Why do I keep adding water to cook my bacon? 

I started doing this and it changed my life. My kids love breakfast again, they finally respect me and my wife came back. Thanks Andy

It's obviously for bacon flavored water.

I love that the closed captions took the bacon sizzle as applause.

I’ve been doing this for years, but recently with thick cut bacon i found a way to simplify it. I use a skillet with a glass lid. The enclosed environment causes the fat to render quicker. Once you see foaming on top of the bacon it’s time to uncover and flip. I then cover and wait for foam on the second side. Uncover it and flip it back and forth until done to your liking. Another plus for this method is there’s less spatter!

With the water in the pan, the surrounding environment of the bacon can't get above 100C/212F because at that point...the water evaporates. This means that the bacon is able to warm gently allowing the fat to render out without it actually browning too fast or potentially burning because in a dry pan, your pan would be quite a bit hotter than this. Eventually all of the water evaporates, the pan can now get to hotter than 100C/212F and a good amount of the fat of the bacon has rendered out and you're now frying the bacon in its own fat. So you're basically either starting the bacon in a dry pan, "cold" with none of the fat rendered out and in direct contact with higher heat....or....you get to kind of cheat the process a little bit and when the water is all gone....you gently pushed the bacon further along in the process and you can fry it quickly Making a caramel with water in the pan works pretty similarly. It's kind of a nice safeguard.

I used the water method on American thick cut bacon and it worked like a champ! In addition to cooking more evenly it even has a better tendency to lay flat rather than curl up!

Am I the only person that's never once had any problems getting my bacon crispy? For me this is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Yep, this is how I prep my bacon whether its in full strips for breakfast or BLTs, or diced and made ready for a pasta sauce...its a great way to get the bacon into a place where it can be used without being overcooked and too crispy, or undercooked and too chewy. Nice presentation Andy! Nice to find your channel!

Thanks! Another method is to use no water, but cooking on lower temp, turning it around just as often. Same result.

After seeing your videos, I started putting water in the pan to prepare the bacons and I never got them wrong anymore! Thanks Andy for this valuable tip.

Inspired by you, my 10 yr old lad cooked my wife and I ‘Flynn’s Bacon & Egg Brunch Barm’ with bacon cooked “the Andy way”. Cheers mate loving your work inspiring a new generation of chefs. He also walks round the house saying “hey babe! What do want for dinner?”

I’ve done this ever since I saw it in one of your videos! Works so well with streaky bacon 😋

I literally just tried this method for dinner and it works super well, the bacon was perfectly crispy and delicious. I definitely recommend trying it! Great tip Andy, cheers from Germany

I Googled " cooking bacon with water " yesterday & watched a couple of videos .. N today I just happen to see a video by my favorite Chef on this subject... Thank you Chef .. You explain everything so well .. U R a Great Teacher as Well as a Great Chef ⚘

Got that from one of your previous videos. I tend to use a bit more water and medium heat, so the colagen gets in the play. I like it a little chewy, so I don't get them all that crisp, but they end up with a nice crust.

Ethan's chart / explanation is great, the water holds the temp in the range that turns collagen to gelatin for longer so it gets crispy while retaining !moisture

I started doing it because of one if your old videos!! it works like a charm every time for a few slices of bacon when I don’t feel like waiting for the oven

Just tried this with really lean middle bacon. I added a bit of lard as recommended with leaner bacon, it wasn't quite as crisp as in the video, but the flavour was fantastic. Brilliant.

I've seen this trick before but I have never been able to master it. Thank you for going through it step by step now I know where I was going wrong. Love these videos keep up the good work.

Thank you!!! My husband is a bacon addict, so I can't wait to try this method! We were both so terrible at cooking that during the pandemic, we spent three years eating takeout from the only couple of restaurants we both liked, which got very boring! I started watching videos about cooking, then found great folks cooking online, like you!! You are a particular favorite, because you're inspiring, humorous and expert, and now we both take turns terrorizing the kitchen, learning as we go! I'm going to try the bacon in water tommorow, can't wait! Another plus is that from learning to eat well made, fresh foods, we both lost a LOT of weight, no more mindless munching! I am 61 and my husband is five or ten years younger, so if we could get into shape and become decent cooks, anyone can! Stay healthy and happy, and thank you again for showing the celebration cooking for loved ones can be!

