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

lemon-herb vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1 to 1 1/2 lemons)
2 1/2 tablespoons minced mix herbs of choice (such as dill, tarragon, mint, thyme, basil)
1 grated garlic clove
2 teasoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper to taste

salad

3 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes cut into wedges
1/4 small thinly sliced red onion
12 seeded castelvatrano olives halved
8 ounces burrata ripped into a few pieces

garnish

chopped fresh herbs of choice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

vinaigrette

Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Close lid and vigorously shake until well mixed. Adjust salt and pepper as needed, close lid and again. Set aside.

assembly

On a large plate or platter, spread tomato wedges in a single layer and drizzle with some vinaigrette. Allow tomatoes and vinaigrette to sit for 10 minutes.
Top with thinly sliced red onion, olives and burrata pieces.
Drizzle more vinaigrette over salad.
Top with fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

Best Tomatoes to Use

The variety of tomatoes you use is less important than the ripeness and sweetness of the tomatoes. It truly makes the biggest impact on this salad.

Nutrition

The post Tomato Salad appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Baja Fish Tacos

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:14:48 +0000

We are both huge taco fans and agree that Baja Fish Tacos are very high on our list of favorites. We love the crispy goodness of the battered and fried fish paired with crunchy, shredded cabbage, fresh pico de gallo, and creamy, (slightly) spicy baja sauce!

Although we both prefer corn tortillas when it comes to tacos, we agree that flour tortillas are the best for baja fish tacos!

What are Baja fish tacos?

Baja fish tacos are fish tacos that uses beer battered and fried cod fillets, served up in soft tortillas with a spicy crema. The tacos are also topped with either shredded cabbage, pico de gallo or both. Our version uses both shredded cabbage and pico de gallo, to maximize the texture and flavor or the tacos!

How to make baja fish tacos

Baja sauce ingredients

Process

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Whisk together and set aside until ready to use.

Beer battered fish ingredients

Process

Preheat oil to 350˚F in a wide skillet with tall sides.
Season cod pieces with salt and pepper.

Place flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together until smooth.
Add beer to flour mixture and whisk together until smooth.

Dip fish into beer batter until fully submerged, a couple pieces at a time.
Shake excess batter off each piece and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry fish for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack . Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly Ingredients

Process

Spread a couple spoonfuls of baja sauce in the center of each tortilla.
Top with a couple pieces of fried fish.

Top each taco with a small handful of shredded cabbage.
Next, top baja fish tacos with a couple spoonfuls pico de gallo (and an extra drizzle of baja sauce, if you want!). Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Why we love our Baja fish taco recipe

We love this recipe for so many reasons – it’s simple, delicious, a crowd pleaser, etc. We mostly love it though because each component is simple and perfectly balances out the dish.

The fish is SUPER light and crispy.
The Baja sauce is perfectly smoky and tangy.
We sliced the cabbage very thin for a nice crunch.
We love the freshness the pico de gallo gives sprinkled on top.
The lightly charred, chewy Sonoran style flour tortillas is the perfect way to wrap up the taco.

Tips and tricks for success

Don’t skip out on the cornstarch in the batter. It really helps to get the fried batter super crispy around each piece of fish. It also helps the crispiest last, so you don’t have to worry about the batter getting soggy while frying all the pieces up.
Transfer fried fish to a cooling rack that sits in a rimmed baking sheet. This will also greatly aide in the fried fish remaining crispy, while allowing any excess oil to drip onto the baking sheet.
Fry the fish in batches to prevent overcrowding and to maintain oil temperature.
Charring the tortillas aren’t completely necessary, but we think it adds a nice, subtle smoky flavor to the overall tacos. We simply char the tortillas by placing them directly over the stovetop flames on each side for about 30 seconds.

Variations

Increase or decrease the amount of adobo sauce used in the crema to adjust the spiciness level based on personal preference.
If you can’t find crema, replace it with sour cream, creme fraiche or mayonnaise.
Add a smear of guacamole or mashed avocado to the center of the tortillas, before adding the fried fish pieces to double the creamy goodness!
While we love using flour tortillas for our baja fish tacos, use corn tortillas, if that’s your preference. They’ll be just as delicious!
Use a different white fish such as tilapia or halibut.
Use seltzer water instead of beer for the batter for a nonalcoholic version.
We love the unadulterated shredded cabbage for the crunch and balance it adds to the tacos, but you can also create a simple and delicious cabbage slaw by adding a little vinegar, pinch of sugar and chopped cilantro to the cabbage, tossing everything together and allowing the mixture to sit for about 30 minutes before using it in the tacos.

Make ahead instructions

While we don’t recommend frying the fish ahead of time, you can definitely prep parts of the recipe ahead of time!

Make the baja sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store the sauce in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Shred the cabbage up to 2 days in advance. Store the shredded cabbage in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Make the Pico De Gallo up to 3 days in advance. Store the pico in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

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Click here for more Seafood Recipes!

Baja Fish Tacos

The best Baja Fish Tacos you'll ever taste! Our batter produces the lightest, crispiest coating on each pieces of flaky fish. The best part is the crispy coating LASTS! So there's no need to worry about soggy fried fish as you fry up the whole batch! Served with a simple spicy crema, finely shredded cabbage and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for the most delectable taco experience!

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine baja, Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 989kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

baja sauce

2/3 cup mexican crema
3 tbsp adobo sauce
1 lime zested and juiced
salt and pepper to taste

beer battered fish

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
12 ounces beer
2 pounds cod fillets cut into 3" x 1" pieces
4 cups vegetable oil for frying

tacos

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup pico de gallo
8 small flour tortillas
lime wedges for serving

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

baja sauce

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Whisk together and set aside until ready to use.

beer battered fish

Preheat oil to 350˚F in a wide skillet with tall sides.
Season cod pieces with salt and pepper.
Place both flours, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together in a mixing bowl.
Whisk dry ingredients together until smooth.
Add beer to flour mixture and whisk together until smooth.
Dip fish into batter until fully submerged, a couple pieces at a time.
Shake excess batter off each piece and carefully drop them into the hot oil. Fry fish for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack . Season with salt and pepper.

assembly

Spread a couple spoonfuls of baja sauce in the center of each tortilla. Top with a couple pieces of fried fish. Top each taco with a small handful of shredded cabbage and a couple spoonfuls of pico de gallo. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Video

Notes

Tips and tricks:

Don’t skip out on the cornstarch in the batter. It really helps to get the fried batter super crispy around each piece of fish. It also helps the crispiest last, so you don’t have to worry about the batter getting soggy while frying all the pieces up.
Transfer fried fish to a cooling rack that sits in a rimmed baking sheet. This will also greatly aide in the fried fish remaining crispy, while allowing any excess oil to drip onto the baking sheet.
Fry the fish in batches to prevent overcrowding and to maintain oil temperature.
Charring the tortillas aren’t completely necessary, but we think it adds a nice, subtle smoky flavor to the overall tacos. We simply char the tortillas by placing them directly over the stovetop flames on each side for about 30 seconds.

