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A crispy slice of bacon is the best thing about any meal, from breakfast tacos to waffle platters to BLTs with too many toppings. But Im here to tell you: It could be even crispier.
I was looking for the simplest recipes I could find for my new book, Simply Genius, when I came across a trick that the third-generation owners of Austin’s Joe’s Bakery use. It’s so effective that their customers assume their bacon has been fried, state fair style.
“People, it’s not deep-fried,” co-owner Regina Estrada said as she talked about how her family makes it for Paula Forbes’s book The Austin Cookbook, which is where I first saw it. So what is it that makes Joe’s bacon so incomparably crisp?.
Regina’s grandfather, Joe Avila, taught her this trick: coat bacon in flour and chill it overnight. The bacon in their bean-and-egg tacos would keep its shape better and stay crispier. And the shape is important, Regina emailed me: “Always strips of bacon . Never crumbled. ” (Any crumbly bits and bacon grease go into their beans. ).
The kitchen staff at the bakery now coats 15-pound cases of bacon in all-purpose flour, one slice at a time. They then put the bacon on a sheet pan and put it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, around 4 a.m., they cook the bacon on a griddle. m. to use throughout the day. But for first-time cooks and busy home cooks, the best way to cook a bunch of bacon at once is on the same sheet pan in the oven.
Crispy bacon is one of life’s simple pleasures. There’s nothing quite like that first crunchy bite of a perfectly cooked strip of bacon. However leftover bacon often loses its crispness and becomes dry, chewy and less appetizing.
While it’s easy to make bacon crispy when it’s fresh getting it back to that delightful texture after storage or reheating can be tricky. Luckily with a few simple tricks, you can transform sad, limp bacon back to its former crispy glory.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about softening crispy bacon, from why it loses its texture to foolproof techniques for bringing back the crunch. Let’s dive in!
Why Bacon Loses Its Crispness
To understand how to re-crisp bacon, it helps to first look at why it loses that delicious crispness in the first place. There are a few key culprits:
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Moisture – Bacon contains water and fat. As it cooks, the water evaporates and the fat renders out, leading to crisping. But after cooking, bacon reabsorbs moisture from the air, making it limp.
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Improper storage – Bacon left out at room temperature or improperly stored will get soggy. Even refrigeration introduces moisture.
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Reheating methods – The wrong reheating technique can parcook bacon, steaming it instead of crisping it.
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Fat composition – Bacon with more moisture-rich fat vs. lean meat can get floppy when cool.
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Cooking errors – Undercooking bacon prevents full moisture loss and fat rendering for crispness.
Knowing what makes bacon go limp helps inform the best techniques for bringing back crunch.
Best Ways to Re-Crisp Bacon
From using the oven to the microwave to the skillet, here are the top methods for re-crisping bacon:
Oven Crisping
The oven is a great option for reheating large batches of bacon evenly. The hot, dry air of the oven dehydrates the bacon, evaporating moisture.
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Place bacon strips in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to allow air circulation.
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Cook for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Watch closely to avoid burning.
Skillet Crisping
A hot skillet gives you more control when crisping up smaller amounts of bacon.
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Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add bacon strips and fry for 2-3 minutes per side until crispy.
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Drain on paper towels. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Microwave Crisping
The microwave can re-crisp bacon in a flash, but it risks uneven cooking. Use it for quick crisping of a few pieces.
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Layer 3-4 paper towels on a microwave-safe plate.
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Arrange bacon strips in a single layer. Cover with 2 more paper towels.
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Microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute until crispy. Check frequently.
Air Fryer Crisping
The hot circulating air of an air fryer is ideal for making bacon crispy fast with less mess.
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Preheat air fryer to 370°F.
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Add bacon strips in a single layer, making sure not to overcrowd.
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Cook 6-8 minutes until crispy, flipping halfway.
Pan Broiling
Pan broiling gives bacon crispy edges while heating through. It works best for thinner bacon slices.
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Heat a skillet over medium heat.
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Add bacon in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes.
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Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until crispy. Don’t move it while cooking.
Tips for Extra Crispy Bacon
Follow these handy tips for bacon with maximum crunch:
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Pat bacon dry before crisping to remove surface moisture.
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Preheat pans and ovens fully before adding bacon.
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Cook bacon on wire racks to allow airflow all around.
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Blot bacon on paper towels after cooking to soak up grease.
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Use thick-cut bacon, which stays crisper than thin.
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Cook bacon just until crisp; don’t overdo it. Burnt bacon toughens.
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Chill bacon 10 minutes before crisping; cold bacon crisps faster.
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Add a touch of oil to the pan to crisp; the fat helps transmit heat.