Top tip 🙌🏽 Thank you for the detailed walk through. I’m going to try this out asap 🥓

I always made my bacon the way my mother used to: in the oven with a perforated baking tray so that the bacon fat could fall into the tray. But I've just tried your method and it's brilliant. I've never made crispy bacon so well. Thank you for this technique and for your videos.

I add water to everything now. Boiled beans, all my pasta preparations, boiled eggs, etc. It makes a significant difference.

Hi Andy! Thanks for this wonderful tip!! I really wanna know more about that wok burner stove you have outside of your house that you use for some of your Asian dishes! maybe a Kitchen tour one of these days! :)

Hey Andy, any chance you could make a video talking about fry pans? Use / care / preferences / cleaning / types etc? I have a cast iron fry pan, and I have tried to season it repeatedly, but my eggs always stick! I would be interested to hear what you say. Thanks!

The difference maker is whether the bacon has been injected with water or not by the producer. It's common in the EU to inject bacon with 3-9% salt water in order to increase the weight (and thus affecting the per pound price). With water in the muscle fibers the bacon wont crisp up like the way it should. As far as i can tell this method only lead to additional pops & splashing when the water tries to escape the rendered fat. Just look at the package for additives.

Tried this today, it actually works! Thank you for the tip.

Tried this ever since I saw Chef do this. It actually works really well and I kind of prefer it even though big batches take a long time lol

Good method, but I prefer using an oven putting the bacon into a cold oven while it preheats. Does a similar render and limits splatter and mess. To each their own.

My preferred method is to bake on a cooking sheet cover in parchment. So easy, and you can continue to prepare other items as the bacon cooked. To clean up there is no oil splatter like cooking in the stove 0:28 .

Good advice. When I cook bacon for large amounts I do the oven method. Works well. Use a sheet pan.

Great videos, Andy! I would request a great and simple CREPES as you like!

I saw you do this once a long time ago, learned why and been doing it ever since. You’re the ultimate pro Andy - thanks from 🇨🇦

Other option: roast at low temp in oven, then broil at the end. Flip occasionally. Takes a little longer but works especially well when you need to cook a lot of bacon at once. Like two sheet pans full of bacon. I also use a wire rack to keep it above the fat, but YMMV.

This is a GNARLY trick dude, thanks a lot!

I have wondered this on every single video... THANK YOU so much. PS... nobody in the comments of those videos seemed to know either and it was actually quite funny seeing so many people ask what the heck watering the bacon does lol

I only recently discovered how little bacon is locally sourced. Was rather surprised. I bought an aussie one and it turned out to be the best tasting bacon that I've had.

I cook my bacon and sausages in the oven. Bacon gets crispy and sausages have a nice snap to the skin.

I now wear glasses whenever cooking bacon.

I always wonder why Andy kept putting water on the bacon 🥓

You can also use this method in an oven cook, it does add significantly more time to the oven cook but serves the same purpose to start to render the fat and collagen at a lower temperature before starting the browning. Do not use very much water.

That is a truly amazing idea. Comes from a knowledge of the properties of high temperature fat frying and water steaming to reduce and draw the fat from the bacon. Supreme. Got to try this soon. Great tip. Thank you

Bacon is proof God exists...and loves us.

That looks great andy! I will try this out as another andy that cooks!

You can also preheat oven 200 C` flat tray baking sheet 8-12 minutes also perfect bacon, depends on oven, fan speed and size of the bacon of course. Cheers. Andy Cooks thumbs up mate.

I tried this today for breakfast and the bacon was absolutely crispy and less oily than putting it in the oven. Loved it!

I made a comment on on of your recent videos asking why you boil your bacon. I decided I'd probably try and look it up... I didn't know you made a video explaining why you do it. 😅

Greetings from Canada the home of Canadian Bacon😃 Been doing this for years, great technique with thick cut bacon! Often I'll sprinkle a little Cayenne at the end to fire them up. Love your recipes Andy, keep them coming!

I love how all true chefs always use other stuff in their kitchens. He mentioned using a splash guard, but I don't think he has one, lol.

