The Best Bacon You'll Ever Make (And Every Method to Avoid) | Epicurious 101 

Chef Frank has tips on how to carve a whole roast chicken, too! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-owUitkVtubk.html

I noticed how Frank never elaborated where he got the bacon. Obviously it's his own home grown pig that he prepared just 2 hours before the video.

I agree with Frank. Never cook bacon on a rack. Trying to clean those things with tiny pieces of bacon stuck to all the joints is a nightmare. Takes longer to clean it then it does to cook the bacon in the first place.

I personally feel like one really important trick for good bacon, is to start with low heat. A lot of people who know how to cook normal meat like steaks, know you must normally preheat the pan really hot so you sear the surface and don't let the juices escape. But this ruins bacon in my opinion. It makes the fat part rubbery. It sort of hardens the fat from my experience. What I personally do, is start with really low heat to start melting the fat. And I gradually raise the heat so it gets a nice crispy finish. And because the cut is sooo tender and fatty, it won't be affected by starting the cooking on low heat. Any time I cook bacon like this, the fat is really soft and really just melts in your mouth when you eat it. I especially recommend this method if you use bacon for cooking other things. Like bacon in pasta, I start by cooking bacon like this, then I fry mushrooms in the melted bacon fat, add some seasoning like plenty of black pepper and herbs. I add cream and some good cheese in, and finally mix the thick creamy fatty sauce to my pasta.

Your bacon in the microwave really blows my mind, I wouldn’t expect such a good result, a couples of minutes later you show exactly what I was expecting at first lol

big LIke for Frank trying the mystery bacon juice. That really made me appreciate watching this video. The immediate switch from "can't pay me to eat that" to "Damn, that's good. Make a salad dressing out of it" is a quick change of opinion and a demonstration of open-mindedness. Thank you for including that.

After a lifetime of eating pan-fried bacon that's overdone in the middle of each slice and still flabby at the ends, I cut a package in half and tried frying shorter strips. Everything is fine now. I'll stick with that.

My favorite way is using the oven. But there is a method I like when I pan fry without adding additional oil. You start by adding water to the pan and cook the bacon in that to render the fat, once the water dissolves you'll have enough fat to crisp the bacon.

Tried the oven method with the baking sheet today, and I was blown away. From now on this is the ONLY way for me. Thanks so much, chef!

I always start with a cold cast iron, and let the fat render out as it begins to cook as recommended by a chef. Nice to see another chef with the opposite point of view.

I was taught by culinary god Alton Brown that the oven was the superior method of cooking bacon, but my mind is blown by the evolution of this method with the parchment paper, maximizing bacon potential while minimizing clean up to merely one sheet pan. Frank is truly on another level.

The ROLLING. GENIUS. I'm doing this forever now. Simple, practical, real. My goodness.

I have to say I'm quite surprised you were so positive about the microwave method. I wasn't expecting that, though I understand. When I was a kid we had this microwave bacon tray we always used that worked great, and it retained the grease like cooking in a pan does.

"bacon, gateway drug into meat" -Frank 2022

A friend of mine told me she made her bacon in an air fryer. I thought “no way it could be any good”. She made me some, it was delicious. Now I make all my bacon in the air fryer.

Electric griddle is probably my fave method. I've had one for years. They're nice because you can fit a good amount of slices on them, even heating, and they have a hole where the grease drains into a tray, so you get a bit less fat and cleanup is pretty easy. Kind of a big appliance though, but if you make pancakes then you probably have one.

Love love LOVE Frank’s videos. I can’t cook to save my life. But he has ways to explain things so that cooking makes sense, and the outcomes are successful. Really appreciate it

A few times now I've cooked bacon on a rack over a cake pan with halved brussels sprouts (and some salt and oil) in the oven, so that the bacon fat drips onto the sprouts while they roast. The bacon finishes first so I pulled it when appropriate and allowed the sprouts to continue roasting. This was quite tasty.

That's why I love Frank, always open to new ideas like using the microwave and trying that bacon juice.

I'm all about the microwave paper towel method, because I love as crispy as it can get. Like the shattering crispy

The way my mom does it is to grab a skewer and skewer the bacon onto it like an accordion so that it sits kind of wavy on the skewer. And then you cook it on a pan or griddle and the bacon comes out with crispy bits and chewy bits and it's my favorite way of doing it. Also works great for sandwiches because the bacon isn't as long so it fits perfectly within the bread without sticking out

Frank seems to be one of the most relatable chefs on your channel. Great communicator and very down to earth. I hope he is the same person off camera. Great video guys!

Here faster than the "Frank doing everything from scratch" comments

add water to a cold pan with the bacon and turn it on medium heat. It works like a charm everytime. Adding water seemed weird to me, at first. But now it is the only way I cook bacon. That or in the oven on a rack!

