While baked bacon is arguably healthier than fried bacon, it is still bacon. Enjoy it in moderation as one tasty component of a balanced diet. Whenever we have bacon, I like to serve it with other lean proteins, fruits, whole grains, or vegetables to make a complete meal.
The healthiest way to cook bacon is to cook it until crispy (but not burned), which allows the most fat to melt off. Then, drain it on a paper towel or brown paper bag to remove even more fat before eating.
Cooking bacon in the oven gives you perfectly crispy slices without any flipping or fussing, and the cleanup is superspeedy. It's also the best way to make bacon for a crowd. You can cook the bacon directly on aluminum foil-lined baking sheets or on a wire rack set on top of the baking sheets.
Baking your bacon on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet allows the rendered fat to drip away from the bacon, helping it cook up even crunchier than pan-frying. (While bacon should be started in a cold pan if you're cooking it on the stovetop, you can crank up the heat if your baking your bacon in the oven.
If you're wondering whether it is best to pan fry or deep fry bacon, both cooking methods cause the bacon to absorb more fat. Yes, it's healthier to cook bacon in other ways, but once in a while, deep-fried bacon is a delicious treat.
“About 68% of the calories from bacon come from fat—and about half of those are from saturated fat—so it's definitely not the healthiest meat you can choose.”
Do you need oil for cooking bacon on the stove? No, you don't. Your bacon might stick to the pan initially, but it's quite a fatty cut of meat and will release its own juice to cook in pretty quickly.
And surprisingly, it does has some healthy qualities. Like canola and olive oil, bacon fat is high in oleic acid, which is thought to reduce inflammation and cholesterol levels, Quinn said. Also, bacon fat simply tastes great.
It's actually explained by chemistry. When bacon is heated, it undergoes the Maillard Reaction, which causes food to brown and gives it its flavor. With bacon, the reaction causes sugars to react with amino acids, that when combined with bacon fat, creates unique aroma compounds that together make your mouth water.
Not to sound like a broken record, but the air fryer just isn't the best method for cooking bacon. We highly recommend cooking it in the oven, as mentioned above, but going with the old-fashioned skillet method, or even using the microwave, is going to render better (and safer) results than the air fryer.
Why Does Cooking Bacon in Water Work? The addition of water keeps the initial cooking temperature low and gentle, so the meat retains its moisture and stays tender as the fat renders. Plus, since the water helps render the fat, there will be significantly less splatter as your bacon finishes in the pan.
Choose Canadian bacon sometimes. It's much leaner than the regular kind. “Canadian bacon is still processed, but it's not one big chunk of fat with a little bit of meat,” Angelone says.
In light of the more recent evidence, it's best to reduce your intake of all processed meats to once every couple of weeks. Therefore, keeping your bacon intake to a minimum is recommended – eating it every couple of weeks is best.
Bacon cooks best low and slow. Whether on the stove or in the oven, don't cook it at a temperature that's too high or you risk uneven cooking, or worse, burned bacon.
Put 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil in a frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook for 2-4 mins on each side, depending on how crispy you like it.
Dry frying is a healthier method of frying where only the melted fat from the meat is used. Place streaky or back rashers in a cold non-stick frying pan and cook over a low heat to start with, once some fat starts to run out, increase the heat and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side.
While a pan is on, he simply heats olive oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper and butter in a pan before adding the bacon. After the bacon begins to sizzle in the pan, Gordon Ramsay explains why this method helps create tastier bacon. He said: “As it cooks, it becomes irresistibly caramelised and golden brown.”
If you cook bacon at too high of a temperature (over 400 degrees F), it'll crisp and burn more easily. If you cook it too low (around 350 degrees F), it'll take a lot longer than is necessary. I've found that 400 degrees F is the perfect temperature for cooking bacon in the oven.
You do NOT need to flip the bacon slices as they cook. Remove the pan from the oven. Using tongs, carefully remove the strips of bacon from the hot pan and place them on the paper towels to drain off any excess grease. Let the bacon drain and cool off for a minute or two, or until it is safe to the touch.
You'll be eating lots of saturated fat
Almost 70 percent of the calories in bacon come from fat (via Web MD). Half of that fat is saturated. This does not vibe well with dietary guidelines that suggest that under 10 percent of daily caloric intake should be saturated fats (via Medline Plus).
Least healthy meats
Processed Meats: Notably, there are over 200 types of cold cuts and processed meats. These include hot dogs, bologna, and Vienna sausages. Processed meat is often made of less healthy organs like the stomach, lips, and heart.
Short cut bacon
It is the leanest type of bacon, with only a thin layer of fat which can be removed. This type of cut is more popular with health conscious people who still want to enjoy the flavour of bacon. As there is much less fat content, it doesn't shrink as much.