Make ahead:

While we don’t recommend frying the fish ahead of time, you can definitely prep parts of the recipe ahead of time!

Make the baja sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store the sauce in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Shred the cabbage up to 2 days in advance. Store the shredded cabbage in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Make the Pico De Gallo up to 3 days in advance. Store the pico in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Nutrition

The post Baja Fish Tacos appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Jenny Park — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:23:53 +0000

I love Hawaiian Macaroni Salad so much! It’s delicious, creamy and so simple to make! It’s the perfect side dish to bring to a bbq or picnic. It also holds and transports really well and can be made ahead of time!

Ours is extra special because we add a small scoop of canned tuna into our mac salad, giving it an extra special, delicious flavor. Trust us, it’s the key ingredient in our simple and very delicious Hawaiian macaroni salad!

How to make Hawaiian macaroni salad

Ingredients

Process

Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add some salt and the macaroni and stir. Boil macaroni for about 7 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
Place mayonnaise, tuna and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir together.
In a large bowl combine macaroni, celery, carrot, red onion, and mayo mixture.

Fold together until thoroughly mixed together. Season with salt and pepper. Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour and season with more salt and pepper, as needed, before serving.

Tools you will need

Why add tuna?

I know the addition of canned tuna might sound strange, and we understand that it isn’t traditional. We add it in because we found it adds a really nice touch of savory, delicious yet subtle umami flavor to the overall dish – without making the macaroni salad taste fishy at all (I promise!). It’s what makes our Hawaiian macaroni salad truly special!

Variations for our Hawaiian macaroni salad

If you want a more authentic version, you can omit the celery and red onion and grate the carrot instead.
Sometimes I like to add bonito flakes, instead of tuna, to the mayo mixture for an even more savory and umami flavor. If replacing the tuna for bonito flakes, just add 1 1/2 teaspoons.
You can swap out the mayo for Kewpie, which is a Japanese mayonnaise. It has a richer, more eggy and slightly sweeter flavor than American mayonnaise and is delicious!
For a vegan version, replace the mayonnaise with veganaise and either omit the tuna or replace it with a tuna alternative.

Is our mac salad traditional?

Our recipe is slightly untraditional. We don’t grate our onion or carrot (plus we use red onion instead of sweet or yellow onion). We also use more celery than most recipes and as mentioned above, we add a scoop of tuna into our creamy dressing.

I personally like the added crunch of the larger pieces of veggies, but you can definitely make it more traditional by grating the onion and carrot. You can also omit the tuna, although I enjoy the umami flavor it adds!

Healthier macaroni salad option

Yes, there’s a lot of mayo in this recipe. It’s what makes the salad extra creamy and delicious. If you’re looking for a healthier version you can sub some or all of the mayo with plain greek yogurt or some whipped cottage cheese, for added protein!

Make ahead instructions

Our macaroni salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If making ahead of time, reserve 2/3 cup of the mayo mixture and fold it into the macaroni salad before serving. This will prevent the macaroni from absorbing too much of the mayo mixture, leaving the salad dry and not creamy.

What to serve with Hawaiian macaroni salad

The creamy side dish goes really well with a variety of dishes. Some of our favorite dishes to serve our mac salad with are:

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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

A rich and creamy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe that only requires a handful of ingredients and couldn't be easier to make! It's a delicious side dish that pairs so well with so many different dishes, like Carne Asada, Bulgogi, and BBQ Beef Brisket!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine hawaiian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 18

Servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

½ pound elbow macaroni
1 small carrot peeled and diced
1 celery stalk trimmed and diced
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoons canned tuna drained
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add some salt and the macaroni and stir. Boil macaroni for about 7 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside.
Place mayonnaise, tuna and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir together.
In a large bowl combine macaroni, celery, carrot, red onion, and mayo mixture.
Fold together until thoroughly mixed together. Season with salt and pepper.
Place mixture in the refrigerator for at least an hour and season with more salt and pepper, as needed, before serving.

Notes

Healthier Macaroni Salad Option

If you’re looking for a slightly healthier version, you can sub some or all of the mayo with plain greek yogurt or whipped cottage cheese!

Make Ahead Instructions

Our macaroni salad can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If making ahead of time, reserve 2/3 cup of the may mixture and fold it into the macaroni salad before serving.

Nutrition

The post Hawaiian Macaroni Salad appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Potato Salad Recipe

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:56:54 +0000

I love this Potato Salad Recipe so very much. Potato salad in general will forever remind me of summer potlucks growing up. There was never a bbq, picnic, or gathering that didn’t have a big bowl of potato salad sitting with a buffet of other dishes and it was glorious.

My favorite potato salad recipe is one that’s creamy, includes chopped boiled eggs and a healthy dose of relish (or chopped pickles) to balance out the creaminess. Our version has all those things and we think it’s one of the best one’s we’ve ever tasted!

How to make our potato salad recipe

Ingredients

Potato Salad Process

Place potatoes into a large pot. Boil potatoes in generously salted water until fork tender.
Drain potatoes into a colander and cool slightly.

Transfer some of the potatoes to a large bowl and mash until creamy.
Once remaining potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter and add to the bowl of mashed potatoes.

Add boiled eggs, pickles, shallots, chives, salt, and pepper to the bowl and gently fold together.

Dressing Process

In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients.
Whisk together.

Assembly

Fold dressing into the potato mixture until completely combined. Cover and place mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Remove from refrigerator, adjust seasoning and serve.

Why egg in potato salad?

We’ve had some people question our choice of egg in potato salad, but once they try it they don’t question it anymore! We add boiled eggs for a few reasons:

More protein! We love being able to sneak a bit of protein into a pretty carb loaded salad.
It’s DELICIOUS! Who knew mashing some boiled eggs into the mix would add such a nice texture and delicious flavor to the potato salad!
It adds more body to the salad and really blends in nicely.