Thank you for the clear and concise options + assessments AND for the humor. I needed that!

I learned about baking bacon in the oven from Binging with Babish, and I've never once gone back to frying it in a pan. The oven method is hands-down the *best* method for cooking bacon!

Chef Frank! That "Bacon is a gateway drug into meats" was HYSTERICAL! I laughed so hard, it was amazing (just like bacon). Thank you for that.

Thank you. I have been at a loss for many years regarding bacon. This video clarified everything.

I have cooked bacon many different ways over the decades, but my cast iron pans are my faves. Fringe benefit is that helps keep the pans seasoned. Something I discovered, is that if I split the bacon ends, it helps reduce curl. I cook the entire package as i will eat half of it as i cook.. Excellent video!

My parents always used a rack in the oven to cook bacon, and I never understood why it didn't taste as good as when I pan fried it. Now that you say the fat drips away and is dry, it makes sense. I'll 100% use the baking method next time WITHOUT a rack. Thanks!

Baking on parchment is how my father-in-law taught me to do it (I was previously a pan guy). He learned from the cooks at the Ritz-Carlton where he worked. Highly recommend if you haven’t yet.

This was an awesome video This guy has a personality that keeps you glued to the video. Not too much, not too little. Great job

BRILLIANT! I never thought of the last 2 ways to do it. Thanks - much appreciated…

This channel taught me almost everything about cooking and food preparation. I can't believe that a year later, my meals are no longer shades of monochrome.

At my household, we actually cut the strips of bacon in half, usually just by cutting the whole pack of bacon in half when we're processing it after getting it home. We then take it and put it into quart-sized ziplock bags (usually 3/8 to 1/2 a pound to each bag) and then we take it and freeze it in our deep freeze to portion out for day-to-day use. The smaller pieces of bacon are just easier to manage. But yeah, we cook them in the pan, because it is just kind of satisfying to do while you're still waking up in the morning. We do _also_ save our bacon fat in a pyrex bowl with a sealable lid that we just keep on the counter. We then will utilize that fat in cooking (eggs, for example). I've even taken to using it in my bread baking (for a dough that uses 1 kg of flour, I'll usually pop about 2 tsp of bacon fat into the stand mixer after it has had some time for gluten development). It really does a great job giving the bread... just that little bit of extra character and flavor. We do still end up throwing away a good bit of bacon fat... but that's mainly because our "production" of that outstrips our usage of it XD Oh! And one nice thing about the pyrex bowl is that I'm able to just pop it in the microwave for a minute and a half to two minutes to completely melt the fat in the bowl, which allows the sediment to settle out to the bottom, leaving clearer fat toward the top, where we're pulling from.

This is awesome!! I love being entertained and educated at the same time! Frank you are great!

I always bake my bacon and it is very easy and always give the best results, very nice and consistent. I have heard of another method which is adding a little water in the frying pan. I have never tried it myself but I have heard that it makes the bacons more tender.

I always used tinfoil in oven bacon, a complete cover of the sheet means the sheet stays clean and you can just get rid of the foil after cooking

Thank you for this, Chef! I have just started getting into cooking at home for myself. I had only tried pan frying and was 100% guilty of overstretching the bacon. You've given me the confidence to try oven baking the bacon; that result you showed looked amazing!

I have oven broiled my bacon. It’s hover intensive but delicious. You have opened up a baking option I didn’t know. ❤thank you. Cooking bake bacon today. 🎉

Well this is not the Skyrim compilation I was expecting..

The rolling tip is honestly so obvious but so helpful. I would've never done it unless I saw it myself. Thank you!

Best investment I’ve ever used, when cooking bacon, is a splatter guard. No grease popping up, no oil on your stovetop, and depending on the type of splatter guard you use, a good way to get some convection cooking in the pan without steaming.

Best advice ever. Loved the trick of rolling up bacon the baking in the oven!

Awesome guy and video, thanks Epicurious!

so i just have to say, as a canadian who moved to the usa, i never knew what that stuff you call canadian bacon is, i can assure you, i have never seen it in canada,and we have .. well, canadian bacon, the regular bacon stuff you know

I have always pan fried bacon but I just bought some parchment paper so I can give baking it a try. Wish me luck, I test it out tomorrow morning.

Me, a Muslim who will never eat bacon: mmm hmm, yeah, sensational

Frank, you're looking slimmed down! Congrats and thank you for the tips as always

I’ve recently been cooking bacon in my air fryer. It doesn’t cook super evenly, but I kinda like that in my bacon because you get to enjoy some crispier bits and some chewier bits. It also only takes about 5 minutes.

