How To Prevent Your Bacon From Shrinking Once It Hits The Pan

Bacon is an anytime staple, and no matter how it's prepared, bacon is beloved. But, if it is constantly shrinking up on you when you fry it up in a pan or bake it in the oven, this is a bacon hack you need to know. It's time to start rinsing your bacon slices with water before you cook them.

Bacon is a fatty meat, and this element gives those strips of pork all their flavor. However, when they hit the skillet or start sizzling on the sheet pan in the oven, that fat starts to melt, which causes the bacon to shrink. Additionally, bacon has moisture from the curing process that evaporates as the strips begin to get hot, leaving those crisp, crunchy savory pieces. As the bacon's fat melts away and it loses moisture, it shrinks. That said, rinsing the strips with water can help limit the amount of shrinkage to a point.

It is important to set your expectations with this hack. This trick is all about size and not flavor. Some say that rinsing bacon in water reduces shrinkage by 50%, but this is not accurate — it is much less. And, while it still does offer a small benefit, your rinsed bacon is still not likely to reach its full potential as far as size goes if you are frying it up in a pan. 

But, there is one other sure fire way to reduce bacon from shrinking. In fact, the best way to prevent bacon from shrinking is cooking it on a sheet pan in a hot oven for three times as long as the packaging calls for, or up to 30 minutes – think low, about 365 degrees Fahrenheit, and slow. This will produce perfect bacon every time. The slow-roasted oven technique is also the best technique to use if you are cooking the meat for a large crowd.