No matter how it’s made, bacon is a treat, but if you want your sandwich to stay together, you need flat bacon. When prepping large quantities of bacon and aiming to store it efficiently, flat bacon is also essential. Of course, everyone has different tastes, looks, and feels of bacon. But if you want the crispiest bacon that’s all the same shape and as flat as a board, you need to try this sheet pan hack. Trust us.
When you cook bacon on a sheet pan instead of a skillet on the stove, it doesn’t curl as much, but this method makes sure it cooks even flatter. Simply lay strips of bacon in a single, even layer on a sheet pan. Then, put another sheet pan on top of the first one so that the bacon strips are tucked under the bottom of both. Then, put the sheet pans in an oven set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how thick the bacon is and how done you like it. This hack not only guarantees perfectly flat strips of bacon, but also ensures they are evenly cooked.
Crispy savory bacon is a breakfast staple loved by many. However one of the biggest frustrations of cooking bacon is its tendency to curl up into little crunchy cups as it fries. Not only does bacon curling make getting it evenly crisp a challenge, but it also reduces the surface area that gets deliciously caramelized and browned.
Luckily, with a few simple tricks, you can learn how to keep bacon flat in the pan for consistent texture and maximum crispiness In this article, we’ll explain why bacon curls and share foolproof techniques to get beautiful flat bacon every time you fry it up
Why Does Bacon Curl?
Before jumping into solutions, it helps to understand what causes bacon to curl in the first place.
Bacon curling occurs due to the combination of pork belly structure and the effects of heat. Pork belly has alternating layers of meat and fat. As bacon cooks, the meat layers shrink more than the fat layers. This differential shrinkage causes the fatty layers to buckle and the bacon rashers to curl up.
Direct high heat exacerbates the curling effect. As the bacon sizzles in the pan, the top layer contracts rapidly while the underside remains more supple. This tension pulls the edges inward, creating the signature bacon cup shape.
How to Keep Bacon Flat When Frying
Luckily, armed with an understanding of what makes bacon curl, we can use several techniques to combat it:
Start with Thick-Cut Bacon
Thicker sliced bacon contains more meat in proportion to fat layers. With less differential shrinkage, thick-cut bacon is less prone to excessive curling. Opt for bacon sliced at least 1/4 inch thick for flattest results.
Preheat the Pan
Preheating helps prevent one side of the bacon from overcooking before the other side browns. Use medium heat and let the pan fully preheat before adding bacon.
Fry Slowly
Frying over gentle heat allows the meat and fat layers to lose moisture at a more even pace. Set the burner to medium-low and be patient. Slow cooking = flat bacon.
Use a Bacon Press or Weight
Weighing down the bacon helps counteract the contraction of the meat layers. A bacon press, grill press, or even another heavy pan placed on top will do the trick.
Bake the Bacon
Baking distributes heat evenly to all sides of the bacon. This eliminates the tension that causes curling in a fry pan. Bake bacon on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
Partially Freeze Before Cooking
Partially freezing bacon Allows the meat to contract more evenly with the fat when hit with heat. About 30 minutes in the freezer before cooking helps minimize curling.
Cut Slits in the Fat
Slicing through the fat layers releases tension so they can’t buckle and curl as readily. Make small slits along the fatty edges of raw bacon with a sharp knife before cooking.
Cook Low and Slow
Frying or baking at lower temperatures (300°F or less) gives the meat and fat more time to render and crisp evenly. Be extra patient for flat results.
Cook in the Microwave
The microwave’s even, gentle heat minimizes the tension that causes bacon to curl. Place bacon between paper towels and microwave in 1 minute increments, adjusting time as needed.
Weigh Down After Cooking
If your bacon has already curled, you can flatten it out after cooking by placing the cooked bacon between paper towels and weighing it down with a pan for 1-2 minutes.
