How to cook bacon (2024)

What are the different types of bacon?

Bacon is a cured pork product that comes in both smoked and unsmoked versions.

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Streaky bacon has a higher fat content and is thinner in shape, while back bacon is leaner. Both versions cook quickly and can be chopped and added to dishes, or eaten for breakfast, stuffed into a sandwich or piled onto pancakes. Follow our guide for different cooking methods and top tips.

Try our best ever bacon recipes for mouthwatering breakfast spreads, salads and satisfying lunches. Plus, make sure your kitchen kit is up to scratch with our review of the best non-stick frying pans.

How to cook bacon in a frying pan

Put 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook for 2-4 mins on each side, depending on how crispy you like it.

How to dry fry bacon

Put the bacon in a non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat. When the fat starts to run out from the bacon, increase the heat and cook for 1-3 mins on each side, depending on how crispy you like it.

How to grill bacon

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Line a baking sheet with foil and add the bacon.
Grill for 2-4 mins on each side, depending on how crispy you like it.

How to cook bacon in the oven

Cooking bacon in the oven takes a little longer than frying or grilling, but it’s a lot more hands-off and gives great results. There are a few ways to go about it..

Simply baked

To bake bacon on a tray in the oven:

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly oil a non-stick tray then lay the bacon over (streaky or back) in a single layer.
Bake for 10-15 mins, using tongs to flip the bacon halfway, until cooked and the fat is crisp around the edges.

Cooked on a rack

If you have an ovenproof rack then this can be used to cook bacon evenly in the oven and allows the fat to drip off making it a slightly healthier method.

How to get bacon really crispy in the oven

To achieve super-crispy bacon, opt for the streaky kind. It can be used in salads, crumbled over macaroni cheese or sprinkled on soups. Try our best ever crispy bacon recipe.

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a non-stick baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Lay the streaky bacon out in single layer, top with another sheet of greaseproof, then top with a second baking sheet, then a heavy casserole dish or ovenproof frying pan to weigh it down.
Bake for 15-20 mins, or until very crispy. Can be kept in a plastic container with a lid for two days.

How to cook bacon in an air-fryer

Air-fryers are a great gadget for using to cook crispy bacon.

Heat the air-fryer to 180C and lay the bacon rashers in a single layer in the basket.
Cook 8-10 mins, turning once if needed until cooked and crisp around the edges.

Top 5 bacon recipes to try

1. Egg-in-the-hole bacon sandwich

Give a classic breakfast sandwich a twist with our egg-in-the-hole bacon sandwich. Slice to enjoy the runny yolk, and use smoked streaky bacon for a savoury, crispy base. Sourdough bread makes this extra satisfying, and the perfect indulgent weekend breakfast.

2. Spinach, bacon & roquefort tart

Whip up our spinach, bacon & roquefort tart using just six ingredients. Transform a humble sheet of shop-bought puff pastry with creamed spinach, sweet cherry tomatoes, cheese and streaky bacon. If you're entertaining at short notice or need a no-fuss lunch for a crowd, look no further.

3. Leek & butter bean soup with crispy kale & bacon

Our leek & butter bean soup with crispy kale & bacon is a favourite winter warmer. The butter beans make this soup creamy and silky smooth, and also help to thicken the base. It's a simple, healthy recipe that's sure to please the whole family. The toasted hazelnuts, crispy kale and salty bacon add an extra punch of flavour and texture.

4. Best ever fluffy American pancakes with cherry-berry syrup

Need a simple but stunning brunch dish? Stack up our fluffy American pancakes with cherry-berry syrup with rashers of crispy bacon. The combination of the tangy cherry syrup and salty-but-sweet maple bacon is simply irresistible. Spread on a layer of creamy mascarpone and tart fruit between each pancake.

5. Posh BLT

Add some oomph to the classic with our posh BLT. It's made with homemade maple bacon, sundried tomato paste and fresh sourdough bread to upgrade the go-to sandwich.

