Bacon, Kale, and Leek Frittata

This Bacon, Kale and Leek Frittata and its many adaptations will take your egg game to a new level. From scrambled eggs to more complicated dishes like shakshuka, eggs are the magic ingredient for when you’re too exhausted to cook.. You probably have them in your refrigerator right now.

Read on to learn about how to cut kale and how to cut leeks and all the other crazy important recipe tips and tricks. Or just grab your cast iron skillet, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make a frittata with kale, leeks, and bacon. Mmmm bacon.

frittata with bacon, kale, and leeks on a plate with a hand removing a cut piece.
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Ingredients

bacon, kale, leek, and other ingredients for the frittata on a countertop.

 

Bacon – we love Hempler’s bacon because it’s a local brand and a quality product.

Kale – I like lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan or Italian kale, but any kale will do. If you’re swimming in kale like I am every fall, check out this feta kale salad with cranberries or these kale waffles or a kale and cheese quickbread.

How to cut kale

Chopping kale for this kale frittata is easy. First use a knife to slice out the thick stem. Then roll up a leaf or two and slice thinly across the roll. You can then chop your kale finer if you like.

four panels showing how to cut kale.

Leeks – leeks are a great, mild-flavored onion, perfect in this kale and leek frittata or a 4 ingredient potato and leek soup.

A cast iron pan is the best tool for the job because it goes seamlessly from stove top to oven. I use mine all the time making pan-roasted chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, and skillet cornbread.

Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations and substitutions

You can incorporate almost anything into a frittata if you think of it like you would scrambled eggs:

  • Add more bacon
  • Use less cheese or a different cheese
  • Sub out the kale for spinach or another leafy green
  • Use mushrooms or red peppers or olives or…. you get the point.

Recipe tips and tricks

The frittata is a versatile Italian egg-based dish that is related to a crustless quiche. The word comes from the Italian “friggere,” meaning “to fry,” which is how they are traditionally cooked.

Step by step

Making this bacon kale frittata is easy. First, crisp up your bacon in a 10 inch or so cast iron skillet. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate, and pour off all but one tablespoon of bacon fat into a small bowl. You’ll use that later!

strips of bacon on a paper-towel lined plate.

Now cook the leeks in the bacon fat over low heat until they are softened and just beginning to color.

slices of leek cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Add the chopped kale and garlic to the leeks and continue cooking until the kale is wilted.

kale and leeks cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Scrape the kale, leeks, and garlic into a medium bowl. Add in chopped bacon and cheeses and stir to mix. Then crack and stir in six of the eight eggs.

bacon, kale, leek, cheese, and other frittata mix-ins in a metal bowl.

Beat the other two eggs in a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of bacon fat or vegetable oil to the cast iron skillet and cook the two eggs until they have set on the bottom of the pan.

Cast iron pan bottom covered in cooked egg.

Once the base of the frittata has set, remove the pan from the heat. Add the bacon, kale, leek, and egg mixture and move the pan to the oven to bake. Careful, the pan may be hot!

bacon, kale, and leek frittata mixture in the cast iron skillet ready for baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top has set completely. You can brown the frittata under the broiler for a minute or two if you like.

baked bacon kale and leek frittata in the cast iron pan.

Enjoy hot, warm, or even let cool to room temperature.

What to serve with a bacon, kale and leek frittata

frittata on a plate and hand holding a piece of frittata in the air.

Recipe FAQs

Can you freeze a frittata?

You can freeze a frittata, but the texture and taste will likely change as the water in the vegetables freezes and separates, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Leftover frittata is best kept the refrigerator for a few days.

Can you reheat frittata?

Leftover frittata is great, warm or cold. To reheat it, just pop it in your microwave or oven until warm.

Are you supposed to eat a frittata with your hands?

It depends. If you’re eating the frittata hot, it may fall apart, and a fork and knife is best. But a frittata is great picnic food, because you should be able to eat this frittata by picking up a wedge.

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

Bacon, Kale and Leek Frittata

5 from 1 vote
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Unspecified
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 280kcal
This bacon kale frittata is a great dinner for those nights when you need an easy egg recipe that you can vary one hundred different ways.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 leek washed and sliced
  • 1 bunch kale chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
  • ¼ cup Parmesan grated
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉.
  • Crisp the bacon over low heat in a 10 inch cast iron pan, then remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Pour off all but thin layer of bacon grease, reserving it for future use. Chop the bacon once cool.
    4 strips bacon
  • In same cast iron pan, saute the leek until it has softened and lightly browned. Then add the garlic and kale and cook until it is lightly wilted. Remove the pan from the heat.
    1 leek, 1 bunch kale, 2 cloves garlic
  • In a medium bowl, lightly beat 6 of the 8 eggs and then combine with the chopped bacon, kale, leek, cheeses, salt and pepper.
    8 eggs, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • In a small bowl, crack remaining 2 eggs and beat lightly. These will form the base of the frittata.
  • If necessary, add back a bit of bacon fat to the cast iron pan and cook the 2 eggs as you would an omelet, tilting the pan so that all the egg is just set.
  • Remove the pan from heat, add the remaining eggs and ingredients, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is set. If you want, you can brown the top under the broiler for a minute or two.

Notes

Save leftover bacon fat in a clean glass jar to use for frying or roasting potatoes or cauliflower.
Keeping 2 of the eggs separate from the bacon and kale frittata mixture creates a thin base for your frittata mix-ins. If you’re super tired, you can save one bowl and skip this step and just add all 8 eggs to the rest of the ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 364mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4045IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 2mg
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