Salmon bacon is really just crispy, fried bits of salmon skin. And it’s insanely, crazy good! It has all the salty, crunchy, fatty goodness of bacon, but it actually won’t kill you. Salmon skin is chock full of omega-3 fatty acids that keep your heart healthy, so you don’t have to feel guilty about this bacon. This is great on any type of burger, but especially on top of healthy salmon burgers.

Salmon Bacon

Salmon skin (make sure it’s been scaled!)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Liquid smoke (optional)
Vegetable oil

1. Scale side up, slice the salmon skin into thin strips. You’ll need a very sharp knife. Put the strips into a bowl and add several splashes of liquid smoke, if you’d like a more smoky bacon flavor. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain the excess liquid and cover with the salt. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Pat the salmon skin dry with a paper towel—make sure it’s as dry as possible! Add oil to a skillet so it’s about a half inch full, then turn the heat up to medium. Add the salmon skin and fry over medium high heat, stirring frequently so they don’t clump. Let them crisp up—it can take 10-15 minutes, so be patient.

3. When crispy, drain on paper towels and serve.

Inspired by this recipe from one of the baddest guys out there in the wild food world: Hank Shaw.