Cook Perfect Bacon Every Time by Avoiding These Common Mistakes

There are few foods more satisfying than a strip of perfectly cooked bacon, whether served with pancakes for breakfast, in a BLT at lunch, or in a dinner pasta. The only catch? Cooking bacon isn't as simple as it seems, as proven by the burnt (or gummy) strips many of us have eaten in the past. Luckily, you can easily avoid the most common bacon cooking mistakes and make better bacon at home—morning, noon, or night.

Starting With a Hot Pan

Many recipes start with preheating a pan but the method for cooking bacon is a different. It's recommended to start with a cold pan, which gives the bacon fat time to render (release), according to Albert Nguyen, chef-instructor of culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education. This paves the way for a more uniform and crispy texture, he notes. Additionally, when the pan is cold, every part of the bacon that's touching the pan will receive the same amount of heat, further contributing to uniform cooking, says Nguyen.

Not Letting Bacon Rest at Room Temperature

It can be tempting to cook bacon straight from the fridge, especially when you're in a rush, but you might want to let it rest at room temperature first, says Nguyen. This way, the bacon will have a warmer starting temperature before touching the pan, allowing the meat and fat to cook more evenly.

Cooking at High Heat

Many home cooks think cooking bacon at high heat will make the bacon crispier, but hotter isn't better. "Cooking bacon at too high a temperature will [render] your bacon a lot faster," says Nguyen. "The bacon [will also] curl up more dramatically, which generally leads to uneven cooking." What's more, when the cooking temperature is too hot, "bacon meat can easily scorch and the fat can burn, [which] are elements you don't want because that will cause off flavors in your bacon," says Ashley Lonsdale, chef at ButcherBox.

Crowding the Pan

Packing as much bacon as you can fit into the pan might seem like a win because you'll have cooked more bacon, but it's a common bacon cooking mistake. "Bacon needs room to cook and crisp," says Lonsdale. "Crowding a pan with bacon slices can cause them to steam instead of crisp, resulting in uneven cooking." If you need to prepare a large amount of bacon on the stovetop, Lonsdale advises cooking it in batches for evenly cooked and crispy slices.

Using a Thin Pan

If you want to cook perfect bacon, do not use a thin pan. A thin pan will pave the way for uneven heating, causing "parts of the bacon to cook faster than others, which can result in burnt or undercooked spots," says Lonsdale. Nguyen echoes this, sharing that a thicker, heavy-bottomed pan (like a cast-iron skillet) will allow for more gradual temperatures and uniformly cooked bacon. Bonus: "The rendered fat [also] reinforces the nonstick seasoning essential to cast-iron cooking," says Lonsdale.

If you don't have a heavy-bottomed pan on hand, Lonsdale suggests cooking the bacon slowly, flipping the slices, and rotating the pan to ensure even cooking.

Not Using the Oven

Whether you're feeding a crowd or meal prepping, not using the oven to cook bacon is a major mistake. The method—which is a favorite of Martha's—is key for hands-off, splatter-free cooking. Compared to cooking on the stovetop, the oven will expose the bacon to heat from all sides, ensuring it cooks more evenly. To use this technique, follow these steps:

1. Heat your oven to 400°F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Add the bacon slices to the sheet.
4. Place in the oven. (You don't need to wait for the oven to preheat, says Lonsdale, as adding bacon to a cold oven gives the fat more time to come up to temperature—just like using a cold pan does).
5. Bake until it reaches your desired doneness, about 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets regularly.