The Best Bacon You'll Ever Make (And Every Method to Avoid) | Epicurious 101

Chef Frank Proto is back to demonstrate the best way to make delicious, crispy bacon at home. Watch Frank explain what to watch out for and how to get the best results, every time.

Learn more with Chef Frank on his YouTube Channel ProtoCooks!
Follow him on Instagram at @protocooks

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0:00 Introduction
1:00 Chapter 1: Pan-Frying
4:30 Chapter 2: Baking
6:27 Chapter 3: Microwave
7:57 Chapter 3.5: Sort Of Terrifying Bacon Gadget
9:54 Final Thoughts



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[turtlelore]

I noticed how Frank never elaborated where he got the bacon. Obviously it's his own home grown pig that he prepared just 2 hours before the video.

[cocoxcocoa]

I agree with Frank. Never cook bacon on a rack. Trying to clean those things with tiny pieces of bacon stuck to all the joints is a nightmare. Takes longer to clean it then it does to cook the bacon in the first place.

[samisuhonen]

I personally feel like one really important trick for good bacon, is to start with low heat. A lot of people who know how to cook normal meat like steaks, know you must normally preheat the pan really hot so you sear the surface and don't let the juices escape.
But this ruins bacon in my opinion. It makes the fat part rubbery. It sort of hardens the fat from my experience.

What I personally do, is start with really low heat to start melting the fat. And I gradually raise the heat so it gets a nice crispy finish. And because the cut is sooo tender and fatty, it won't be affected by starting the cooking on low heat. Any time I cook bacon like this, the fat is really soft and really just melts in your mouth when you eat it.

I especially recommend this method if you use bacon for cooking other things. Like bacon in pasta, I start by cooking bacon like this, then I fry mushrooms in the melted bacon fat, add some seasoning like plenty of black pepper and herbs. I add cream and some good cheese in, and finally mix the thick creamy fatty sauce to my pasta.

[juancamilorodriguez]

Your bacon in the microwave really blows my mind, I wouldn’t expect such a good result, a couples of minutes later you show exactly what I was expecting at first lol

[bardotskie]

"bacon, gateway drug into meat"
-Frank 2022

[PhantomSavage]

I was taught by culinary god Alton Brown that the oven was the superior method of cooking bacon, but my mind is blown by the evolution of this method with the parchment paper, maximizing bacon potential while minimizing clean up to merely one sheet pan.

Frank is truly on another level.

[lemons_s]

My favorite way is using the oven. But there is a method I like when I pan fry without adding additional oil. You start by adding water to the pan and cook the bacon in that to render the fat, once the water dissolves you'll have enough fat to crisp the bacon.

[Sonicron]

Tried the oven method with the baking sheet today, and I was blown away. From now on this is the ONLY way for me. Thanks so much, chef!

[politickery]

After a lifetime of eating pan-fried bacon that's overdone in the middle of each slice and still flabby at the ends, I cut a package in half and tried frying shorter strips. Everything is fine now. I'll stick with that.

[kevinmccoy]

A few times now I've cooked bacon on a rack over a cake pan with halved brussels sprouts (and some salt and oil) in the oven, so that the bacon fat drips onto the sprouts while they roast. The bacon finishes first so I pulled it when appropriate and allowed the sprouts to continue roasting. This was quite tasty.

[nimbulan]

I have to say I'm quite surprised you were so positive about the microwave method. I wasn't expecting that, though I understand. When I was a kid we had this microwave bacon tray we always used that worked great, and it retained the grease like cooking in a pan does.

[benharrison]

Electric griddle is probably my fave method. I've had one for years. They're nice because you can fit a good amount of slices on them, even heating, and they have a hole where the grease drains into a tray, so you get a bit less fat and cleanup is pretty easy. Kind of a big appliance though, but if you make pancakes then you probably have one.

[bigskybob]

big LIke for Frank trying the mystery bacon juice. That really made me appreciate watching this video. The immediate switch from "can't pay me to eat that" to "Damn, that's good. Make a salad dressing out of it" is a quick change of opinion and a demonstration of open-mindedness. Thank you for including that.

[Nurofaen]

I always start with a cold cast iron, and let the fat render out as it begins to cook as recommended by a chef. Nice to see another chef with the opposite point of view.

[apexkech]

The ROLLING. GENIUS. I'm doing this forever now. Simple, practical, real. My goodness.

[MiniMii]

The way my mom does it is to grab a skewer and skewer the bacon onto it like an accordion so that it sits kind of wavy on the skewer. And then you cook it on a pan or griddle and the bacon comes out with crispy bits and chewy bits and it's my favorite way of doing it. Also works great for sandwiches because the bacon isn't as long so it fits perfectly within the bread without sticking out

[gerritfrancis]

Frank seems to be one of the most relatable chefs on your channel. Great communicator and very down to earth. I hope he is the same person off camera. Great video guys!

[TheGuyATX]

A friend of mine told me she made her bacon in an air fryer. I thought “no way it could be any good”. She made me some, it was delicious. Now I make all my bacon in the air fryer.

[VeryMiley]

Love love LOVE Frank’s videos. I can’t cook to save my life. But he has ways to explain things so that cooking makes sense, and the outcomes are successful. Really appreciate it

[danleconey]

add water to a cold pan with the bacon and turn it on medium heat. It works like a charm everytime. Adding water seemed weird to me, at first. But now it is the only way I cook bacon. That or in the oven on a rack!