Nothing is better than starting the day with a hearty bacon sandwich as a breakfast treat, but most of us do not want to deal with the messy clean-up of scrubbing an oily pan.
However, Chef Billy Parisi, a cooking expert with over 25 years of experience, has shared that the best way to make bacon “delicious and crispy” is by ditching the frying pan and using an oven instead.
Chef 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 may sound obvious, but baking it rather than frying is not only easy but it actually makes the bacon much tastier as it improves both the taste and texture.
When bacon is cooked in a frying pan the fat tends to cook much more quickly than the pink meat, which results in the edges becoming charred and overcooked while the middle can become too chewy because it is undercooked.
However, cooking in the oven means that the bacon is cooked evenly at the same time, so it is crispy without curling up, which often happens with frying.
Both the fat and natural sugars also cook more slowly in the oven which causes the bacon to caramelise, which results in a much richer, sweeter and savoury flavour than you would get with the frying pan.
How to cook bacon in the oven
What equipment do you need?
Before you begin, you will need a baking sheet, paper towels and baking paper, which not only catches any cooking grease but helps crisp up the bacon.
When bacon cooks, the fat renders and melts away, but baking paper allows the fat to pool underneath the bacon while also keeping the bacon elevated, which allows it to become crispy without making it soggy.
Chef Billy said: “[Baking paper] will assist in the browning of the bacon as well as with the amount of time it takes to brown.”
Instructions
All you need to do is line a baking tray with baking paper, then place the bacon strips on top, making sure the strips are apart and not touching.
Then place the baking tray directly in the middle rack of the oven and cook at either 190C or 200C.
According to Chef Billy, these are the best temperatures for oven-baked bacon as it will make it crispy.
If your oven is on 190C then cook the bacon for 22 to 25 minutes or if it is on 200C then cook the bacon for 18 to 22 minutes.
Once the bacon is ready, take out the oven and place each piece of bacon on a paper towel to soak up the grease.
Chef Billy said: “Son’t let the bacon sit in its own rendered fat as it will become soggy. Immediately remove it from pan and place it on paper towels to drain.”
Your perfectly cooked bacon will then be ready to consume, either on a buttery bacon roll or as part of a big English breakfast.
