Want Your Bacon Extra Crispy? Pay Close Attention To The Grease

Crispy, crunchy, salty — it doesn't get much better than a perfectly-cooked piece of bacon. If you're on team crispy, you'll be glad to know that it's easier than you think to get satisfyingly crunchy (but not burnt) slices of bacon. The key: let your bacon's noisy, sizzling bubbles die down before you take it out of the pan. 

When you get your bacon started on the stovetop, you hear a serious sizzle and notice large bubbles form as soon as the bacon starts to heat up. Bubbles begin to form as the water in your bacon escapes. By waiting for the sound of the sizzle to quiet down and the bubbles to become smaller, you're allowing more water to leave the bacon, increasing the likelihood of crisped-up slices. 

Keeping a close eye on what happens with the grease as the bacon cooks helps to make sure you keep it in the plan long enough to get to your desired crispiness level. Bigger bubbles will mean less-crispy bacon, softer sizzling and slightly smaller bubbles means tender and chewy strips. And if you want some serious crunch, let the bubbles shrink till they look almost like foam and you practically can't hear any sizzle.

Waiting for the sizzling and bubbling to die down before you take your bacon out of the pan isn't the only thing you'll want to keep in mind to get the crispy slices you're craving. If you're cooking it in the oven, you can actually use the flour in your pantry to create crispier bacon. Simply sprinkle a bit of flour on each slice before you lay your bacon out flat on a parchment paper covered sheet pan to bake. If you decide to take this route of baking your bacon instead of cooking it on the stovetop, also be sure to follow one of Bobby Flay's tips for crispy bacon strips every time: start in a cold oven (it makes sense, since you should start stovetop bacon in a cold pan as well). No matter how you cook your bacon, once you take it off of the heat, letting your bacon rest is crucial for achieving the crispiest strips possible.

Remember though — no matter how many tips and tricks you use to create crispy, crunchy strips of bacon that are perfect for topping sandwiches, the key to getting it right comes down to letting it cook until the loud snap-crackle-pop sizzles quiet down to a whisper. Resist the urge to multi-task (we understand the temptation) while your bacon is cooking, and keep a close eye on it so you can find the sweet spot between flimsy and burnt. Patience and careful attention are key, and the extra effort when you get your first perfectly-crisped-up bite will be worth it.