Crispy Bacon
Cooking bacon in a splash of water sounds wrong, but it’s the easiest way I know to get crispy, evenly cooked rashers without burnt edges or undercooked fat. I’ve been doing it for years and didn’t realise it wasn’t common until I posted it on TikTok and the comments lost their minds. The water gently renders the fat and cooks the bacon through before any of it sees real heat, so by the time the water has evaporated the bacon is set up to crisp without burning. It’s a chef’s home kitchen trick, and once you’ve tried it you won’t go back.
Crispy Bacon Explained
Why the water method works
The water poaches the bacon at 100°C, which renders the fat slowly and cooks the muscle through gently. As the water evaporates the temperature climbs, the rendered fat takes over and the bacon starts to fry in its own fat. The result is rashers that are crisp from edge to edge with no soft, fatty bits and no burnt corners. The whole point is starting cold and letting the water do the work.
Choosing your bacon
Streaky bacon (also called middle bacon in Australia, or American-style) has the most intermuscular fat, which is what renders down and crisps up. Back bacon and shortcut will work too but won’t get as crisp because there’s less fat to render. Lay the rashers flat in the pan with a little space between them so they crisp evenly, and start in a cold pan, not a hot one.
Ingredients
- bacon, streaky bacon works best in my opinion
- water
Equipment
-
Large heavy-based frying pan
-
Tongs
-
Wire rack or paper towels
-
Plate or tray
Directions
Notes
Start in a cold pan
Don’t preheat. The whole point of the water method is a slow, gentle render. Putting bacon into a hot pan with water defeats the purpose, and you’ll get spitting and uneven cooking.
Use just enough water
You want the water to come up to the level of the bacon, not flood it. Too much water means a longer evaporation phase before the bacon starts to crisp. Half a cup is usually plenty for a panful.
Watch it once the water’s gone
The bacon goes from pale to crisp to burnt very quickly once the water evaporates. Stay close, drop the heat to medium, and flip 2 or 3 times to get even colour on both sides.
Storage
Cooked bacon keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot dry pan for 30 seconds a side, or 3 to 4 minutes in a 180°C oven. Don’t microwave, the texture goes leathery.
Ingredient Notes
Streaky bacon:
This is the bacon with visible stripes of fat running through it (also called middle bacon). The fat is what renders and crisps. If your butcher has dry-cured streaky, that’s the best option, the surface dries out and crisps faster than wet-cured supermarket bacon.
Water:
Tap water is fine. You only need enough to just cover the bacon, around half a cup for 6 rashers. Too much water just means a longer evaporation time before the bacon starts to crisp.
FAQs
What if I don’t have streaky bacon?
What can I do with the leftover bacon fat?
Can I cook this in the oven?
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 serving
- Calories
- per serving
- 0
- Carbs
- 0 grams
- Protein
- 0 grams
- Fat
- 0 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 0 grams
- Fiber
- 0 grams
- Sugar
- 0 grams
- Sodium
- 0 milligrams
- Cholesterol
- 0 milligrams
- Potassium
- 0 milligrams
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