A French chef’s simple trick for achieving perfectly crispy bacon involves avoiding one common mistake many home cooks make when frying rashers
Angela Patrone Senior Lifestyle Reporter and Vita Molyneux Travel reporter
13:52, 10 Mar 2026
This method makes perfect bacon every time(Image: Brent Hofacker / 500px via Getty Images)
Bacon appears to be a beloved breakfast staple, but it’s equally delightful in sandwiches, burgers, sprinkled over salads, or combined with veg like cabbage and leeks for a wonderfully salty, crunchy texture.
Cooking bacon on the hob is not only relatively swift, but you can also customise it to your preference. If you prefer it softer, remove it from the heat earlier; if you favour it extra crisp, leave it on for a bit longer.
Writing on the Simply Recipes website, cook Jeanette Hurt has revealed one crucial technique she discovered “years ago” from French chef Jill Prescott to achieve the “crispiest bacon”.
The chef cautioned that one common error many people make will “end in disaster”.
When preparing crispy bacon, Jill’s primary rule is to never preheat the pan first. Whilst this may sound straightforward, it’s genuinely not that intuitive.
According to Jill, preheating the pan is a “big mistake”, reports the Express. Rather, bacon should begin cooking in a cold pan.
Jill’s number one rule is to always add bacon to a cold pan(Image: Getty)
Placing cold bacon into a hot pan creates several undesirable outcomes: smoke, scorched fat, and inconsistent cooking.
The fat in bacon liquefies at a lower temperature than the meat itself, meaning that when you place it into a hot pan, the fat warms up and starts to smoke before the meat has had sufficient time to cook properly.
This results in the fat rendering too rapidly, potentially causing both the fat and the meat to become burnt.
Beginning bacon in a cold pan allows the fat adequate time to melt gradually, enabling the meat to cook uniformly for that ideal crispy yet tender result.
How to cook crispy bacon in the pan
Starting bacon in a cold pan gives the fat time to melt slowly and cook evenly(Image: Getty)
Begin with a cold, dry frying pan. Place your bacon rashers flat in the pan, ensuring they don’t overlap.There’s no need to add oil or cooking spray as the bacon will release sufficient fat during cooking.Set the hob to a low or medium-low heat. Cooking bacon too quickly results in uneven cooking.A gentle heat enables the fat to render slowly and crisp up properly.Allow it to cook undisturbed for several minutes. Once the bacon begins to release its fat and turn golden, use tongs to turn it occasionally for even crisping.Cook until crispy and browned, approximately eight to 12 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness, but patience is essential.Drain on kitchen paper. Remove the bacon and allow it to rest for a minute to absorb excess grease before serving.
Dining and Cooking