Crispy bacon is arguably the most popular item in a full English breakfast, but frying it in oil isn’t great for our bodies – now, a chef has come up with a healthier way to get that perfect crunch
We’re always looking for healthier ways to enjoy our favourite foods and thankfully a cook has come up with a trick that is sure to please breakfast-loving Brits.
Bacon is arguably the most popular item in the classic full English, but frying the meat in oil isn’t great for our bodies. But did you know there’s a low-calorie alternative that can provide you with the perfect level of crispiness?
Let’s Eat (@letseat_uk) explains how in a simple TikTok instructional video. “This is how you cook the perfect crispy bacon in water every single every time,” they began, revealing the not so secret ingredient.
First, they added their rashes to a cold pan, before drizzling just enough water to cover the surface of the bacon. “Turn your stove on to a medium-low,” Let’s Eat continued, adding that using water allows the initial cooking temperature to remain “low and gentle”, meaning the meat remains its moisture as the fat renders.
“Adding bacon to add a hot pan doesn’t allow the fat to fully render, which is why it can become chewy and you might need to overcook the bacon in order to get the fat crispy,” they explained. “This way, by the time the water has started to boil, the bacon fat is already fully rendered, which gives it a beautiful crisp rather than burning.”
Let’s Eat added that if you’re using a type of bacon that has a lot of fat, the rendered fat will finish the cook once the water has evaporated. They added a crucial tip for bacon lovers: “If you’re using a type of bacon that doesn’t have a lot of fat, just before the water evaporates add in a touch of oil to the pan as once the water is gone you’ll want enough fat in the pan to finish the cook. Once it’s evaporated, cook to your desired level and flip them over to finish.”
Other TikTok users chimed in with their own methods, with one suggesting: “Just put bacon on a rack in the oven at 220C, cook for 10 minutes and perfection.” A second recommended a microwave approach: “Or just put bacon in between table napkins and dump them in the microwave for two to three minutes (depending on the microwave).
A third person advocated for a healthier option: “I never fry, it’s unhealthy, I grill bacon and sausage – grills all the fat out.” Meanwhile, a fourth user cautioned against a current trend: “There is a trend at the moment to way over cook bacon to make it so crisp it loses all meatyness. Ruined. Get some scratchings or crackling instead.”