There is no better breakfast than crispy bacon, but frying it in a pan often turns this beloved treat into a rubbery mess. Many people cook bacon with oil or butter, but it naturally renders its own fat, and too much grease can cause the white edges to burn before the centre is properly cooked. This results in bacon that is both charred and undercooked, leaving you with a soggy breakfast that has not crisped up properly and a pan coated in hardened grease.
However, Billy Parisi, a professional chef, has shared a simple way to ensure bacon cooks perfectly every time without any oil splatters, and all it requires is to avoid the frying pan altogether. Billy said: “I’ve made more bacon then I care to remember stemming all the way back to my restaurant days. I’ve pan-fried, grilled, even deep-fried it, but to this day I’ve never found a better way to prepare it than this.
He added: “The absolute best way to cook bacon is in the oven. It perfectly browns it up while staying way longer in shape then when it shrivels up pan-frying it.”
Cooking bacon in the oven ensures the heat will cook both the pink meat and white fat at the same time so it will crisp up consistently.
Any excess fat will simply melt away from the meat as the bacon cooks, so there is no chance of it becoming rubbery or greasy.
Bacon will not only be tastier and have a better texture but it will also be much healthier as it is cooking on its own without the calories form butter or oil.
This is a simple way to ensure your bacon strips always come out crispy but it also makes clean up much easier as you do not have to scrub away at a greasy pan afterwards.
How to cook bacon properly in a oven
To begin, line a tray with baking paper and preheat a oven to 200C (or 180C for fan ovens).
Add the bacon strips to the tray. If you wish, you can also place a wire rack over the tray, as it helps all the fat drip away which will make the bacon much crispier.
Place the bacon in a single layer so they are not touching each other, then place in the oven. Streaky thin bacon will take 15 minutes to cook but thicker cuts will take 20 minutes.
However, the cooking time can vary depending on your oven so make sure to regularly check on the bacon after the 10 minute mark.
The bacon will be ready when it is golden brown and perfectly caramelised. Take it out the oven, place it on some paper towel to drain the excess fat and put on a buttery roll to eat.