Why our potato salad recipe is the absolute best!

We use whole grain mustard in our dressing which, adds a really subtle and pleasant tartness to the dish.
Mashing some of the potatoes which really helps to maximize the creaminess without having to add more dressing.
Since we’re big egg salad fans we added some boiled eggs to our potato salad and we just love it so much- and as we mentioned above more protein!

Variations

One of my favorite things about our potato salad recipe is its versatility. I love the recipe as written, but it’s also really easy to tweak based on personal preference.

Add chopped bacon – The bits of fatty, salty bacon dotted throughout the dish adds a tasty pop of flavor.
Omit the boiled eggs – If you would rather a purely potato filled potato salad. Just add 2 more potatoes to the dish.
Add more herbs – We personally like adding tarragon and thyme!
Peel the potatoes – Since red potato skins are so thin we keep them on and really love the snappy texture they add when you bite into a piece. If that’s not your thing, no worries! Just peel the potatoes before chopping and mashing them and combining them with the remaining ingredients.
Swap the shallots out for sweet onion (or red onion) and add celery – The sweet onion and celery combination will add a texture contrast to the overall creamy potato salad.
Use yellow mustard instead of whole grain mustard – If you want a tangier dressing, yellow mustard is the way to go!

Make ahead and storing instructions

Our recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Just transfer the dish to an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve.

Something we like to do if we’re making the potato salad ahead of time (although it’s not completely necessary) is to make an extra third of the dressing recipe and fold it into the potato salad just an hour before serving. This helps the potato salad from drying out before serving.

What to serve with our potato salad recipe

Potato salad is such a great side dish for so many different things. Some of our favorite recipes to serve it with are:

More delicious potato recipes you will love

Potato Salad Recipe

The most delicious and creamy Potato Salad Recipe you'll ever taste!! Our recipe is packed with tons of flavor, super creamy and the perfect side dish to so many different dishes. Bring it to your next picnic or bbq and we promise everyone will be thrilled!

Course lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Chill Time 2

Servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

Potato Salad

1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes, washed
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup pickle relish drained
3 tablespoons diced shallot
1 ½ tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Potato Salad

Place potatoes into a large pot. Boil potatoes in generously salted water until fork tender, then drain.
Transfer ⅓ of the potatoes to a large mixing bowl and mash until creamy.
Once remaining potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter and add to the bowl of mashed potatoes.
Add boiled eggs, pickles, shallots, chives, salt, and pepper to the bowl and gently fold together.

Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

Assembly

Fold dressing into the potato mixture until completely combined.
Cover and place mixture in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Remove from refrigerator, adjust seasoning and serve.

Notes

Variations

Add chopped bacon – The bits of fatty, salty bacon dotted throughout the dish adds a tasty pop of flavor.
Omit the boiled eggs – If you would rather a purely potato filled potato salad. Just add 2 more potatoes to the dish.
Add more herbs – We personally like adding tarragon and thyme!
Peel the potatoes – Since red potato skins are so thin we keep them on and really love the snappy texture they add when you bite into a piece. If that’s not your thing, no worries! Just peel the potatoes before chopping and mashing them and combining them with the remaining ingredients.

Make Ahead and Storing Instructions

Our recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. Just transfer the dish to an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to serve.

Nutrition

The post Potato Salad Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:35:52 +0000

Let’s dive right into this Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe, shall we? Seriously, we love this recipe so very much. There’s nothing quite like making a batch of tomato sauce using FRESH tomatoes! The results are light, sweet, tangy, slightly acidic, and incredibly flavorful!

I love to hang onto a few roasted tomatoes, before blending the rest into the sauce, to top each serving with a little burst of goodness. We simply toss the sauce with some pasta (our favorite is bucatini) and then top it off with the roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, a lil freshly grated Parmesan and that’s it! A true summer in a bowl sort of meal!

How to make fresh tomato sauce

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a ceramic or glass baking dish combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, and thyme. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together.
Place tomato mixture into the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss together. Place tomatoes back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until tomato skins have begun to shrivel and the tomatoes themselves have slightly burst.

Remove tomatoes from oven and discard thyme sprigs. Pour roasted tomato mixture into a blender, reserving about 1 1/2 cups roasted cherry tomatoes for garnish.
Blend tomato mixture until “chunky-smooth”.

Pour mixture into a skillet. Place over medium heat and simmer. Stir in tomato paste and basil and season with salt and pepper.
Stir and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in butter.
Add pasta and toss together until well coated.

Top with reserved roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and grated Parmesan.Serve.

Is tomato paste necessary?

Yes! I know it seems strange to add tomato paste to a fresh tomato sauce, but the tomato paste is actually what gives the sauce body. Without it the tomato sauce would resemble something closer to a watery, thin sauce. Not only does it help to give the sauce body, but because it’s so concentrated, it also gives the sauce a nice depth of tomato flavor.

Tips and tricks for success

As mentioned above, add tomato paste! It will really help add body and depth of flavor to your sauce. Otherwise you may end up with more of a ‘tomato water’ than sauce.
Although you don’t have to reserve some of the roasted cherry tomatoes for garnish, I think it makes a huge difference, especially when serving with pasta. The bursts of concentrated fresh tomato is the best!
Although we don’t do this, if you want a smoother consistency with your sauce (and you want to omit the seeds), instead of blending it up, you can run the tomatoes through a food mill.

Canning fresh pasta sauce

Fresh pasta sauce can have a pretty long shelf life, especially when properly canned. When properly canned, you can also keep your pasta sauce in the pantry for 12 to 18 month at a time! We love using this step by step guide for basic canning!

Once you open/unseal the jar of sauce, any unused sauce should be refrigerated in an airtight container and used within 4 to 5 days.

What to serve with our fresh tomato sauce

We obviously love this tomato sauce tossed with some pasta, but we also love using it as a dipping sauce for a variety of things like:

More delicious fresh tomato recipes you will love

Fresh Tomato Sauce

It's hard to beat the flavors from a Fresh Tomato Sauce! This summer, take full advantage of all the delicious, ripe tomatoes and make our sauce! Everyone will be so impressed by the flavors! Toss it with your favorite pasta or use it for dipping delicious bread, for the best tomato sauce experience!

