Take your burger to the next level with these simple, crispy bacon rings that fit perfectly every time! No more broken strips or bacon dangling off the edges! This hack makes sure you enjoy bacon in every single bite!
Bacon That Fits The Bun
I freaking love bacon. Almost as much as I love pizza, to be honest. However, my biggest pet peeve is when I make a bacon cheeseburger, the bacon strips stick straight out like a set of arms and legs hanging out the sides.
You never got bacon in every bite, and I just felt like I was robbed on certain bites. So enter bacon rings. For maximum coverage on the bun, I recommend using two rings per bun, but that’s just my preference.
What you get is a killer burger where nothing is hanging out the sides (or falling off – because if the overhang of bacon falls off your burger while I’m giving it to you, those bits are fair game to all. This is super easy and honestly, my favorite way to add bacon to a burger.
Bacon Burger Rings Ingredients
I’m embarrassed by this recipe, as it’s technically a recipe, but it’s just one ingredient – okay, two if you use pepper or a seasoning.
What’s most important here is the technique, not the seasonings. Watch the video.
- Bacon
- Black Pepper *optional
Chef Lori’s #1 Tip for Making Bacon Rings
- Ensure your scissors are sharp and clean. I find using a knife more cumbersome than clean kitchen shears.
How to Cut and Form Bacon Rings
You have a couple of options – placing the strip of bacon in a circle first, then cutting it, or cutting it partially, then arranging it on the cooling rack in a circle.
- Preheat the oven and line a half-sheet pan with foil. Place a cooling rack on top of it.
- Take one slice of bacon, fold it loosely in half lengthwise, and make a slit at the center point without going all the way through (do not cut the bacon in half!).
- Arrange it on the cooling rack and repeat filling up your cooling rack (but do not overlap the rings).
- If desired, sprinkle with black pepper and bake. Thinner bacon will take less time than thicker bacon. Naturally, adjust to your desired crispness, but note that it will continue to crisp/firm up while cooling.
- Carefully transfer the cooked bacon onto a paper towel-lined tray. Let it firm up slightly, then either add it to your burger or sandwich, or cool completely and place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
How to Use Bacon Rings
I immediately went for a bacon cheeseburger. I piled mine up with three rings of bacon as well. When you make these, using them right away, they will sit flat on the burger.
However, since mine were air-drying while I was taking the photos and videos, they crisped up even more, and I didn’t want to push down on the bun to break them.
These burgers are a great suggestion:
Crispy Bacon FAQs
- Do I have to bake the bacon? Yes, if you want rings. Technically, you can fry it, but that involves using toothpicks to keep the bacon closed and form a circular shape, and then flipping it. It’s more of a hassle to do it this way.
- Can I use turkey bacon? Yes, but why would you??? LOL Sorry, but I’m seriously not into turkey bacon at all. Be sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.
- Can I use flavored bacon? Absolutely! Be adventurous!
- What other seasonings can I use? I’ve candied it, used sriracha, maple glazed, bourbon, and BBQ rubs on it. The sky is the limit, to be honest.
How to Reheat Bacon
Now, having leftover bacon is a myth, an urban legend even. It’s something I’ve never seen or experienced, but on the internet, others claim this has occurred.
- OVEN: Let the bacon come to room temp (just enough to remove the chill). Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the cooked bacon on top and reheat for about 5-10 minutes to warm through.
- MICROWAVE: If necessary, place it on a paper towel-lined microwave-safe dish. Add the bacon, cover with another paper towel, and microwave for 15-25 seconds.
- SKILLET: Preheat a pan over medium heat. Add the bacon in a single layer. Cook for ~2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for an additional minute or two.
Here’s what I used:
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How to Make Crispy Bacon Rings Recipe
Take your burger to the next level with these simple, crispy bacon rings that fit perfectly every time! No more broken strips or bacon dangling off the edges! This hack makes sure you enjoy bacon in every single bite!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: ~8 people
- Category: bacon, burger topping, crispy bacon, back hack, bacon lover
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: bacon, burger topping, crispy bacon, back hack, bacon lover
Ingredients
- 1 pound of bacon
- black pepper* optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a half-sheet pan with foil and place a cooling rack on top of it.
- Take one slice of bacon, fold it loosely in half lengthwise, and make a slit at the center point without going all the way through (do not cut the bacon in half!).
- Place the slice onto the cooling rack and shape it into a circle, overlapping the ends by at least 1/2″, leaving a ‘hole’ in the middle. Try to have the bacon lie as flat as possible.
- Sprinkle some black pepper over the top and place the pan into the oven.
- Bake for ~20-25 minutes for regular-cut bacon; thick-cut bacon will take about 22-28 minutes. Naturally, adjust to your desired crispness, but note that it will continue to crisp/firm up while cooling.
- Carefully transfer the cooked bacon onto a paper towel-lined tray. Let it firm up slightly, then either add it to your burger or sandwich, or cool completely and place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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