I accidentally did this by putting a cover on the pan to have the bacon kind of steam itself with its own water content (I guess). Same effect was observed... removed the cover after a few minutes... water evapourated off and bacon crisped up very nicely! :) Love your videos, Andy! Inspiring cookery! :)

Last year I was cooking a single strip of bacon in broth to give the broth some extra flavor but that piece of bacon turned out so freaking amazing I started doing it on the regular and it’s sooooooo good If I want to really up it, I sprinkle some brown sugar on top towards to end.

I just did a batch but added enough water to cover the bacon. After boiling the water out, I got the perfect finish just as you described and the bacon was extra tender.

I total thought this was bull but I was so wrong. This is how I make my bacon all the time now. So good. Thanks Andy!

I can't wait to try this for my next bacon breakfast. I'm absolutely obsessed with watching Andy Cooks. He makes really informative videos while being extremely fun to watch. I binged a bunch of his shorts one night, and I literally had to create a profile to sign into youtube so that I could subscribe for future videos of his. So many tasty looking dishes, and just one of the best cooking shows you can watch. My partner and I just love how funny Andy is. He's super amusing and instructive.

I’m definitely trying this after Ramadan

First attempt absolutely perfect. Thanks for the great instruction.

I was expecting a man to cook bacon with water from a hose pipe. My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

Hey mate, congrats on all the deserved success. I may have accidentally found and alternative approach with a similar outcome. Two pans. Render the fat in one gently and then move the bacon to the other pan (and use the first one for Bacon Fat Eggs). Might be wrong, it was an accident as I was in too small a pan when I started (without water).

sort of like cooking 'Gyoza' first cook it through in shallow water then fry it dry and you get golden crust on the bottom of the dumpling,

I use this method as well. I cook 4 strips and for the residue bacon fat i just drop 3 eggs in for a nice sunny side bacon breakfast! It's really a great way to start the day.

Or, just cook it in the oven at 218C/425F. Don't have to worry about curling, sog, etc., etc. Jelly roll pan lined with foil for easy clean-up, and you don't end up damaging the bacon grease - easy to drain off for later use. Cook time varies by thickness, but 11-17 minutes works well enough.

I'm wondering if you've ever tried it without water. Because I get the same results without water. I cook mine slow. I put the burner on about lowmedium, or between 4 and 5 on a gas stove. I also get a lot of grease from the fat.

You’re right I couldn’t figure out why you put water in a pan while cooking bacon, but I’ll try it in the near future. Great tip much appreciated ❤❤❤

Parchment paper on a large cookie sheet, 400 degree oven, lay it down. Stays flat, cooks beautifully. Simple without water or the problem of the water/oil all over the stovetop.

Simple. Use an oven. Great results every time. No water needed and no oil splatter all over the stove top.

I freeze bacon, which does the same thing, as cooking from frozen causes water to soak into the pan as it thaws. I buy loads, lay the rashers out individually on baking sheets then they freeze individually rather than as one big lump, the put them all in a bag in the freezer and they stay separated. Take out as many as you need, put them in a dry pan over a high heat to start them thawing, then turn it down. The water that thaws out is easily enough to render the fat, and the low heat keeps the process going for longer so the bacon doesn't burn before crisping. There'll be loads of excess fat, which can then live in a jar in the fridge - great for fried eggs, roast potatoes, refried beans, Yorkshire puddings...

For cooking larger amounts bake on a tray at 350 F, 175C.

I've never used the water method but still get super crispy bacon - all i do is frying the bacon over low heat without adding anything else to the pan and once they're browned, I put them on a paper towel and pat off the excess fat and the bacon stays super crispy :)

I just throw it in the oven for 10 mins, dry with a paper towel 🤷🏽‍♂️

I prefer just dusting them in flour or corn starch, it can also help also reduce the saltiness if you're on a budget and can only afford the cheaper quality bacon

I broil my bacon in the oven on parchment paper on a baking pan, on the lowest rack. Halfway through I pour out the bacon fat in a bowl (throw it in the food recycling once it’s hardened) and use this time to flip the bacon just once. This is done so that you don’t let the bacon burn in it’s own fat. Put on paper towel and super crispy. Plus I don’t have to stand over the stove top.