How to Keep Bacon Crispy
Crispy bacon is best enjoyed right away. But if you need to keep it crisp for a short time, try these handy storage tips:
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Drain bacon on paper towels or a wire rack before storing.
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Let bacon cool completely before storing; trapped steam softens it.
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Store crispy cooked bacon pieces separately or they’ll steam each other.
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Seal bacon in an airtight container to prevent moisture absorption.
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Refrigerate crispy bacon and use within 2 days for best texture.
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For long-term storage, freeze bacon up to 3 months. Re-crisp frozen bacon before eating.
Common Reheating Mistakes
It’s easy to accidentally ruin the crispy texture when reheating bacon. Avoid these common pitfalls:
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Microwaving too long, which steams and toughens bacon.
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Baking too many pieces on one pan, which causes steaming.
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Not patting bacon dry before reheating, leaving moisture intact.
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Frying over high heat, leading to burned edges.
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Not reheating bacon thoroughly so the centers remain limp.
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Leaving reheated crispy bacon in a steamy environment before eating.
Bacon Texture Troubleshooting
Having trouble getting your reheated bacon crispy? Use this handy troubleshooting guide:
Bacon is limp and soggy
- Pat dry before reheating
- Use a wire rack in the oven
- Reheat at a higher temp
- Cook bacon less initially
Bacon is burnt in spots
- Use lower oven temp
- Flip bacon more frequently
- Fry over medium vs. high heat
Bacon is chewy and tough
- Don’t overcook initially
- Choose thicker cut bacon
- Reheat just until hot; don’t overdo
Bacon edges curl
- Use lower oven temp
- Cook on lower heat skillet
- Press down with spatula when frying
Bacon sticks to the pan
- Use a well-seasoned cast iron or nonstick pan
- Add a touch of oil before reheating
- Fry over medium vs. high heat
Bacon has white spots
- Pat bacon dry before cooking
- Make sure pan is hot before adding bacon
- Cook thicker cut bacon at lower temp
FAQs About Softening Crispy Bacon
Got questions about re-crisping bacon? Here are answers to some common queries:
How do you soften crispy bacon in the microwave?
Place bacon between paper towels and microwave in 30 second bursts until heated through and slightly softened. Take care not to overcook.
Why does my bacon get chewy after being crispy?
Bacon reabsorbs moisture as it cools, leading to chewiness. Excessive cooking can also toughen bacon.
Is it better to bake or fry bacon for crispness?
Baking allows for very even crisping, while frying gives more control for customized crispness.
Should you cook bacon from frozen or thawed?
For food safety, it’s best to thaw frozen bacon in the fridge before cooking. Cooking from frozen can lead to undercooking.
How can you make store-bought crispy bacon soft again?
Gently warm store-bought crispy bacon in the oven at 300°F for 5-10 minutes until heated through and slightly softened.
Get Perfectly Crispy Bacon Every Time
With the right techniques, you can easily re-crisp limp, sad bacon and recapture that delicious crunchy texture. Now you have all the tips and tricks you need for brisk, flaky bacon that stays crispy even when stored or reheated.
Armed with this crispy bacon knowledge, you can say goodbye to chewy, droopy strips and hello to crispy bacon bliss. So go forth and enjoy this tasty treat in all its glory!
Can you swap all-purpose for another flour?
The traditional dredge at Joe’s Bakery is all-purpose flour, but you can use other flours and starches in your pantry if you need to cater to gluten-free people or just want to try something new. Each will add its own flavor to the breaded crunch.
Sweet rice flour leaves a delicate, shattering edge. Whole grains with more nuts, like rye, are more likely to chew and taste earthier, which brings out the smoky flavors of the bacon. Cornstarch leaves a fine, flaky crunch (just be sure to shake off the excess—it’s a clinger).
And any of these riffs will be the best part of your club sandwich or pancake breakfast, just like all good bacon. But now, with Joe’s genius trick, it will be even better.
How does flour make bacon crispier?
As Southern cooks like my late grandmother Grace could tell you, pretty much everything—and especially proteins like ribs or catfish—is better when coated in seasoned flour, then shallow-fried. Grace’s Sunday specialty was thin slices of pork belly cooked this way, alongside biscuits and gravy. (She lived to be 98, so feel free to consider this a prescription for a long, happy life.)
This is why: sprinkling something with flour before frying it makes it brown faster, dries the surface so it crisps up more evenly, and protects the outside of the food.
When you use bacon, which is an all-in-one ingredient that seasoning and cooking fat, you don’t have to season the flour or line a pan with oil to fry. You just need high heat and the bacon goes right ahead and fries itself.