I agree - baking the whole pack is the way to go. When I only want a couple of slices, I cook it in my great-grandmother’s SQUARE cast iron skillet. They fit perfectly.

Thanks for helping me out. At age 28 I'm finally learning how to cook instead of ordering maccas. Your video helped me learn the basic. Didn't even knew you could throw bacon in an oven.

YESSSS I came to learn, but apparently I was already on the right track with cooking in the oven! I got into cooking in the oven in the last couple of years and haven't gone back. The little tip I picked up here was using the parchment paper, which I do have and have probably used with bacon before but had forgotten about it. Was thinking about getting a rack, but exactly, it's just one more thing to clean. I'm not sure that with my oven (gas) 350 for 15 min may not be enough. I've found 365 for ~24 min (easy to remember too) is what it takes to get it cooked enough albeit without parchment paper.

I love the tips frank, but I would argue that if put your initial round of bacon in a cold pan... then turn to medium heat.. by the time the pan is warmed you'll have plenty of grease from the bacon itself

You are actually a fun guy to watch! Informative, too! Thank you for the bacon tutorial! I LOVE BACON!!!!!

Thank you my friend I definitely needed this 😭

thanks bro love you got my first bacon sanwitch good stuff keep it up man! subscribed and liked thans again.

“Roll it. Don’t yank or pull so you get nice even slices & then we just go right into the pan.” I’m glad to learn this trick. I don’t know what happens with mine. After I carefully peel a slice I just usually sling it out the back door

I've cooked three layers of bacon in the microwave with paper towels in between each layer and it turned out great. Oven produces the tastiest but it is also the most time-consuming.

Thank you Chef Proto. You have made me a better cook much appreciated.

Protect this man at all costs. Legend!

I actually like my bacon both chewy and crunchy for different reasons. I want chewy bacon when I'm eating it straight. I want crunchy bacon when it is on a sandwich. Nothing worse than pulling all the bacon out of the sandwich on the first bite.

~Thank you for the bacon tutorial. I def. do it in the oven over 5-6 pcs.~ Just a little rant.... 🇨🇦 I'm REALLY tired of 'Canadian' bacon shown as this ridiculous round, thin piece of ham-like 'thing'. NO ONE in Canada calls that bacon. We have bacon (the same as what most ppl call it & we have peameal) Peameal bacon - similar to British bacon, but ours is brined and rolled in cornmeal. It's much meatier. *_Those round discs of sadness - that hamy-type product that Americans call Canadian bacon is NOT ours_* 🇨🇦 _It's just HAM_

Loved the twist at the end.

The only very considerable down-side to OVEN-FRYING bacon is that - contrary to what's being said here - is that it DOES splatter in the oven, coating the inside walls with a very difficult to clean layer of burnt-on bacon fat... that takes (literally!) an our of hard work to clean out. Cleanup after pan-frying bacon is so quick and easy that it completely outshines any of the supposed "advantages" of oven-frying... period! Mike D.

I used to use an oven rack on a sheet pan but a few years ago switched to parchment paper and yes it makes the best bacon ever! I do use aluminum foil underneath the parchment so I don't have to clean the sheet pan. Especially good if you make a sticky/candied bacon with brown sugar or maple syrup, it won't stick to the parchment.

Can confirm on the microwave. I work in fast food and it’s saved our bacon a couple times (pun intended) when we run out on accident.

Many thanks for the tips ! Master chef ! 👨‍🍳

Baking bacon is definitely my fav method too! Easy, it's not very messy at all, and it's really easy to manage the crispiness of the strips

I always use my Ninja Foodie Grill to cook my bacon. Enclosed, no mess outside the machine to clean, comes out perfectly crispy every time with very little cleanup.

That was educational & hilarious 😂, thx 😊

I throw a whole package in and move it around , the grease gets nice and high and cooks the bacon so good , I've tried all methods (including the cooking only 5 pieces at a time on frying pan) and this is the best result for me, to move it around while cooking you treat it like you were tossing a salad

Wow never tried the microwave until I saw this and it worked great, saves clean up and easy when doing breakfast for one

What about the 'cooking bacon in water' method by America's Test Kitchen. Also using frying pan, but you put just enough water to cover the bacon and cook until the water evaporates. The water renders more fat out of the bacon and makes it crispy. The water also reduces splatter as the temperature is lowered by the evaporation of water.

I remember when my parents went to the states for vacation in their newly built house in Cape Coral, FL . They brought two things for us children from walmart. For each of us a cereal bowl with a built in straw for the milk (now I know they're called "sip a bowl" and a device for cooking bacon in the microwave. Both of the devices are still in use over 27 years later. Now im living in the US and always my friends ask me how cool those gadgets from Germany are. When I tell them they're from Walmart in the US they don't believe me.