Enjoyed these recipes? Try our other breakfast dishes

Vegan family breakfast menu
Easy, healthy breakfast ideas
Our most indulgent pancake recipes
How to make overnight oats

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What's your favourite way to eat bacon? Leave a comment below...

FAQs

What is the best way to cook bacon? ›

Always cook bacon on foil or parchment paper at 400°F. Cook regular sliced bacon for 14 minutes; thick-cut bacon for 18 minutes. If you cook less than a full sheet of bacon, check after 12 minutes. For extra-crispy bacon, bake it on top of a metal cooling rack set over the baking sheet.

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How do you cook bacon in a pan? ›

How to cook bacon in a frying pan. Put 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook for 2-4 mins on each side, depending on how crispy you like it.

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Is it better to cook bacon in the oven or on the stove? ›

Cooking bacon in the oven gives you perfectly crispy slices without any flipping or fussing, and the cleanup is superspeedy. It's also the best way to make bacon for a crowd. You can cook the bacon directly on aluminum foil-lined baking sheets or on a wire rack set on top of the baking sheets.

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Should you cook bacon in butter or oil? ›

Cooking Bacon on the Stove

Lay the bacon strips in the cold skillet, then place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. You don't need to add any oil because the fat will render and help the bacon release from the pan as it cooks. Pan-fry the bacon until the strips are crisp and deeply brown, flipping as needed.

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What is the secret to perfect bacon? ›

Tried and true, this is the way I learned to cook bacon: Lay the strips in a cold skillet, place over medium-low to medium heat, flip and fry until you reach your desired doneness and then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

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What not to do when cooking bacon? ›

Crowding the Pan

"Crowding a pan with bacon slices can cause them to steam instead of crisp, resulting in uneven cooking." If you need to prepare a large amount of bacon on the stovetop, Lonsdale advises cooking it in batches for evenly cooked and crispy slices.

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Is it better to bake bacon at 350 or 400? ›

Bacon should be cooked at 400°F.

Medium-thick bacon slices will need 18 to 20 minutes to reach the perfect level of crispiness. But check the bacon at 10 minutes, and adjust your cooking time to your preferred degree of doneness.

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Should bacon be flipped in the oven? ›

Step away for a minute to slice a tomato for a BLT and your bacon could throw a toddler-level tantrum. But oven-cooked bacon allows you to live your life for 18 minutes or so while the pork does its thing. You don't have to flip it, press it, or shield your kitchen from grease.

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How to tell when bacon is done? ›

The easiest way to tell is by the color of the pork. Just like with many other types of meat, uncooked bacon will be light pink with white strips of fat. When it's ready to eat, those rosy hues will have darkened to a reddish-brown color, and the fat will morph into a tan or golden shade.

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Is it better to cook bacon on low or high heat? ›

On the stove

First, resist the urge to cook bacon over high heat. Bacon will take a few minutes longer to crisp up when cooked over medium, but the less intense heat allows for more fat to render from the bacon, so it cooks more evenly and crisps up better.

Is bacon better in microwave or oven? ›

You can cook a few slices in a skillet or the microwave, but when cooking a big batch, the oven is the surefire way to go. This method is almost entirely hands-off and results in perfectly crispy, chewy, evenly-cooked bacon.

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Why is cooking bacon in water better? ›

Why Does Cooking Bacon in Water Work? The addition of water keeps the initial cooking temperature low and gentle, so the meat retains its moisture and stays tender as the fat renders. Plus, since the water helps render the fat, there will be significantly less splatter as your bacon finishes in the pan.

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How to make the best tasting bacon? ›

Brush uncooked bacon slices with a slurry of balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey, place them on a rimmed, foil-lined tray in a 400°F oven, check every five minutes or two to see how things are faring, flip and baste as needed, and when the bacon is cooked and the glazed thickened, cool the bacon on ...

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