Course dinner, lunch, sauce

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 232kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

fresh tomato sauce

2 3/4 pounds cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves gently smashed
1 shallot roughly chopped
5 thyme sprigs
3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced basil leaves plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

serving suggestion

8 ounces cooked bucatini (or pasta of choice)
fresh grated parmesan garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a ceramic or glass baking dish combine tomatoes, garlic, shallot, and thyme. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together.
Place tomato mixture into the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and toss together.
Place tomatoes back into the oven for another 15 minutes or until tomato skins have begun to shrivel and the tomatoes themselves have slightly burst.
Remove tomatoes from oven and discard thyme sprigs.
Pour roasted tomato mixture into a blender, reserving about 1 1/2 cups roasted cherry tomatoes for garnish.
Blend tomato mixture until “chunky-smooth”. Pour mixture into a skillet.
Place over medium heat and simmer.
Stir in tomato paste and basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 4to 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add pasta and toss together until well coated.
Top with reserved roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and grated Parmesan.Serve.

Video

Notes

**Nutritional Information does not include pasta or Parmesan garnish**

Tips and Tricks for Success

Add tomato paste! It will really help add body and depth of flavor to your sauce. Otherwise you may end up with more of a ‘tomato water’ than sauce.
Although you don’t have to reserve some of the roasted cherry tomatoes for garnish, I think it makes a huge difference, especially when serving with pasta. The bursts of concentrated fresh tomato is the best!
Although we don’t do this, if you want a smoother consistency with your sauce (and you want to omit the seeds), instead of blending it up, you can run the tomatoes through a food mill.

Nutrition

The post Fresh Tomato Sauce appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Jenny Park — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Today we have a super yummy and easy Shrimp and Grits Recipe for you all! I love the different layers and textures within this meal – from the smoky shrimp and salty andouille, to the extra creamy, buttery and cheesy grits.

The first time I heard of the dish I knew I was going to love it. It reminded me of other similar type dishes I grew up eating like jook and congee (which are asian-style rice porridges that have a texture reminiscent of corn grits). This shrimp and grits recipe really hits all the cozy, comfort dish points and we love it so much.

What are shrimp and grits?

It’s a traditional southern comfort food dish consisting of creamy, buttery cooked cornmeal (similar to polenta) topped with butter sautéed shrimp.

Our version takes this dish over the top by including caramelized bits of andouille sausage with the shrimp and stirring and melting shredded cheese into the buttery grits.

History of shrimp and grits

It’s always nice knowing the background behind such iconic American dishes and this one has a pretty rich history. Grits are said to be one of America’s first foods, as Native Americans have been known to eat a dish made of soft, ground corn for countless generations.

Alternatively shrimp and grits has long been a popular dish in the ‘low country’ of South Carolina. It was a simple and casual breakfast dish for fisherman and their families, especially during shrimp season. It wasn’t until the mid 80’s when the dish became elevated and popularized at a Chapel Hill restaurant named Crook’s Corner.

Although it was “fancied up” ’80’s, people who grew up eating shrimp and grits will always remember it in a more simple form. To them it’s a comforting, low maintenance breakfast that reminds them of their childhood. That sentiment resonates with us so well and we created our recipe to reflect the cozy, comfort vibe.

How to make shrimp and grits

Ingredients

Grits Process

Bring water to a boil in a pot. Generously salt water and stir in grits. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer mixture, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and creamy.

Remove from heat and add shredded cheese and butter.
Stir in cheese and butter until fully incorporated and melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp and Sausage Process

Place shrimp, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and garlic into a mixing bowl.
Toss together. Set aside.

Melt butter into a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown.

Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. Add shrimp to skillet and sauté for a few minutes on each side. Deglaze pan with chicken stock (or water) and cover.
Add sausage back to skillet and stir together.

Remove shrimp and sausage mixture from heat and divide over each bowl of grits. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

Tools You Will Need

Tips and tricks for success

For the grits

Make sure to salt the water before adding grits because cooked grits don’t absorb anymore salt.
It’s important that grits are made low and slow to ensure the starches are released and you get a creamy and smooth texture.
For an extra creamy texture, finish grits with a little bit of heavy cream when stirring in the cheese and butter. This step is totally optional and not included in our recipe below but is nice when you really want an over the top grits situation.

For the shrimp mixture

Adding stock or water to the skillet with the shrimp and covering it with a lid for a minute will allow the shrimp to steam and nicely cook through to the center. Without allowing the shrimp to steam, you run the risk of overcooking the outside, while the center may stay raw. – and no one wants that!

Make ahead and reheating

Although we think shrimp and grits is a dish that’s best made fresh, you can make it ahead of time with great results.

Make ahead shrimp and grits

To make ahead, make both the grits and shrimp mixture according to the recipe instructions. Cool each component separately and store each separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The grits can be made and stored up to 5 days ahead of time. The shrimp mixture can be made and stored up to 2 days ahead of time.

Reheating grits

To reheat grits, pour a small amount of milk and butter or stock into a saucepan (about 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 tablespoon butter, for every 1 cup of cooked grits) and simmer over medium-low heat. Add cooked grits and whisk together until grits begin to loosen up, meld together with the extra liquid and butter and heat through. Season with salt and pepper as needed and remove from heat.

Reheating shrimp mixture

To reheat shrimp mixture, place a skillet over medium-low heat and add a small amount of oil. Add shrimp mixture to skillet and sauté for 1 minute. Add a couple tablespoons of water to skillet and cover for 1 minute, or until shrimp mixture has heated through and liquid has evaporated. Season with a little salt and pepper as needed.

More delicious shrimp recipes you will love

Click here for our entire Shrimp & Seafood Recipe Collection!

Shrimp and Grits Recipe

Our Shrimp and Grits Recipe has perfectly creamy grits topped with buttery shrimp and spicy andouille sausage. The perfect comfort food!

Course Breakfast, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 38

Total Time 48

Servings

Calories 481kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

white cheddar grits

1 cup white stone-ground grits
4 ounces shredded white cheddar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

shrimp

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails intact
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 andouille sausage, diced
1/4 cup chicken stock (water is fine)

garnish

2 thinly sliced green onion

Instructions

Grits

Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Generously salt water and stir in grits. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer mixture for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick and creamy.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese and butter until fully incorporated and melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp and Sausage

Place shrimp, lemon juice, smoked paprika, salt, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and garlic into a mixing bowl and toss together. Set aside.
Melt butter into a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside.
Add shrimp to skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes on each side. Deglaze pan with chicken stock (or water) and cover for 1 minute.
Add sausage back to skillet and stir together.
Remove shrimp and sausage mixture from heat and divide over each bowl of grits. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

Video

Notes

Tips and tricks for success

For the grits

Make sure to salt the water before adding grits because cooked grits don’t absorb anymore salt.
It’s important that grits are made low and slow to ensure the starches are released and you get a creamy and smooth texture.
For an extra creamy texture, finish grits with a little bit of heavy cream when stirring in the cheese and butter. This step is totally optional and not included in our recipe below but is nice when you really want an over the top grits situation.

