I cooked bacon three different ways to find out which makes for the crispiest and tastiest rashers, and the best was not cooked in the frying pan.
Angela Patrone Senior Lifestyle Reporter
04:03, 06 Apr 2026
I cooked bacon three different ways to find out which makes for the crispiest and tastiest rashers(Image: ruksutakarn via Getty Images)
Bacon is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be paired with a vast array of dishes — from creamy scrambled eggs and juicy burgers to quiche, baked potatoes and even pancakes for that irresistible sweet and salty combination. When it comes to cooking, however, there are firmly two bacon preferences: those who prefer an evenly crispy, well-rendered rasher, and those who favour a chewier texture.
Personally, I fall firmly into the evenly crispy, well-rendered rasher camp, though achieving that perfectly cooked result is far from consistent.
My preferred method is typically the air fryer, though I occasionally resort to the frying pan. To determine which approach delivers the finest results, I put three methods to the test — the frying pan, the oven, and the air fryer.
The top-performing method required no clearing up afterwards, though it did come with one notable drawback.
If you prefer your bacon more chewy than crispy, pan frying is the method for you(Image: Angela Patrone)
Pan frying
This is the most widely used method of cooking bacon, requiring nothing more than placing rashers into a preheated pan. For this test, I heated the pan over a medium heat and arranged the bacon in a single layer — you can comfortably fit roughly four slices at a time.
I cooked the bacon until crispy, which took approximately eight to 10 minutes. Throughout the process, I flipped the rashers regularly and adjusted the temperature as necessary to prevent burning. For those who favour chewy bacon over crispy, this is the cooking method to try. While there was a slight crispness to it, this was barely noticeable, reports the Express.
This approach required a dash of oil to prevent the bacon from sticking to the pan, yet the results were far too greasy. On top of that, this particular cooking method left quite a mess on the hob.
Air frying is for anyone who prefers bacon with contrasting textures(Image: Angela Patrone)
Air frying
Cooking bacon in an air fryer offers the benefit of a largely hands-off approach, though it does involve a few trade-offs. Beginning by preheating the air fryer to 180°C, three rashers were arranged vertically in the basket — the maximum number that could fit comfortably.
The bacon was cooked for approximately seven minutes, with a flip halfway through. This technique suits those who enjoy bacon with contrasting textures, with certain parts remaining pleasantly chewy while others become thoroughly rendered and delightfully crisp.
While this is a reliable option, it wasn’t the standout favourite amongst the three methods tested.
Baking in the oven is the absolute best way to cook evenly crispy and consistent bacon(Image: Angela Patrone)
Baking in the oven
Unfortunately, only three rashers remained to put this method through its paces, though it’s ideally suited to those cooking a large number of rashers simultaneously.
For this approach, the oven was preheated to 180°C fan and the bacon was laid out on a lined baking tray. It should be baked until crispy, for around 20 minutes, turning the rashers over halfway through the cooking time. The absolute best method for cooking evenly crispy and consistent bacon in large quantities is in the oven. This proved to be the preferred technique as it ticked all the crucial boxes: hands-off preparation, perfectly crispy results and minimal mess.
This is also amongst the most straightforward approaches, demonstrating that occasionally the easiest, no-fuss techniques yield the finest outcomes.
The sole drawback to this method is that it requires twice as long to cook bacon in the oven compared to alternative approaches.
Dining and Cooking