As a lifelong fan of BLTs, I have a soft spot for bacon. But not just any old bacon—I’m talking warm, flavorful, perfectly crispy bacon!
And while cooking bacon isn’t exactly difficult, there are a few ways it can go haywire if you’re not careful. So in hopes that we can all avoid those all-too-common pitfalls, here are 7 mistakes to avoid in the pursuit of perfectly cooked bacon! :-)
7 Mistakes You’re Making With Bacon
1. Buying Too Much
If you’re only making a serving or two, check at the meat counter to find out if you can buy a few slices instead of a whole package? Not only will that bacon be fresher than the packaged stuff, but it won’t go to waste in your fridge either.
2. Cooking It Cold
In order for your bacon to cook evenly, the meat and the fat need to cook at the same rate. This can be tricky, because the fatty part of the bacon retains cold longer than the rest.
A simple solution is to let your bacon sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking it. The resulting bacon will be much more evenly cooked than if you had cooked it straight from the fridge!
3. Crowding The Pan
Crowding your pan full of tangled strips of bacon will only yield a floppy, greasy mess. Instead, lay out individual strips in a single layer and give them room to “breathe.”
Giving the bacon more room is the key to achieving the crispy, evenly cooked bacon you want and deserve!
4. Using A Hot Pan
The key to achieving perfectly crisp bacon is allowing some of the fat to render out before the meat starts cooking. The best way to do this is to start the bacon in a cold pan, then place it over heat.
If you drop cold bacon into a hot pan, the meat will start to cook before the fat has time to render properly. You’ll end up with bacon that is cooked in some parts and undercooked in others, with lots of chewy fat left intact.
5. Discarding The Fat
When you’re done cooking your bacon, don’t throw out the grease! Pour it into a container and keep it in your fridge or freezer to use in other cooking.
Use bacon fat as your oil for shallow frying potatoes, or add it to soups for instant richness and flavor. You can even add some to chocolate chip cookies for the ultimate sweet and salty combination!
6. Using A Flimsy Pan
Another important factor in achieving evenly cooked bacon is using the right kind of pan. Thin pans are more prone to having hot and cold spots, so a thick, heavy-bottomed pan (like cast iron, for instance) is the way to go!
7. Cooking It The Same Way Every Time
There are a lot of ways to cook bacon, so it never hurts to branch out! If you typically cook it on the stovetop, try cooking your next batch of bacon in the oven, your waffle maker, or even on your grill!
For more ideas, read my post about 14 different ways to cook bacon.
More Ideas You'll Love
What’s your best bacon tip?
Tip for all who use an air fryer like the Ninja. This refers to the dome type with the pullout drawer. Lighter weight foods can become airborn in this type of fryer. In order for the food to remain flat so that it can cook evening I found these racks to be extremely efficient.
Step 1: Place bacon on rack as normal.
Step 2: Place metal grate rack on top of the bacon.
Step 3: Cook to crispy. You probably won’t need to turn over the bacon as long as the cooking rack you’re placed the bacon on has lots of airflow space.
Step 4: Enjoy super crunchy bacon.
