There are almost as many ways to cook bacon as there are slices in the package. Some home cooks like to air-fry bacon or deep-fry it, and others are keen on cooking bacon in cast iron. Hurried cooks often microwave the meat, while those who have the time occasionally swear by sous vide. With all of these options on the breakfast table, how is a hungry pork fan supposed to choose?
To help you make the most of every single strip, we tapped chefs to tell us the biggest mistakes they see people make when it comes to bacon. Then, they revealed the absolute best way to cook the meat, whether you’re eating it by the slice, layering it inside a sandwich, or incorporating it into a recipe.
Meet Our Bacon-Wise Chefs
- Erin Clarke, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based recipe developer and the author of “The Well Plated Cookbook” and the forthcoming “Well Plated Everyday”
- Kathleen Day, the owner and founder of Katalina’s Cafes in Columbus, Ohio
- Jon Kung, a Detroit, Michigan-based chef, recipe developer, podcast host, and the author of “Kung Food”
- Peter Som, a New York City-based award-winning fashion designer, culinary creator, lifestyle expert, and the author of the upcoming cookbook “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
If you’re just making one or two strips and are already using a skillet, you can use that same pan, Kung says. But, in all other cases, all four chefs agree that your best bet is cooking your bacon in the oven. It turns out this method is the easiest, no-mess way to make bacon that the Allrecipes editors swear by, too!
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“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.”
Some cooks swear by starting sheet pan bacon in a cold oven, 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 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.
- Safely dispose of the bacon grease, or reserve it for another use, such as Mom’s Country White Gravy, Shrimp and Cheesy Grits with Bacon, or Grandma’s Collard Greens.
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If you don’t own a wire rack, that’s OK. You’ll want to simply line your pan with foil, then pinch and fold it at 1-inch intervals to create a makeshift rack 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.