For the shrimp mixture

Adding stock or water to the skillet with the shrimp and covering it with a lid for a minute will allow the shrimp to steam and nicely cook through to the center. Without allowing the shrimp to steam, you run the risk of overcooking the outside, while the center may stay raw. – and no one wants that!

Nutrition

The post Shrimp and Grits Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Caesar Salad Recipe

Jenny Park — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We’ve finally updated our Caesar Salad Recipe and I couldn’t be more excited! I don’t think there’s a more iconic salad than caesar salad! It’s such a perfect, simple salad that goes well with SO many dishes!

We love it in our household and it’s the only salad my 4 year old will eat! We think it’s totally worth it to put in just a little bit of effort to make some of the components (like the croutons and dressing) from scratch for an ultimate caesar salad experience!

How to Make Our Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Process

Pour dressing into a large mixing bowl and top with lettuce .
Toss together until lettuce is evenly coated. Add croutons.

Toss together with tongs, until croutons are evenly coated and distributed.
Top salad with remaining Parmesan and some black pepper. Serve.

Best Lettuce to Use for Caesar Salad

Romaine lettuce is the most used lettuce for classic caesar salad, and for good reason! It provides the perfect, bright crunch you want with the creamy, acidic dressing.

Personally we prefer using gem lettuce leaves (which is a miniature variety of romaine), just a teensy tiny bit more. The reason we love using gem lettuce leaves more is because you still get the bright, crisp texture from gem lettuce, but you also get the tenderness you find in butter lettuce. It’s the perfect balance of crispy, sweet and tender!

Anchovy Substitute for Caesar Salad

I think anchovies in caesar dressing is key to giving caesar salad its distinct, unique and delicious flavor. I do understand that not everything enjoys it, nor can everyone eat anchovies. If that’s the case the best substitute is Worcestershire sauce. You can replace 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire to our classic dressing recipe and increase the amount to 2 1/2 teaspoons for our quick and easy version!

Why We Have Two Versions of Dressing?

We’ve been asked a number of times in the past about having two versions of our caesar dressing. We did this because we do love a classic recipe with lemon and anchovies as well as the method of drizzling oil in slowly to create a perfect emulsion. While we love a classic caesar salad dressing, we also understand that it can be intimidating to some to create an emulsion. If that sauce breaks, then it feels like a total waste of ingredients and time. Plus who doesn’t love a shortcut?! The shortcut version is slightly more creamy and thicker overall, but can be thinned out with a couple tablespoons of water, without compromising the taste. We love options, people!

Variations

Use shaved Parmesan cheese instead of grated Parmesan for the garnish. I like to do this when I’m using the classic dressing (which is less creamy), for an extra nutty, cheesy kick!
Although purists may disagree, I love adding thinly sliced radishes or jicama for a bit of extra crunch! I also love adding cherry tomatoes, grilled asparagus and avocados on occasion, when I want to bulk it up!
Add some grilled chicken, steak, crumbled bacon or even some chickpeas or edamame to the mix to add some protein to the caesar salad!
Lightly grill the lettuce leaves before serving! When I say lightly, I really mean for just a few seconds. By doing this, you keep the integrity of the lettuce, but add a slight char flavor that tastes amazing!
If you can’t be bothered to use a knife to eat your salad, no problem, we get it! Just shred the heads of gem lettuce into bite sized pieces, instead of keeping the whole leaves intact.

Tips and Tricks for Success

Make sure your lettuce is clean and crisp! The best way to do this is to rinse your lettuce in cold water and to use a salad spinner to rid the leaves of excess water!
Don’t dress the salad until a few minutes before serving. This will ensure the lettuce and croutons remain crisp!
Make the caesar salad dressing and croutons yourself! Although it may take a little more work, it’s totally worth it to make your own croutons and caesar dressing. They will definitely elevate your salad!
Add veggies and protein to bulk it up (using some of our suggestions from above!).

What to Serve with Our Caesar Salad Recipe

More Delicious Salad Recipes You Will Love

Click here for all of our Salad Recipes!

Caesar Salad Recipe

A simple and delicious Caesar Salad Recipe that will thoroughly impress guests! Our recipe uses gem lettuce so you still get the crunch you would from romaine, but also the tenderness (similar to butter lettuce). We love this truly iconic and classic salad that's delicious enough to be eaten on its own, but versatile enough to be paired with tons of different dishes!

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 493kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

1 recipe homemade croutons
1/2 recipe caesar salad dressing
3 heads gem lettuce, trimmed and leaves separated (or 5 cups sliced romaine hearts)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Pour dressing into a large mixing bowl .
Add croutons and lettuce leaves.
Toss together with tongs, until lettuce leaves and croutons are well and evenly coated.
Top salad with remaining Parmesan and some black pepper. Serve.

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks for Success

Make sure your lettuce is clean and crisp! The best way to do this is to rinse your lettuce in cold water and to use a salad spinner to rid the leaves of excess water!
Don’t dress the salad until a few minutes before serving. This will ensure the lettuce and croutons remain crisp!
Make the caesar salad dressing and croutons yourself! Although it may take a little more work, it’s totally worth it to make your own croutons and caesar dressing. They will definitely elevate your salad!
Add veggies and protein to bulk it up (using some of our suggestions from above!).

Nutrition

The post Caesar Salad Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Beer Battered Onion Rings

Jenny Park — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I’m not sure if I know a single person that doesn’t like Beer Battered Onion Rings (same goes for French fries). Seriously though, what isn’t there to enjoy about onion rings? When made well, they’re light, fluffy, crispy, salty, and slightly sweet.

Our recipe for Beer Battered Onion Rings is super simple and result in the best tasting, most crispy coated onion rings! Seriously, these are glass shattering onion rings you guys! We use a couple different ingredients and basic tricks to ensure these are the best you’ll ever taste!

