Bacon is a beloved breakfast food for many people. The salty, smoky flavor of crispy bacon complementing eggs, pancakes, waffles and more is hard to resist! When cooking bacon, you have a choice to make: Do you chop the bacon before cooking, or after?
This article will examine the pros and cons of chopping bacon before versus after cooking. We’ll look at factors like cook time, fat splatter, consistency of chop, ease of use, and taste to help you determine the best method for your needs.
Chopping Before Cooking
Here are some of the potential benefits to chopping bacon before cooking:
- Shorter, more consistent cook times – Chopped bacon will cook faster and more evenly since the heat can access more surface area.
- Less splatter – Bacon chopped into smaller pieces will pop and splatter less than long strips.
- Easier to combine – If adding crumbled bacon to things like salads, omelets or baked goods, pre-chopped bacon is easier to mix in evenly.
- Uniform texture – The consistency of chop will be the same throughout.
However, there are a few downsides to consider with chopping bacon before cooking:
- Time consuming prep – It takes more time and effort up front.
- Potentially dry – The smaller pieces may end up drier or overcooked.
- Less bacon flavor – Pre-chopped bacon has more exposed surface area to release flavorful fat during cooking.
- Hard to remove from package – The chopped pieces can be more difficult to get out of the bacon packaging.
Chopping After Cooking
Chopping bacon after cooking has some advantages:
- Easier prep – Simply open package and put strips in pan.
- Crispier texture – The larger strips will have crispy edges and chewy middles.
- Intense bacon flavor – Fat renders out of the big strips, seasoning the meat fully.
- Natural variations – Thicker and thinner parts of the strip will lead to nice textural differences.
There are also a few negatives to keep in mind with post-cook chopping:
- Inconsistent chop – Pieces may be uneven since you are chopping hand cut strips.
- Longer cook time – You have to fully cook long strips before chopping can begin.
- More splatter – Large strips will pop and splatter hot fat around more.
- Hard to incorporate – Chopping after makes it trickier to mix bacon into things like salads or omelets.
Comparing Methods by Cooking Process
To better understand the differences, let’s walk through the cooking process step-by-step for each method:
Chopping Before Cooking
- Cut bacon strips into smaller 1/2 inch pieces before cooking.
- Add chopped bacon to cold pan and turn heat to medium.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until evenly browned.
- Remove chopped bacon pieces from pan and drain on paper towel.
Total time: 10-12 minutes
Chopping After Cooking
- Add full bacon strips to cold pan and turn heat to medium.
- Cook for 14-16 minutes, flipping occasionally until crispy.
- Transfer cooked bacon strips to cutting board to cool slightly.
- Chop cooled bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces.
Total time: 16-18 minutes
As you can see, chopping the bacon before cooking saves a few minutes of cooking time. But cooking whole strips first results in crisper, more flavorful bacon. So it depends what your priorities are!
Pros and Cons Comparison Table
Here is a table summarizing the main pros and cons of each method:
| Chop Before Cooking | Chop After Cooking |
|---|---|
Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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Conclusion
So what’s the verdict – is it better to chop bacon before or after cooking?
Here are some final recommendations based on your needs:
Chop Before If You Want:
- Fast, even cooking
- Fewer pops and splatters
- Easily incorporated crumbles
- Uniform texture and color
Chop After For:
- Maximum bacon flavor
- Nice crispy and chewy combo
- Interesting variations in the finished chop
- Minimal prep work
There are good reasons for both methods. If you’re short on time in the morning, pre-chopping may be the way to go. But for weekend brunches or blt’s, letting the bacon fully crisp up before getting your chop on will maximize that incredible taste.
No matter which way you chop it, bacon brings joy. Now it’s time to cook some up and enjoy!