There is nothing better than a bacon sandwich on the weekend, and it turns out there is an easier way to get perfectly crispy bacon.
Kristyn Merkley, a cookbook author and founder of Lil Luna has shared that the better way to cook bacon is not to use a frying pan but rather the oven.
She said: “Cooking bacon on the stove is SO messy. The bacon grease gets everywhere – on the counters, on the floor, and you! Skip this all together by baking the bacon in the oven.
“Cooking this oven bacon recipe also frees up space on the stove. This is great when you’re cooking a big breakfast and need room to make pancakes, eggs, and sausage. Just put it in the oven, set the timer, and forget about it until it’s done cooking.”
Oven-baked bacon tends to get a better crisp in the oven as it allows more air and heat to circulate around each strip, which results in the bacon cooking more evenly.
Plus, each strip lies flat on the baking tray which results in more evenly and crispier bacon without it curling like it would in the pan.
All you have to do is preheat the oven to 200C and line a rimmed baking tray with tin foil, which will make it easier to clean up.
Then lay out the bacon and bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until it cooked to your preferred level of crispiness.
Kristyn said: “It will cook perfectly on both sides, no need to flip it! Oven bacon is quick, simple, and so crispy! I also love the easy cleanup.
She added: “Thick or thin. Depending on the cut, the cooking time may need to be adjusted. Keep an eye on it every few minutes toward the end.”
The same crispy bacon can also be achieved in an air dryer. All you have to do is set an air fryer to 180C to cook for seven to nine minutes for regular-cut bacon or nine to 12 minutes for thicker-cut bacon.
Kristyn said: “Air fryer bacon is another way to keep a splatter-free kitchen, though these will not be big batches.”
Baking bacon instead of frying it also makes it easier to add spices to it if you desire and experimenting can also add more flavour.
Kristyn added: “Some good bacon flavours are black pepper, sriracha, honey, maple syrup, garlic, chilli powder, and brown sugar.”
However, no matter how you enjoy eating your bacon, this simple cooking trick will help you get crispier and more flavourful bacon while also making it easier to clean up, so you can spend more time enjoying your weekend breakfast.