I'm surprised not a lot of people do this. I've always added water to cook my bacon, it's the best thing ever.

My air fryer works great for bacon. The menu item for bacon starts at a lower temperature for the first stage. The bacon turns out great, it's automated by the air fryer, and cleanup is much easier than a pan. I throw it in and forget about it while I'm cooking my eggs.

Starting out with a little rendered bacon fat from the prior batch of bacon also works quite nicely - just have to keep the heat on low-medium. This would probably be a bit faster, I'd imagine.

Good to know I'm going to remember that trick. Thank you Andy have a blessed day stay safe and healthy. 😋😋😋🙏❤🙏❤🙏

I have never in my life not been able to make crispy bacon, seems completley unnesscary to me but you do you!

I think the real gem here is how easily we forget that it takes so long to cook the food we watch in these short clips…

I do bacon in a toaster oven on parchment paper. 19ms at 430 brings it to perfection. No mess.

any seasoned home chef can make perfect bacon, it's all about pan temp control. this kind of gets around that, which is fine, but learning how your stove and pans interact is tantamount to good home cooking. knowing how different temps are reached, what effect they have on different items, etc.

What's the difference to cooking in the oven? I get crispy bacon with rendered fat every time. You have to remove any liquid when you flip half way. Takes 15mins.

Funny thing...my bacon turns out crispy no matter what I do. If its not crispy, you haven't cooked it long enough.

Nice to see an Australian who can cook bacon right. That blew my mind almost 20 years ago that floppy half-raw stuff served in most hotels

Good way of cooking bacon without losing any of the flavor. Thanks.

Thanks for this tip. I’m going to try adding water, as you have shown.

if you want large amounts of crispy bacon you can bake it in the oven. everything comes out crispy and perfect.

Been using this method for some time and can say it's the best way to cook bacon bar none!

I get a similar result by cooking the bacon on a really low temp on the hob. Put it in cold then just turn on low and leave for a lot 30 mins. You get so much fat coming out of the bacon, and it goes really crispy. I keep the fat to cook with.

The actual action of the water while the bacon is cooking is keeping the temperature in the range where the connective tissue and fibers in the meat break down. Having it in this temperature range for a longer time produces a less 'stringy' end product versus just frying in its own juices and rendered fat.

I do this same thing using two soaked paper towels in the microwave on a microwave bacon plate. The wet paper towels act to steam the bacon fat off quickly & the bacon crisps up in half the time. Just remove the paper towels for the last 3-4 minutes of microwave cooking. Another plus is saving all that bacon fat for another meal & cleanup is a breeze.

Tnx for this tips 🤤🤤🤤🤤 I will try it!

I do it low & slow. No water needed. Basically I render the bacon and pan deep fry it in its own grease. Crispy %100 of the time!

I put on a metal tray in the oven at 425F for about 12-15min. Use a single piece of nonstick foil and cleanup is super easy. Makes great bacon without all the attention as stove top bacon.

I’ve never added water however I surely will now. I like my bacon evenly crisp. Even bought a weigh to hold it down flat (but it was too big for even my biggest skillet), so thanks for sharing your tip. Lucky me 👍🏻

It seems counterintuitive to add water! Can't wait to try it !!😄

I just throw the bacon in the microwave 1 minute per strip and comes out perfect every time

I like that he didn't add some ridiculous crunch noise when he bit into it.

My fave is grilling it on the BBQ! If we have a LOT of snow (usually 1 foot or more) I’ll put it in the oven. Perfect every time 🥰

This is now my go-to for making bacon. It’s incredibly effective, crunchy and delicious. 10/10 would make again. Like and subscribe for more

I cook my bacon on a heated pan at about a low medium. It takes longer, but I always get my bacon to come out exactly how I like it, tender with a bit of crisp to it as well. I'll have to play with the water trick. The one time I tried it, I had issues. I also had a much more vauge understanding of how to use it properly.

Been doing this for a while. Also works well when doing onions. I put a lid on for a while to trap the steam, then remove to finish. Thinking about it and going back to science in high school, I always remember the teacher showing us that steam has 100 times the energy of water at the same temp. So maybe that extra heat energy is what helps make this work.