How to make beer battered onion rings

Ingredients

Process

Preheat oil to 350˚F. Place rings of onion and flour into a missing bowl.
Toss together until each onion ring has a light dusting of flour surrounding it. Set aside.

Place flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Whisk in beer and ice cubes until mixture is smooth.

Dip onion rings, a few at a time, into the batter until fully coated.
Lift onion rings from the batter, shaking off any excess. Carefully drop the coated rings into the oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and paper towels. Repeat until all onion rings have been fried.

Serve onion rings with a side of ranch dressing (or other condiments of choice).

Is tossing the raw onion rings with flour necessary?

Yes! It might not seem like it dos much, but it actually helps the batter adhere to the rings nicely, without all the crispy fried batter just sliding right off after frying.

The secret to the crispiest beer battered onion rings EVER

Our beer battered onion rings are super crispy and stay super crispy for awhile (long enough that the last onion ring eaten is practically just as crispy as the first one eaten).

Our secret for the extra crispy coating is using a blend of all purpose flour, rice flour and cornstarch. The rice flour absorbs less oil than wheat flour creating a thinner, crispier and less greasy coating. The cornstarch prevents the glutens in wheat flour from developing, resulting in a crispier coating as well.

A lot of recipes call for baking powder and an egg for dredging, but with our combination of all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cornstarch you get the perfect thin, crispy yet still tender and fluffy coating that pairs perfectly with the soft and sweet onion interior.

Tips and tricks for overall beer battered onion rings success

Don’t skip out on the rice flour or cornstarch! They’re the secret to the extra crispy coating on the onion rings and what makes the crispy texture last.
The ice cubes really help the batter stick to the onion rings once they’re fried because it keeps the batter very cold, which is what causes the batter to stick to the onion rings.
Draining the fried onion rings on a cooling rack is the best way to keep the onion rings from getting soggy on the bottom.
Use a spider strainer to life the onion rings from the oil! I think it’s the best way to remove them from the oil without damaging any of the fried goodness around the onion rings.

What to serve with beer battered onion rings

You obviously don’t need to serve anything with onion rings, because it make a great appetizer or snack on its own, but they also go really well with SO many dishes! Some of our favorites are:

More delicious appetizer recipes you will love

Beer Battered Onion Rings

The most crispy, delicious and simple Beer Battered Onion Rings you will ever taste! The best thing about these onion rings is that the crunch LASTS for awhile, so you don't have to worry about the first fried onion ring being soggy by the time you're finished frying your last!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 395kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

2 large sweet onions, sliced into ½” thick rings and separated
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour divided
1/2 cup rice flour
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces beer of choice
3 ice cubes
6 cups vegetable oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oil to 350˚F.
Toss onion rings with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour until each onion ring has a light dusting of flour surrounding it. Set aside.
Combine remaining all-purpose flour, rice flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Whisk in beer and ice cubes until mixture is smooth.
Dip onion rings, a few at a time, into the batter until fully coated.
Lift onion rings from the batter, shaking off any excess. Carefully drop the coated rings into the oil and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oil and place onto a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Repeat until all onion rings have been fried.
Serve onion rings with a side of ranch dressing (or other condiments of choice).

Notes

How to Get the Crispiest Beer Battered Onion Rings

Our beer battered onion rings are super crispy and stay super crispy for awhile (long enough that the last onion ring eaten is practically just as crispy as the first one eaten).

The combination of the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cornstarch together create the perfect thin, crispy yet still tender and fluffy coating that pairs perfectly with the soft and sweet onion interior.

Tips and Tricks for Beer Battered Onion Ring Success

Don’t skip out on the rice flour or cornstarch! They’re the secret to the extra crispy coating on the onion rings and what makes the crispy texture last for a while.
Draining the fried onion rings on a cooling rack is the best way to keep the onion rings from getting soggy on the bottom.
The ice cubes really help the batter stick to the onion rings once they’re fried because it keeps the batter very cold, which is what causes the batter to stick to the onion rings.
Don’t skip out on the rice flour or cornstarch! They’re the secret to the extra crispy coating on the onion rings and what makes the crispy texture last.
The ice cubes really help the batter stick to the onion rings once they’re fried because it keeps the batter very cold, which is what causes the batter to stick to the onion rings.
Draining the fried onion rings on a cooling rack is the best way to keep the onion rings from getting soggy on the bottom.
Use a spider strainer to life the onion rings from the oil! I think it’s the best way to remove them from the oil without damaging any of the fried goodness around the onion rings.

Nutrition

The post Beer Battered Onion Rings appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Teri Lyn Fisher — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Spring and summer are the perfect time to enjoy strawberries, and to turn them into delicious desserts like our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe! I love everything about this recipe! The cornmeal biscuits are so good on their own (especially served warm with some soft butter, sea salt flakes and honey), but they also go really well with the lightly macerated strawberries and whipped cream! I think the biscuits also make this traditional dessert just a little bit more special. The fact that we’re making from scratch drop biscuits also make things a lot easier and less messy; no need to roll and cut them out.

This is also a great make ahead dessert for a group of people. You can make the biscuits up to 3 days ahead of time and then just have the macerated strawberries and whipped cream made the morning of your get together and refrigerated until you’re ready to use them. You may want to give the strawberries and whipped cream an extra stir before assembling the shortcakes, but that’s it!

How to Make Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Ingredients

Cornmeal Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl.
Whisk dry ingredients together.

Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
Pour buttermilk over crumbly mixture.

Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet (using an ice cream/cookie scooper), 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Strawberries

While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together.
Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

Whipped cream

Place heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into a medium bowl.
Whip together until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

Slice each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

What is Polenta Style Cornmeal?

Polenta style cornmeal is cornmeal that is usually medium-grind coarseness (although it can also be found to be medium-fine, medium-coarse and coarse ground).

It’s our preferred style because not only does it add a great flavor, but it also adds a nice texture to the biscuits. You can use finely ground cornmeal that will still result in really delicious biscuits, but you will lose the tiny bits of crunchy texture within the biscuits that we love so much.

Variations for Our Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

You can make this recipe dairy free by replacing the butter for vegan butter, the buttermilk for nut or rice milk with a squeeze of lemon juice and whipped cream for coconut whipped cream.
You can omit the sugar and lemon juice from the strawberries if you prefer to tone the sweetness down a little bit.
Add some lemon zest into the strawberry mixture for a light, bright burst of fresh flavor!
Although these are called strawberry shortcakes, we love adding other berries for mixed berry shortcakes.