Tips for Getting Perfectly Flat Bacon Every Time
Follow these extra pointers for getting the flattest, most evenly cooked bacon possible:
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Choose high-quality, thick-cut artisan bacon when possible – the texture makes a difference!
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Cut bacon strips in half so there’s less contraction along the length of each piece.
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Lay bacon slices side by side with little to no overlap in the pan.
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Cook bacon in a single layer – crowding increases curling.
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Flip bacon frequently while frying to prevent curling on one side.
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Drain bacon on paper towels when done cooking to prevent further curling.
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Let bacon cool slightly before serving for optimal flat, crispy texture.
With the right techniques and a little patience, you can enjoy beautifully flat, crispy bacon worthy of any brunch table or BLT. No more battling those annoying bacon curls! What flat bacon cooking tricks do you swear by? Let us know in the comments.
- bacon: 36
- fat: 9
- curl: 16
- meat: 5
- fry/frying: 11
- cook/cooking: 9
- heat: 5
- pan: 5
- crisp/crispy: 5
- bake/baking: 3
- press: 3
- slow: 3
- tension: 3
- microwave: 2
- freeze/freezing: 2
- weigh/weight: 2
- oven: 1
- cool: 1
- drain: 1
- flip: 1
- cut: 1
- slits: 1
Line your sheet pans to make cleaning a cinch
There is a lot of fat in bacon, and a lot of it turns into rendered fat when it’s cooked. This means that no matter how you cook bacon, it can create quite a greasy mess. When you cook bacon in the oven, it doesn’t splatter like it does when you cook it in a skillet, but it can still leave behind grease that is hard to clean off. Also, bacon may stick to a regular metal sheet pan.
Line both of your sheet pans with foil to make cleanup easier and to make sure the bacon doesn’t stick after cooking. Aluminum foil is a good option. Line the bottom sheet pan as usual, and then use another piece to cover the bottom of the top sheet pan that you’ll put on top of the bacon. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper or silicone baking mats to sandwich the bacon.
If you’re going to eat bacon for breakfast and really want to treat yourself, you might want to save the bacon fat. You can use it to fry mushrooms or eggs, complementing your flat bacon slices beautifully.
How To Cook Bacon Without It Curling
How to keep Bacon from curling?
To keep bacon from curling you can put it the oven. Line foil on a cookie sheet. Lay bacon slices one at a time next to each other on sheet. Put into a 350 degree F oven and bake till done. Keep an eye on it so you can take it out according to how you like it cooked. Soft or crisp. Drain the grease before you take the bacon off.
Why is my Bacon curling?
The main reason is the way that the meat is shaped, along with the effects that the heat can have on this shape. To specify, whenever the heat is directly forced on the bacon, it starts to reduce a little in overall size. The reason why this causes the curling is because of the fat that stays inside of the meat despite it reducing in size.
How do you keep Bacon from sticking in a frying pan?
Take a slice of bacon cold and rub it along the inside of the pan. When you do this you are coating the pan with grease and fat from the bacon slice. This should help to prevent the bacon from sticking. Now if you are using bacon meat with less fat.
How do you keep Bacon from splattering when cooking?
Wrap a rubber band or hair tie around the package and put it in the fridge. Later, when you cook it, the bacon strips will be easier to separate. 13. Add some water to the pan for perfect, no-splatter cooking. Get the deets at Wonder How To. 14. Craving onion rings but trying to eat low-carb? Use bacon instead of breading! 15.
How do you keep Bacon from shrinking when cooking?
Rinse your… At the end of the day, the best way to keep your bacon from shrinking when cooking is to cook it low and slow in the oven. Craftclarity tested the rinsing method before baking and frying, complete with some control bacon that wasn’t rinsed at all.
Should Bacon be rinsed before frying?
Craftclarity tested the rinsing method before baking and frying, complete with some control bacon that wasn’t rinsed at all. He also tested whether or not you’d get maximum flavor from your bacon by only baking it for 10 minutes at 365 degrees F (185 degrees C), as all of the tips suggest.