Pic of racks I use is attached. Be sure to measure space inside air fryer so racks fit.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use cookie sheet lined with parchment. Put in the preheated oven at 400 degrees.After about 7 or 8 minutes,turn the pan around in oven (front in the back) cook another 7 or 8 minutes and then drain on a paper towel on a plate. Voila! No greasy mess on the stove! I never cook it on the stove anymore! Bacon crispy just like on the stove. Just make sure you watch and time it. Might take longer if you like it crispier.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bake my bacon in 400 degree oven with parchment paper. MUCH better than a frying pan. Also, I pull some strips out when 80% done. Then use a couple of days later, via quick warm up. When doing a LOT of bacon for family, I make with parchment and layer the fat OVER the lean pieces. It worked well for me in the oven.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bake my bacon on foil wrapped trays in the oven, and blot excess fat out about mid-way through cooking to ensure pretty, crispy bacon. The is absolutely zero chance of me ever using bacon fat to cook…not my thing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love my bacon!!! I cook mine in the microwave on paper towels to try to soak up as much grease as possible ’cause’ that animal fat ‘ain’t’ good for us. It will clog our arteries and help to cause heart disease along with other foods. Now mind you, I have saved a many a can of bacon grease and fried a many a potato in bacon grease, in my 50+ years of cooking, no better eating!!! Seasoned a many a pot of beans, cabbage etc with it, but no more… I love it as well as the next person, and yes I do eat a slice of bacon, microwave fried, every morning. Not to offend anyone, just food for thought. Just trying to eat a little more healthy in my old age. LOL
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Using a bacon press! It keeps the bacon flat in the pan, no curled ends! It also ensures the pieces cook evenly. You can use it for other cooking as well. https://www.amazon.com/HIC-Weight-Heavyweight-Burgers-Sausage/dp/B01HXGNDZ2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=bacon+press&qid=1575296011&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyOTA4TUszSlgwME0mZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA0OTE4MzEyRjFKSTY3U1pBSVU1JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNzk3MjExOVExWjZaUFVBWVVXJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a bacon cookbook (no joke) a few years back and the first section included instructions for how to clarify rendered bacon fat. Combine equal parts water and fat in a saucepan and boil it for a few minutes, then pour it off into a heatproof jar (e.g., mason jar) with extra water if you have room. Let it cool and then put the jar in the fridge so the fat can solidify. The impurities – burned bits, seasoning etc. – will collect in the water portion, leaving a layer of clarified fat on top. Spoon the fat off the top (or insert a knife down the side and turn the jar upside down over the sink so the water drains out from underneath) and you have clean bacon fat, ready to use in piecrusts, biscuits, cornbread or anything else that would benefit from some bacon flavor.
I’m not sure to what extent the fat still contains salt, so short of tasting it you may want to reduce the salt in your recipe, at least to begin with.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bake the bacon in the oven. Its crisp and flat. Perfect for a BLT.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.And the bacon grease makes the best roux for gumbo
I bake my bacon in the oven with this trick.
I place cookie cooling racks on my cookie sheets. Layout the bacon with a little room in between slices. 375 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes gives you perfectly cooked bacon without fuss, muss, or a greasy stove top. (Bacon doesn’t splatter in the oven either)
I love this method. Crisp bacon, no need toblot grease as it all ends up in the pan.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No mention of the most important thing for me, buying good quality bacon in the first place. Since I’ve been buying mine from a local farm, the taste difference is just amazing. And none of the white gloop associated with manufacturers injecting water into the meat. My bacon is also humanely raised and pasture raised, so the meat is better for me, health wise. I will never go back to cheap supermarket bacon
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You need to strain the grease! Your bacon grease will keep forever if you strain the solids out of it first. It’s the solids that turn it rancid. I use a coffee filter and strain into a wide mouth ball jar and just keep adding to it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Bacon strips cook faster in the middle. To resolve this, I cut the strips in half for more even cooking. I tend to my bacon during the cooking process–constantly rearranging & flipping. To combat splatter, I cover parts of my stove with wet dish cloths and use a splatter shield intermittently. Wear eye protection and long sleeves to prevent burns. I’m probably overcrowding my pan, but when I cook bacon, I need a lot of it fast! If you’re getting a lot of splatter, you can also lower the temperature. A quicker/safer way to cook bacon is to put it in the deep fryer. I learned this at the restaurant I worked for.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i BAKE MY BACON ON A RACK OVER A SHEET PAN. 375 DEG FOR 15 MIN THEN FLIP AND COOK 5-8 MIN MORE. I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE DBLE OVENS SO TAKES LESS TIME.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.GREASE DRIPS AWAY. BACON STAYS CRISP. i COOL IT WRAP 6-8 SLICES IN PARCHMENT PAPER AND BAG IT. FREEZE IT. I TAKE OUT WHAT I NEED..HARDLY HAVE TO REHEAT..STILL STAYS CRISP.
i SAVE THE DRIPPINGS AND FREEZE IN 1/2 PINT CONTAINERS. THAW AS NEEDED. HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BAKE UP TO 15 POUNDS. THIS WAY DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS FOR 9-10 MONTHS.
NEED BACON FOR BLT, BREAKFAST, PIZZA, WHATEVER..IT IS ALL READY TAKE OUT SLICES NEEDED.
WISH I COULD POST PHOTOS.
There is no way to ruin bacon for me. I like it burnt, crisp, and chewy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Chewy means a bit underdone and fatty. I’ve been eating it all my life with eggs and biscuits/toast. :-}-*
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Life is too short to ruin the bacon…Baahaha Jillee You kill me =D =D
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