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

After biscuits have baked, cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to use, place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 5 to 7 minutes, just to warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, in the microwave, until heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

Freezing Raw Dough

Drop the biscuit dough onto a baking sheet as per the recipe and instead of putting them into the oven, freeze them until completely frozen then transfer to an airtight freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

When ready to use, place frozen biscuits onto a baking sheet and place in an oven (set to 350˚F) for 6 to 8 minutes, just to thaw and warm through. Alternatively, wrap biscuit in a paper towel and heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave until thawed and heated through. Make macerated strawberries, whipped cream and assemble strawberry shortcake recipe as instructed.

More Strawberry Recipes You Will Love

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

The BEST Strawberry Shortcake Recipe you will ever make! Our recipe is simple, totally delicious and just a little bit special with our cornmeal drop biscuits!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Amercian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 317kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

cornmeal biscuits

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
⅔ cup (polenta style) cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup buttermilk

strawberries

1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

sweetened soft whipped cream

2 cups cold whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

cornmeal biscuits

Preheat oven to 425˚F: Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Place flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add butter to flour mixture and break apart, using the back of a fork or your hands until a fine, mealy texture evenly forms throughout.
Stir in buttermilk until just combined and no dry spots remain.
Scoop 1/4 cup sized scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, and bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Once biscuits have baked, remove from oven and allow them to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

strawberries

While biscuits bake, place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into another mixing bowl and toss together. Set aside to allow berries to macerate.

whipped cream

Place cream, sugar and vanilla into another mixing bowl and whisk together until soft to medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

assembly

Split each biscuit in half crosswise, and top each bottom half with a couple spoonfuls of the lightly whipped cream. Top whipped cream with a couple spoonfuls of macerated strawberries and serve.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Our Strawberry Shortcake Biscuits

Make Ahead

Freezing Raw Dough

When you’re ready to bake them, place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in a 425˚F oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown.

Thawing/Rewarming Baking Biscuits

Nutrition

The post Strawberry Shortcake Recipe appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Spanish Churros

Jenny Park — Sun, 31 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

During a trip to Spain, I fell in love with the light and crispy texture and barely sweet flavor of Spanish Churros (covered in decadent chocolate sauce, of course!). When I couldn’t find the same texture and flavor anywhere I looked in the States, I recreated the recipe myself.

The dough is incredibly simple, made with just flour, baking powder, salt, and boiling water, and once pushed through the churro mold, it fries into beautifully crisp, lighter-than-air churros, ready to be sprinkled with sugar, dipped, and devoured. If you’ve been on the hunt for an authentic egg-free Spanish churro recipe, you’re about to be in churro heaven!

Differences Between Spanish Churros and Mexican Churros

Before I went to Spain, I had only ever enjoyed Mexican-style churros, which are delicious in their own right, but much denser and chewier. While Mexican churros typically use egg and butter in the dough for a softer, bread-like interior, Spanish churros are naturally vegan, using just flour, baking powder, salt, and water, which makes the texture incredibly light and airy.

The other big difference between the two is in the toppings. Straight out of the deep fryer, Mexican churros are often rolled in cinnamon sugar, so each bite is spiced with warm sweetness. Spanish churros rely less on sugar. They sometimes get a light sprinkle of plain sugar, or leave the sugar out entirely, getting all their sweetness from a rich chocolate dipping sauce.

How to Make Spanish Churros

Ingredients

Process

Pour oil into a tall sided pot and place over medium heat. Preheat oil to 350˚F. Place flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add boiling water to flour mixture.

Stir together with a wooden spoon until mixture is fully combined, with no dry spots. Cool for a few minutes.
Push dough into a churro maker with a medium star insert.

Pipe 6 inch long churros directly into the hot oil, snipping the ends off with scissors, before piping another churro. (Pipe a few churros at a time)
Fry churros for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Transfer Spanish churros onto a paper towel lined baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack, and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat frying and sprinkling sugar with remaining dough.
Once all churros have been fried, transfer them all onto a platter. Serve with chocolate sauce for dipping.

Tips for the BEST Spanish Churros

Make sure your water is boiling before adding it to the dough. This is what activates the starches in the flour to create the light and crispy texture these churros are known for. Just hot or lukewarm won’t cut it; it has to be boiling.
A single-use gadget doesn’t always seem worth it, but trust me and use a churro maker. The dough is very stiff, and while you can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip, it’s a lot harder than it needs to be. If you don’t want to use a churro maker, you can also roll the dough into thin, long snakes by hand, snip them into 6-inch pieces, and carefully transfer them into the hot oil.
For the best results, monitor your oil temperature and keep it at 350°F. If it cools too much, your churros will absorb too much oil and become greasy instead of crispy. If it gets too hot, the outside will burn before the dough inside cooks. To prevent the oil temp from dropping, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
To help the sugar stick to the churros, sprinkle it while the churros are still hot.

Can Churros Be Made Ahead of Time and Reheated?

Churros are best when eaten fresh, hot from the fryer, but with a couple of adjustments, you can make them up to two days ahead of time.

To store churros for later, take them out of the oil and let them cool completely according to the directions, without adding the sugar. Once cool, store them in a single layer in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for a day or in the refrigerator for up to two days.

When you’re ready to serve the churros, preheat the oven to 350˚F and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until they’re hot and crispy again. Sprinkle with sugar as soon as you take them out of the oven.

We DO NOT recommend reheating churros in the microwave, as it makes them soft, greasy, and chewy rather than light, crisp, and airy.

What to Serve with Spanish Churros?

In Spain, churros are traditionally served with a rich chocolate sauce (try our spicy chocolate sauce with or without the chili powder!), but you can’t go wrong with any of these sweet pairings:

Homemade Chocolate Sauce
Homemade Milkshake
Cajeta (similar to dulce de leche and caramel)
Nutella
Whipped cream
No Churn Ice Cream
Marshmallow Fluff

More Delicious Dessert Recipes You Will Love

Spanish Churros

These Spanish churros are light and crispy with a simple dough that comes together in minutes and fries up golden and perfect every time.

