Bake Chicken Skin With Paprika And Black Pepper To Create Faux Bacon

Even if you're someone who isn't normally a fan of chicken skin, make sure you don't throw the skin out next time you're making a chicken dish. Why? The skin can be used for an unexpected yet delicious purpose: making faux bacon. Yep, as weird as it sounds, if cooked correctly, chicken skin can taste eerily similar to the fan-favorite breakfast food.

Here's how: All you have to do is place the chicken skin on a baking sheet, then season it generously with paprika and black pepper. Roast it in the oven until it's nice and crispy, which should take about 40 minutes. It's perfect for when you want to use up the chicken skin, or for anyone who doesn't eat red meat and wants a bacon fix. You'll be surprised by how much the taste resembles the real thing. In short, you'll be dying to dig into the "bacon."

Once you've tried and loved the chicken skin version of "bacon," you'll want to incorporate it into nearly every meal. Really, you can use the faux bacon in place of any recipe that utilizes the real thing. Of course, we can't talk about bacon without talking about breakfast. You can add the faux bacon to a classic American breakfast plate complete with eggs, toast, and hash browns. Or, you can include the faux bacon in the ultimate egg sandwich recipe — combined with the other ingredients, you'll barely be able to taste the difference between the faux bacon and real bacon.

Then, one of the most classic bacon dishes is one typically served at lunchtime: the BLT. What better way to enjoy the bacon-y goodness of the roasted chicken skin than in the famous bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich? Or, you could use it in place of the bacon often found in a turkey club sandwich or a grilled chicken sandwich. When it comes to dinner, there are quite a few pasta recipes that utilize bacon, such as Tasting Table's chicken bacon ranch pasta, which will taste just as good with faux bacon in its place.