Sous vide bacon is cooked overnight and up to 24 hours and will give you the best bacon you have ever eaten. Cooking bacon with the sous vide method will allow the bacon to maintain all the flavor, meatiness and juiciness that we love in bacon. New to sous vide? I explain in simple terms everything I know about sous vide cooking.
Before you crips, the bacon wrap it around tots and make bacon tater top bombs. Be sure to check out my complete collection of sous vide recipes.
What is sous vide bacon?
Sous vide loosely translates to 'under vacuum'. Sous vide bacon is bacon that has been cooked in a bag under the vacuum of a precision temperature-controlled water bath. The extended time and precise temperature of the sous vide makes the best-tasting bacon. Sous vide bacon is meaty, juicy, flavorful and tender.
All you pork lovers need to check out my sous vide pork chop recipe! Bacon lovers need to try my bacon jam recipe. It is Paleo and more of a spread instead of a jam.
Can this bacon be frozen?
Sous vide bacon can be made ahead and then frozen. Cook the bacon to your desired time and temperature, cool, separate and then freeze. Thaw the bacon and sear to bring the bacon to your desired crispness.
How is sous vide bacon better than pan-fried bacon?
Sous vide bacon is better than pan-fried bacon because the sous vide bacon is meaty, crips, juicy and tender. The fat is rendered out of the bacon BUT it is partially cooked IN that fat without the moisture evaporating.
The fibers of the meat are cooked slowly and at a specific temperature ensuring that they are cooked flat. I know that when I pan fry bacon I am always fighting to keep the bacon from curling up.
When the bacon curls up, I am not able to get each piece to cook the way I want it cooked. By cooking bacon sous vide, I am able to get crisp, not burnt bacon. As my daughter said, mom! It is meaty... not crumply!
Can I cook the bacon in the bag I bought it in?
Some people will say yes to sous vide the bacon in the bag you bought it in. I say no. A lot of bacon comes in 'easy open' bags. I can't trust those seals. If the bacon comes in traditional packaging, I know that there is usually a paper/cardboard information in the package. I am also pretty sure that paper is not meant to be cooked.
These are just a few reasons I transfer my bacon to either a zip-top bag or a seal and vac bag. It is up to you as it of you want to sous vide your bacon in the original packaging, this is just my advice and opinion.
Can I use regular cut bacon?
Regular cut bacon can be cooked sous vide. Just be sure to separate the pieces so they don't stick together. I find that thick-cut bacon is meatier and better suited for sous vide.
Sous Vide Bacon Ingredients:
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
Sous Vide Equipment:
- Sous vide immersion circulator or Sous Vide machine
- Sous vide bag or zip-top bag
- TongsCast iron skillet
- paper towels
Bacon tips:
- Snip a corner off the bag while the bacon is still warm and allow the fat to drain.
- Save the bacon fat for other cooking.
- Cook multiple packages of bacon at once.
How to finish sous vide bacon:
- Heat a cast-iron, or heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Pan may smoke.
- Sear the bacon for 2-3 minutes per side or until it reaches your desired crispness.
- Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
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Sous Vide Bacon
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EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 1 pound thick cut bacon
Instructions
How to sous vide bacon:
- Transfer thick cut bacon to a zip top bag or vacum and seal bag.
- Set sous vide water bath to 147F /63.8C.
- When water comes to temperature, submerge the bag completely in the water
- Cover the sous vice container to reduce evaporation.
- Cook for 8-24 hours.
- Remove from the water and cool bacon to the touch.
- Separate the bacon strips to avoid them from sticking together as the cool completely.
How to finish sous vide bacon:
- Heat a cast iron, or heavy bottom pan over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Pan may smoke.
- Sear the bacon for 2-3 minutes per side or until it reaches your desired crispness.
- Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Einar
I have made it twice. The second time I added 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar and 2 Tablespoons Bourbon! Worked Great.
Jen
I love Sous vide bacon! I sear it crisp on one side and just flash sear on the other and it will give a great crispy/tender combination
Sarah
Norma,
Personally I have never baked my sous vide bacon in the oven post bath but I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would probably do a higher temp like a 425 to get it to crips faster.
Let me know how it turns out!
Sarah
Norma
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Typically, I bake the thick sliced bacon in the oven. Would I still be able to finish the bacon in the oven after the water bath? Thanks for a great addition to my Sous Vide recipe collection!
Roy Emmerson
Sarah,
Thanks for the recipe. This is changing how I make and eat bacon.
Kind Regards,
Roy
Joanie
This is such a wonderful recipe to keep on hand. I had no idea how to cook bacon this way - thank you.
Aimee Shugarman
That bacon is perfection. I must sous vide all the things now :)