It’s mess free and gives you the crispiest strips.
. With all of these options on the breakfast table, how is a hungry pork fan supposed to choose?
.
Meet Our Bacon-Wise Chefs
- “Well Plated Everyday”
- in Columbus, Ohio
- “Kung Food”
- “Family Style”
The Most Common Bacon Cooking Mistakes
We get it: Bacon is so delicious that you don’t want any more time than necessary standing between you and your first bite. But rushing the process won’t do you any favors with the finished product, explains Kung. Cranking up the heat too high “will cause the bacon to curl and lose contact with the pan,” he says.
Som agrees, noting that high heat will “burn the bacon before it has a chance to render and cook.”
A second common mistake, according to Som, is overcrowding the pan. Doing so will cause the strips to “steam instead of crisping up, and, I’m sorry, but nobody likes soggy bacon,” he says. “Make sure to leave a bit of room between each slice.”
The Best Way to Cook Bacon, According to Chefs
that the editors swear by, too!
“I’ve always used the oven to cook bacon at my cafes, and it’s finally gaining traction with online recipes. Once you learn how easy it is to cook and what a consistent product it produces, you won’t go back,” says Day.
Clarke echoes that sentiment, going so far as to call herself “an evangelist for baking your bacon in the oven. It results in perfectly crisp, uniform pieces every time, with easy clean up. Plus, you don’t have to worry about dangerous bacon grease splatters or standing over a hot stove.”
, then turning on the heat. That method works, too, but Clarke believes that the bacon doesn’t cook quite as evenly as it does in a preheated oven.
Here’s the ultimate way to cook bacon, according to chefs:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
- Line a sheet pan with a foil, then top it with a wire rack to allow for ample air circulation.
- On the wire rack, add the slices of bacon, making sure to leave a bit of room between each slice.
- Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your slices.
- Once the bacon reaches your desired level of doneness, remove the pan from the oven, then use tongs to transfer the bacon from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate so the strips don’t keep cooking.
- .
that will allow the grease to separate from the slices. This will reduce the risk of soggy slices.
Feel free to stick with 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) the whole way through, or try Som’s temperature tweak that he believes can level-up your next batch of bacon. Start the cooking process at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C), then for the final 5 minutes of cooking time, increase the oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). This will allow you to cook the bacon steadily until the fat renders before finishing slightly hotter to score the perfect level of crispiness.
.
