There are several ways to cook bacon, some methods are obviously superior to others. In our home, we like to cook our bacon in the oven. Sure, it takes some time, but, it’s less messy, cooks evenly, and is perfectly crispy.
You can cook it in the microwave if you really want to; we don’t necessarily recommend it. But, many people tend to pan-fry their bacon. And, that’s the next best option to the oven, especially if you just need a few pieces or are short on time. (I mean, but when do you really just need a few pieces of bacon?!)
A TikTok video, however, claims that we’re pan frying our bacon all wrong, and we were as surprised as you.
I mean, pan frying is just pan frying, right? Apparently not. The first time I watched this video, I was skeptical. First of all, who is this guy, and what does he know about cooking bacon? And secondly, why would I add water to my bacon?
Related: Don’t Defrost That Chicken! This Clever Hack Will Get Dinner On The Table Fast
But after minimal research, I found out that the man behind the video is Christopher Wallace, the owner of a seasoning brand, FlavorGod. He garners thousands of views on TikTok, mainly sharing recipes that feature one or two of his famous seasonings.
However, the bacon hack in question doesn’t require any special seasoning.–just thick-cut bacon, a frying pan, and good ol’ H2O.
Why Adding Water To The Pan Works
The reel shows Wallace pan-frying his bacon and adding water to the pan while cooking.
“Adding water to bacon while cooking does two things,” he claims. “It makes crispy bacon and also keeps your bacon from splattering.”
America’s Test Kitchen agrees with this method. In a YouTube video, chef Bryan Roof cooks his bacon in water stating, “Here’s a technique for making [bacon] crisp and tender, instead of dry and crumbly.”
The method here, similar to Wallace’s method, is to cover the bacon with water and cook on high heat. After the water boils, lower the heat to medium. Once the water has simmered away, continue to cook on medium-low until it’s browned.
“What you’re left with is plump bacon that’s perfectly crisp.”
The next time we have BLTs this summer, this may become our go-to method for perfectly crispy and delicious bacon.
