Waking up to perfect bacon smells makes any morning better. All you need is coffee and pancakes to pair with it. That said, how can you get it right every time?
How to Make Perfect Bacon for Any Meal
Bacon is terrific for burgers, soups, sandwiches, or by itself. Regardless, it deserves a crisp finish each time you make it. Here are eight tips to make perfect bacon.
1. Throw It in the Oven
If you have an oven, cooking bacon just got a lot easier. This method protects your body from hot splatters because you don’t have to stand in front of a pan. Instead, you can focus on the other parts of your meal, such as the waffles or French toast.
Use a sheet pan with parchment paper because of its silicone coating and temperatures. Then, your rule of thumb should be to cook bacon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Once finished, you can join the 268 million Americans who eat it.
2. Use the Air Fryer
If your home doesn’t have an oven, you could make your meals in an air fryer. These machines are versatile because they cook sausages at breakfast and salmon fillets for dinner. Use the same principles as oven cooking, though it’s worth reading the manual for specific instructions.
You can make perfect bacon in the air fryer if you account for the smaller space. The smaller baskets mean you should only put enough slices to fit the rack. If you stack pieces on each other, you risk uneven cooking and unsafe bacon.
3. Turn on the Skillet
Cooking bacon the old-fashioned way means frying it. This method makes excellent bacon in a cast-iron skillet or a regular pan. Turn on the stove to a low heat, or you risk burning the meat. Additionally, it helps to take the bacon from the fridge shortly before.
Most recipes require preheating the skillet before dropping meat in it. However, bacon doesn’t follow the rules because you should let it heat with the pan as you turn on the stovetop. Let it render in its fat to create the flavors you know and love.
4. Add Sugar and Spice
You could argue bacon is perfect by itself, and no other flavors are necessary. However, sugar and spices add variety to life and incredible flavors. Perhaps try incorporating brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup for a sweet remix. Savory spices could include chili powder or dried chiles.
Adding extra ingredients to bacon is relatively easy, though you should monitor them while cooking. Brown sugar bacon requires sprinkling the substance on top of the meat before baking. While you can put it on the skillet, it’s more manageable and less messy in the oven.
5. Cook the Bacon Thoroughly
Bacon slices are thin, so they don’t take long to cook. However, you still want to cook it thoroughly and ensure it’s safe. Otherwise, you risk illnesses like trichinosis. Experts say this disease comes from undercooked pork products because of roundworms called Trichinella.
You shouldn’t see any whiteness on the meat, as it should turn red and brown. Check the texture because it must be firm instead of soft. Compare it to bacon from White Castle or your favorite breakfast place and how it would taste there.
6. Pick a Tasty Cut
Your cooking methods could be spot on, but the bacon cut could compromise your breakfast. Some brands undercut quality to lower prices and leave you wondering why the bacon shrunk in the pan. Slices high in fat typically shrink more because they lose more moisture.
Instead, consider higher-quality products like center-cut bacon. It’s similar to regular bacon but has less fat, so the meat has less shrinkage in the pan. If you want the healthiest version, consider short-cut bacon because it’s a lean cut of pork.
7. Store It Properly
Once you cook bacon and make the perfect breakfast, it’s time to put away the leftovers. Keep the meat because you can reheat it for lunch or breakfast the next day. When you put it in the fridge, follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture for food safety guidelines.
It says bacon cooked at home should last four to five days in the refrigerator and one month in the freezer. If you have dry-cured bacon, the slices should last 10 days in the pantry or four weeks in the fridge.
8. Adjust for Bacon Alternatives
When you buy bacon from the grocery store, you probably get pork products. However, companies produce alternative bacon types to let everyone enjoy. Some popular substitutes include turkey, beef, and vegan strips. With these cuts, you may need to cook differently.
The primary difference between standard bacon and the alternatives is the fat content. For example, turkey bacon has less fat, so cooking it in the oven or frying pan might take less time. You may also notice a texture difference, although it tastes just as good.
Getting Perfect Bacon on the First Try
Cooking bacon can appear complicated if you don’t do it often. Thankfully, there are ways to make it easier.
The oven may be your best option if you don’t want to make a mess. However, using a skillet fills your house with the smell of perfect bacon. Adjust the meat to your texture preferences while ensuring a safe internal temperature.