Nothing beats a nice plate of crispy bacon in the morning. However, the dreaded bacon curl can put a damper on your breakfast. Those rigid, curved strips are annoying to eat and don’t look very appetizing.
Luckily, with a few easy tips, you can fry bacon to crispy perfection without any bothersome curls. In this guide, we’ll go over the reasons bacon curls along with actionable techniques to keep your bacon flat while cooking. With the right prep and frying methods, you’ll have beautiful strips of bacon for breakfast, burgers, BLTs and more.
Why Does Bacon Curl When Frying?
Before jumping into solutions, it helps to understand what makes bacon curl in the first place while cooking in a pan. Here are the main factors
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Fat content – Bacon contains high amounts of fat marbled throughout the pork. The fat shrinks faster than the actual meat when heated. This differential shrinking causes the distinct curl.
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Inconsistent cooking – If some areas of the bacon contact the pan more than others they cook faster. This uneven cooking makes the bacon tighten and contract in certain spots more resulting in a curled shape.
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Pan crowding – When bacon strips are crowded close together in the pan, they’re more likely to curl from uneven cooking and fat rendering.
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High heat – Cooking bacon on very high direct heat can cause more rapid curling. The intense heat tightens the proteins quickly.
Now that we know what makes bacon curl, let’s go through proven techniques to keep your bacon flat in the frying pan.
Tips to Keep Bacon Flat When Frying
Follow these tips for laying flatter, neater strips of fried bacon:
1. Select Thinner Slices
Choosing thinner sliced bacon can help reduce curling. Thinner slices have less time to shrink and contract when hit with heat. Aim for bacon sliced around 1/8 inch thick for best results. Thick-cut bacon is more prone to severe curling.
2. Cut Bacon Slices in Half
Pre-cutting each strip of bacon in half before cooking is an easy trick. The shorter strips have less surface area to tighten and curl. Simply take kitchen shears and cut each full slice in half widthwise across the middle.
3. Fry on Low to Medium Heat
Cooking the bacon slowly on lower heat gives the fat and meat more time to render at the same pace. This prevents uneven tightening that causes curls. Use medium-low to medium heat. Higher heat exacerbates curling.
4. Use a Bacon Press
A slotted bacon press that fits inside your frying pan is ideal for flattening strips as they cook. Place the press directly on top of the bacon to gently weigh it down into the pan. This keeps it from buckling upwards.
5. Fry in Oven on a Wire Rack
One hands-off way to get flat bacon is baking it in the oven. Place bacon slices on a wire cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. The rack allows air flow under and over the bacon for even cooking.
6. Add Water to the Pan
Adding just a small amount of water to the hot frying pan and covering helps steam the bacon flat. The steam provides evenly dispersed heat. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons water per batch.
7. Preheat the Pan
Make sure to preheat your skillet or pan before adding the bacon. Starting with hot oil prevents initial curling. The bacon will start cooking immediately instead of slowly warping in warming oil.
8. Don’t Overcrowd the Pan
Only fry a few strips at a time in a single layer without overlapping. Overcrowding causes uneven cooking and more curling. Give the bacon room to lay flat against the surface as it fries.
9. Flip Frequently
Flipping the bacon every minute or so while frying ensures even cooking on both sides. The more you flip, the less time there is for tight curls to form through uneven shrinking.
10. Pat Grease Dry
After frying, move bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Gently pat the strips with additional
How To Cook Bacon Without It Curling
How to keep Bacon from curling?
To keep bacon from curling you can put it the oven. Line foil on a cookie sheet. Lay bacon slices one at a time next to each other on sheet. Put into a 350 degree F oven and bake till done. Keep an eye on it so you can take it out according to how you like it cooked. Soft or crisp. Drain the grease before you take the bacon off.
Why is my Bacon curling?
The main reason is the way that the meat is shaped, along with the effects that the heat can have on this shape. To specify, whenever the heat is directly forced on the bacon, it starts to reduce a little in overall size. The reason why this causes the curling is because of the fat that stays inside of the meat despite it reducing in size.
How do I avoid Curly Bacon for breakfast?
T o avoid “curly” bacon for breakfast, soak it in cold water for two minutes before frying it and dry well with paper towel. New: Meal Planner Plan your weekly meals instantly from anywhere on the web Try the Meal Planner! This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.
How do you keep Bacon from splattering when cooking?
Wrap a rubber band or hair tie around the package and put it in the fridge. Later, when you cook it, the bacon strips will be easier to separate. 13. Add some water to the pan for perfect, no-splatter cooking. Get the deets at Wonder How To. 14. Craving onion rings but trying to eat low-carb? Use bacon instead of breading! 15.
