I’m talking about broiling bacon in the oven. Yes, that setting on your oven you usually ignore because it sounds like something a medieval knight would do. But let me tell you: broiling is the superhero bacon deserves. It’s faster than baking, crispier than pan-frying, and it doesn’t require you to suit up in chainmail.
Here’s the surprising fact that will blow your bacon-loving mind: broiling cooks bacon in roughly half the time of baking, and it renders fat far more evenly. You get uniform, shatter-crisp strips without having to babysit them like a nervous new parent.
Why Your Stovetop Is Lying to You
Your stovetop has been gaslighting you. It whispers, “I’m the traditional way,” while secretly plotting to ruin your shirt and your patience. The pan heats unevenly, so one strip turns into charcoal while its neighbor remains a sad, flabby noodle. Broiling uses intense, direct heat from above, which hits every strip like a tiny sun. No flipping. No hovering. Just pure, glorious sizzle.
Plus, let’s talk about the mess. Pan-frying launches grease particles into the stratosphere. You’ll find a slick film on your cabinets, your coffee mug, and possibly your cat. Oven broiling contains the chaos. Line a baking sheet with foil, set a wire rack on top, and let the fat drip down like it’s confessing its sins. Cleanup is a two-second foil toss.