Mary Hunt, a cooking expert and founder of Everyday Cheapskate, has shared her simple method for cooking bacon without any mess, and she says it’s a “game-changer”
Everyone loves a bacon roll, but the prospect of cleaning up afterwards can be daunting, with the greasy aftermath often deterring would-be chefs from indulging in this breakfast delight. Cooking expert and Everyday Cheapskate founder Mary Hunt has let us in on a secret: the best way to cook bacon isn’t on the hob, but in the oven.
Mary confessed: “Until I gave it a try, I assumed cooking bacon in the oven would be messier and more time-consuming than using my cast iron skillet on the stovetop. But I was so wrong. With the oven method, I can cook an entire pound of bacon without babysitting it.
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“The bacon stays flat, there are no splatters and best of all? The smell doesn’t linger forever.” It might seem too good to be true, but oven-cooked bacon isn’t just simpler – it also comes out tastier and with a superior texture due to its even cooking.
When frying bacon, the fat often cooks quicker than the meat, leading to burnt edges and an undercooked centre. Conversely, oven baking allows the fat to render slowly, ensuring the bacon crisps up uniformly while also caramelising the natural sugars for an enhanced flavour profile.
How to cook bacon in the oven
Simply arrange your rashers on a tray in a single layer, taking care not to overlap them. For an even easier clean-up, consider placing a sheet of baking paper over the bacon in the oven to soak up extra grease.
Pop the bacon into the preheated oven for about 18 minutes or until it reaches a golden brown hue and is cooked according to your preference, reports the Express.
After baking, transfer the bacon onto some kitchen towels to remove excess grease and then lay it on a buttered roll for a delicious serving.
Cooking enthusiast Mary shared: “Set the timer, and you’re done. The oven takes care of everything automatically. No flipping, no checking, and no splatters.”
She added with enthusiasm: “The bacon bubbles and sizzles away, but here’s the best part-no splattering! Just perfectly cooked bacon every time, without the mess.”