What Is Banana Peel Bacon, And Does It Taste Like The Real Thing?

Banana peel bacon: Yup, we never thought we'd use those words in the same sentence, either. But food trends and viral recipes, no matter how crazy (or rather, bananas) they may seem, are popular for a reason. They catch on because people actually like them. And banana peel bacon is no exception.

There's another reason why banana peel bacon is a thing. It's not just tasty and unique, but it falls under the practice of zero-waste cooking — of which one of the main pillars is to repurpose and reuse food waste instead of trashing it. That means finding new and innovative ways to cook and eat food scraps that we'd otherwise probably just toss. And if nothing else, banana peel bacon is innovative.

So what is it, exactly? Is it what it sounds like, and does it actually taste like bacon? Let's peel back the layers on this wildly interesting new trend.

The ultimate verdict is that while banana peel bacon does indeed look like bacon, it doesn't quite taste like the real thing. It's banana peels, after all, so it's different, of course. Luckily, many seem to agree that banana peel bacon is still delicious in its own right. In fact, Tom Hunt, a columnist for The Guardian, called the crispy treat "flavorful and interesting to eat."

Hunt used a smokey, umami-like marinade for his banana peel bacon, also utilizing smoked paprika, maple syrup, and tamari. After marinating the banana skins for several hours, he seasoned them with black pepper and fried them up in a frying pan — just like bacon — until they were deeply browned and blistered. Of course, you can also use ingredients like balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, or even tahini to marinate and season the peels.

You might be wondering if banana peels are even safe to eat, and the answer is yes — they're actually a great source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. But Mahdawi says it's best to use organic bananas to avoid any pesticides in the peels, and the trick is to make sure the skins are overly ripe with lots of brown spots so that sweetness comes through.

This unique vegan bacon creation originated where most food sensations do in the modern world: TikTok. Personal chef Charles Hunter III of The Salted Table is credited with introducing the no-waste recipe to the internet. According to Hunter, he was inspired by vegan TikTok personality Tabitha Brown when she tried to make something similar but didn't like it; he saw this as a challenge to develop his own recipe for a version of faux bacon that was up to his standards.

Fearing backlash from the internet community, Hunter freely admitted in his recipe post that this won't be for everyone. "But if by chance you live a no-waste lifestyle, or you are a vegan, or vegetarian who misses the crunchy smoky goodness of a once-known porky strip," he said, "This recipe is for you!" To give his banana peel bacon the best taste possible, Hunter makes his marinade with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dark brown sugar, onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper — before frying the peels in a bit of avocado oil. 

And, if you're not a banana peel lover, this trend may still have a solution for you. According to Hunter, you can also try this exact same idea with vegetable skins like carrots or eggplant.