Course Dessert

Cuisine spanish

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings

Calories 126kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Equipment

churro maker

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
4 cups oil for frying
3 tablespoons sugar for sprinkling

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Add boiling water to flour mixture. Stir together with a wooden spoon until mixture is fully combined, with no dry spots. Cool for a few minutes.
Pour oil into a tall sided pot and place over medium heat. Preheat oil to 350˚F.
Push dough into a churro maker with a medium star insert and pipe 6 inch long churros directly into the hot oil, snipping the ends off with scissors, before piping another churro. Fry a few at a time.
Fry churros for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Transfer churros onto a paper towel lined baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat frying and sprinkling sugar with remaining dough.
Once all churros have been fried, transfer them all onto a platter. Serve with chocolate sauce for dipping.

Notes

*Makes ~16 churros (Each serving is 4 churros)*

**Although you can use a piping bag, fitted with a star tip, it’s a bit difficult because the dough is so stiff. I highly recommend buying a churro maker….OR you can roll the dough out into a thin, long snake and snip into 6 inch piece and carefully lift and transfer into the hot oil. They won’t be quite the same, but still crisp and delicious!**

Tips for the BEST Spanish Churros

Make sure your water is boiling before adding it to the dough. This is what activates the starches in the flour to create the light and crispy texture these churros are known for. Just hot or lukewarm won’t cut it; it has to be boiling.
A single-use gadget doesn’t always seem worth it, but trust me and use a churro maker. The dough is very stiff, and while you can use a piping bag fitted with a star tip, it’s a lot harder than it needs to be. If you don’t want to use a churro maker, you can also roll the dough into thin, long snakes by hand, snip them into 6-inch pieces, and carefully transfer them into the hot oil.
For the best results, monitor your oil temperature and keep it at 350°F. If it cools too much, your churros will absorb too much oil and become greasy instead of crispy. If it gets too hot, the outside will burn before the dough inside cooks. To prevent the oil temp from dropping, work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
To help the sugar stick to the churros, sprinkle it while the churros are still hot.

Nutrition

The post Spanish Churros appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Jenny Park — Mon, 25 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Our homemade chocolate sauce is ready to drizzle over ice cream, coat fresh fruit, or spread on top of Leige Waffles in less than 15 minutes! With just five ingredients, you’ll have a rich, velvety sauce that’s guaranteed to be better than anything you’ve had from a jar or bottle.

The secret is using unsweetened cocoa powder and heavy cream as the base, which creates a sauce that’s intensely chocolatey and silky smooth without any of the artificial flavors you’ll find in store-bought versions. We love keeping a jar in the fridge for everything from impromptu sundae nights to drizzling over our Buttermilk Pancakes for a special weekend treat.

How to Make Our Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

Process

In a small saucepan combine cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
Whisk together.

Add cream and stir until combined (a few lumps are okay). Mixture will become very thick.
Place pot over medium-low heat and simmer mixture over medium-low heat until mixture loosens, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook chocolate over low heat until sugar dissolves and chocolate sauce is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool chocolate sauce for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Why We Prefer Using Unsweetened Cocoa Powder vs. Chocolate Chips

Melted chocolate chips can act as a quick last-minute chocolate sauce, but using cocoa powder will give you a much better result.

Chocolate chips are often diluted with stabilizers, fat, fillers, and sweeteners, which can interfere with the texture and taste of the chocolate sauce. Using unsweetened cocoa powder allows you to control the sweetness and keeps the texture velvety smooth as the powder dissolves into the heavy cream.

Tips for the BEST Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Since this chocolate sauce uses only a handful of ingredients, the type of cocoa powder you use can make a big difference in the flavor and quality. A Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make the sauce a bit darker and fudgier, while natural cocoa powder will be a bit more intense and tangy.
For the smoothest consistency, whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the cream.
Letting the mixture simmer low and slow will help the sugar fully dissolve, developing into a rich and velvety sauce. If you crank the heat too high, you may end up with a grainy sauce.
Don’t panic if the sauce is lumpy at first! When you first stir the cream into the dry ingredients, it will be lumpy. Once everything is heated through and dissolved, those lumps should smooth right out.
Add the vanilla extract after you’ve taken the sauce off the heat for the best flavor, as high heat can cause some of the extract (and the flavor) to evaporate.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

Storing

To store leftover chocolate sauce, let it cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight jar or container and refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks. The sauce will thicken significantly as it chills, turning it into more of a chocolate fudge-like topping!

If you want your chocolate sauce to last even longer, you can store it in the freezer! Once cool, store the chocolate sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. When ready to use, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then follow the reheating instructions below.

Reheating

To return cold sauce to a pourable consistency, you can either heat it in the microwave or on the stove. For both methods, you may need to add a splash of cream if it feels too thick after reheating.

To heat it in the microwave, spoon the amount you want to heat into a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 15-second intervals, stirring between each session, until it’s the consistency you prefer.
To heat it on the stove, place the sauce in a small pot and stir it over low heat until it loosens and becomes smooth and pourable again.

What to Enjoy with Our Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Here are some of our favorite foods to drizzle, dip, and spread with this rich and creamy chocolate sauce!

More Delicious Sweet Spread and Sauce Recipes You Will Love

Homemade Chocolate Sauce

This 5-ingredient homemade chocolate sauce is rich, glossy, and so easy to make, you'll never buy the bottled stuff again!

Course condiment

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 13

Servings

Calories 84kcal

Author Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a small saucepan combine cocoa powder, sugar, and salt.
Whisk together.
Add cream and stir until combined (a few lumps are okay). Mixture will become very thick.
Place pot over medium-low heat and simmer mixture over medium-low heat until mixture loosens, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook chocolate over low heat until sugar dissolves and chocolate sauce is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool chocolate sauce for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Notes

**Makes about 1 1/4 cups** **Each serving is 1 tablespoon**

Tips for the BEST Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Since this chocolate sauce uses only a handful of ingredients, the type of cocoa powder you use can make a big difference in the flavor and quality. A Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make the sauce a bit darker and fudgier, while natural cocoa powder will be a bit more intense and tangy.
For the smoothest consistency, whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the cream.
Letting the mixture simmer low and slow will help the sugar fully dissolve, developing into a rich and velvety sauce. If you crank the heat too high, you may end up with a grainy sauce.
Don’t panic if the sauce is lumpy at first! When you first stir the cream into the dry ingredients, it will be lumpy. Once everything is heated through and dissolved, those lumps should smooth right out.
Add the vanilla extract after you’ve taken the sauce off the heat for the best flavor, as high heat can cause some of the extract (and the flavor) to evaporate.

Nutrition

The post Homemade Chocolate Sauce appeared first on Spoon Fork Bacon.