SaurabhBacon is one of the most loved ingredients worldwide. But how do you cook it to maximize its taste even more? One of the biggest dilemmas regarding bacon is whether or not you should use oil when you cook it.
The short answer is that you can cook bacon with or without oil and you will still end up with a delicious recipe. However, let’s a closer look at the best ways to prepare your bacon to compliment your taste and the rest of your recipe!
Step-By-Step Guide On Cooking Bacon With Oil
Bacon has a significant amount of fat, which makes oil unnecessary. But if you want to use oil there are certain aspects you need to keep in mind.
Use a reduced quantity of oil
When you cook bacon in oil, you only need a small amount of oil. Usually, one tablespoon of sunflower oil or any other cooking oil is enough to get you tasty, well-done bacon. Put the oil in the pan and turn your stove on.
Always heat up the pan and prepare your bacon
Heating up the pan with the oil in it is essential before you add the slices of bacon. Depending on the pan and the flame you use, heating it up can take up to two minutes.
If your bacon doesn’t come sliced, make sure you slice it before you fry it. Your bacon slices should be thin and long enough to fit in your pan without having to fold them.
Cook your bacon
When your pan is heated up, you can start adding the slices of bacon. Most pans will accommodate two slices at a time but if your pan is smaller, add only one slice.
Your bacon will cook rather fast and you will have to flip it over to make sure it gets cooked on both sides. Cooking your slices of bacon for two minutes on each side is enough but if you want it more crispy, you can let it cook for up to four minutes per side.
Add the cooked bacon to your recipe
You can enjoy your fried bacon plain, next to some omelet or you can add it in different dishes from salads to soups.
Is It Better To Cook Bacon With Butter Or Oil?
Using butter instead of oil when you fry your bacon is not much different in terms of the cooking process. However, the butter will give your bacon an even better taste and many people prefer this alternative.
We have to mention that it might take longer for your bacon to get crispy if you cook it in butter. Therefore, leave it for 5-6 minutes to get the brownish-gold shade, which indicates that your bacon slices are crispy is that they don’t bend when you try to flip them over.
What Is The Proper Way To Cook Bacon?
The proper way is always the way you like to have your bacon but it is just as important to consider the health aspects too.
Since bacon has enough fat by itself, you don’t need any other fat to prepare it. You can simply add it to a pan and allow it to get cooked in its own fat.
1. Frying your bacon
To do so, heat up the pan but only for 30 seconds, a maximum of one minute because without oil or butter, you shouldn’t leave it on the stove too long.
Add your bacon and you will notice that the fat starts melting first. Once a considerable layer of the fat melts, your bacon will get cooked in its own fat just like it would get cooked in oil or butter.
By following this method, you will not alter the taste of bacon at all and there are many people that prefer it this way. It is also healthier since your final result will not contain any extra fats but the one in your bacon.
2. Baking the bacon
You can also bake the slices of bacon in the oven, even if this method requires a bit more time. Prepare a tray that is suitable for your oven and cover its surface with baking paper.
Heat up the oven to 400 degrees F, add your slices of bacon to the tray, leaving one inch of space between them. You can cut your slices as thick as you’d like but know that the thicker they are, the more it will take to get them to the crispy texture you like.
Add your bacon to the oven and give it up to 20 minutes to bake. If you use thin slices, they can be ready in as little as 12 minutes. When they turn a brownish shade, you can consider them cooked.
Baking your bacon is also one of the healthy options as it doesn’t require any extra ingredients and the fat level is reduced. Your baked bacon will have a great taste and this might become fast one of your go-to methods to prepare it.
How To Cook Bacon With Water?
Cooking bacon in water is a less popular method but one of the best that you will try so it is definitely worth it. It is also easy and you can try it even if you don’t have much cooking experience.
Place your bacon slices or cubes in the pan and add water enough to cover them and cook it at high heat. Let your bacon boil and once you see the water boiling reduce the heat to a medium level. When the water simmered reduce the heat once again, to low, and cook your bacon for up to five minutes until it gets as crispy as you want it to be.
You can add bacon prepared this way to burgers or simply enjoy it plain as a side dish or a snack. Your bacon will not have a watery taste. But it will have a strong flavor that compliments many types of dishes.
Can You Cook Bacon Without Oil?
You can cook bacon without any external source of fat. But oil definitely gives it a more satisfying taste which is why many tend to love this combination.
If you cook bacon without oil, you will notice that it has a milder taste and a somewhat drier texture. It will not be greasy and it will crumble a lot easier than bacon fried in bacon.
There are types of bacon, that can be enjoyed as you purchase them, without needing to prepare them in any way. However, these types are high in sodium and fat so many people prefer to bake or fry them to get the taste and texture they want.
Even if you use bacon as an ingredient in stews or soups, oil is not a necessity. However, in this situation, cut your bacon into cubes and give it two minutes to cook by itself before you add the rest of your ingredients to the pan. Doing so will allow your soup or stew to enjoy the greasiness of the bacon and you will get an overall tastier flavor for your dish.
Wrap Up
Bacon is a very versatile ingredient and it can add the nutrition and calories you need to start your day with the right energy. You don’t need to prepare it in oil, butter, or any type of fat unless you want to add to its fatty flavor.
Pair your bacon with your omelet or use it as a topping on your favorite pizza, pasta, stews, or your favorite baked dishes and you will have a satisfying meal anytime you want.
Any dish you add some bacon to will have a richer and more filling taste which is why it is worth it to let your creativity free in the kitchen when you use this type of ingredient!
