Crisp bacon isn’t about high heat. It’s about patience, and about starting with bacon that hasn’t been pumped full of water. Here’s how we do it.
1. Start in a cold pan
Lay the rashers flat in a cold, dry frying pan. No oil. As the pan heats up slowly, the fat melts gently and the rasher cooks in its own fat. Throwing bacon into a screaming-hot pan seizes the outside before the fat has rendered, which is how you get chewy, curled rashers.
2. Medium heat, not high
Turn the hob to medium. You want a steady sizzle, not spitting. For back bacon, that’s about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Streaky takes a little longer, 6 to 8 minutes in total.
3. Leave it alone
Resist the urge to poke. Turn each rasher once or twice, that’s it. If they buckle, press them flat with a spatula for a few seconds.
4. Drain on paper
Lift the rashers onto kitchen paper for 30 seconds. They’ll crisp up a little more as they cool.
The white goo isn’t fat. It’s water and proteins from the brine used in wet-cured bacon. Dry-cured bacon doesn’t do it.
Cooking for a crowd?
Use the oven. Lay the rashers on a rack over a baking tray and cook at 200°C (180°C fan) for 12 to 15 minutes. No turning needed, and the hob stays free for the eggs. See our guide to cooking bacon in the oven.