I love that stuff when it shatters ☺️ I like it evenly brown

I've been trying microwaving bacon just recently and was surprised with how good it comes out once you find the right time. It came out crisp and flat (not all curled up and weird like the pan frying method). It also is the fastest method by far. I'm sold!

When Frank said "I'm lazy" I just think back to all of the times he has brought in his homemade items whether it be food or his wooden spoon

Always pan fried myself, but my mother in law cooks in oven... both are fantastic!

love u franky i did the oven one and it took my oven 45 mins but it was perfect

I used to deep fry bacon, when I was cooking a lot of it for sandwiches for the family. The bacon does curl more that way but it cooks evenly and quickly. With the deep fryer, it had a top on it so no popping and you should taste fries that are cooked in the oil after bacon!

As a stoner I've always used the 420 baking method: thick center cut bacon in a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, baked at 400 for 20 minutes (hence 420). I like to use a baking sheet because it collects the rendered fat and is easy to pour into a Mason jar with a coffee filter secured over the mouth with a rubber band. You're left with perfectly cooked bacon, and beautiful, clean, amber colored bacon grease to use in other cooking applications.

Saw a guy the other day, pan frying bacon.he started it off by a small amount of water, then allowed it to go straight to frying. Looked pretty amazing. Haven't tried that method yet.

About a year ago I started using my Air-Fryer for bacon. Thick sliced, smoked bacon. 6 slices, 15mins at 350 non-pre-heated. Perfection.

Everybody I know has judged me my entire life for throwing bacon in the microwave verse pan frying. I'm so glad to hear an actual chef go "Hey, it's okay to do it. It's not THAT bad."

So simple & so helpful. I love traditional thick cut bacon. I will definitely try the baking in the oven method now. Brilliant!

If your not too concearned about perfect uniform slices that are all exactly the same, buy the bits and peices in the vacuum packed block. They are nearly half the price of standard sliced bacon. What I do is arrange the pieces pressed into a loose pattie on a cold basic George Forman grill and plug it in. The excess fat drips into the tray and in about 11 minutes you have a really delicious chunk of bacon. Afterwards pour the drip tray into a jar and refridgerate for lard to be used for other things and after cooling wipe down the George Forman grill with a paper towel. I have done this for many years and is my favorite method.

This is my first view of French channel and it’s very interesting I tend to use my weber barbecue with indirect coals to cook bacon. Therefore all of the grease and the mess is outside and it cooks a large amount of bacon reasonably quick.

For pan frying, I suggest you start in a cold pan. You can lay the bacon flat, and let it come up gently. No need for extra lubrication; the fat starts to render before bacon strip curls. For baking, up to 5 slices fits nicely in your toaster/oven.

As a person living alone, I often cook my bacon in the microwave except I use a paper plate so the cooking time is lower. 3 to 4 regular cut slices are usually done in 2:30 to 2:45 minutes. His were in WAY too long.

For the microwave, the bacon hanger cookers without the cup around it work much better. The brand "mak'n bacon" or similar ones to that are what you want to use.

Thank you the bacon turned out delicious baking it. Very easy

Baking it in the oven on baking paper. No splatter mess. Easy to do, and works great! It’s the only way I do it anymore. You can also cook heaps at one time and don’t have to babysit it. You can cook it to your desired doneness. I can’t ever cook just 1 pan or 4-5 pieces of bacon, because I need that many just for tasting my bacon to make sure it’s not poisonous. I’m bravely being the bacon taster to the queen (my wife/ IE the boss) to keep her safe.

When he said that the bacon would taste like crayons I was hoping he would say "And that is only reserved for my Titan mains".

Bored so had too check if better fried or grill 🥓 thanks for this in-depth video

Forgot that when I worked at the school of mines the training was through epicurian. Awesome training. We did the baking sheet method. I ate real well at that job.

I remembered doing the frying pan method all the time until one of my friends came over to make dinner for all of us and she baked her bacon, ever since then, I’ve baked my bacon and haven’t looked back 😊

Pro tip: make sure to not over heat the pan. This will cause bacon to curl up. Cook over medium heat, turn it a couple times so each side cooks evenly. You’ll get nice, evenly cooked bacon. Not pieces with burnt and chewy parts.

Chef Jacques Pépin recommends cooking bacon on a rack in the microwave, I have to say it’s the best, both in quality and in time/cleanliness 👍

Been a bacon freak/lover all my life.......... Been cookin my own for over 50 years easily.... The best and fool proof way to make perfect bacon EVERY time, and I ALWAYS do a pound pack at a time.... For those who think cooking bacon a pound at a time is too much? Bacon stores very, very well (at my house a pound might last into a 2nd day) in the fridge...