Even though it’s generally accepted that when it comes to cooking big batches of bacon, it’s best to do it in the oven, I’m stubborn and still insist on doing it on the stove. I’ve done it in the oven before, but I never seem to be able to fit as much bacon on the wire racks as I’d like, and I hate dealing with the splatter and a tray of bacon grease later. But now People reports, someone has come up with a new way to bake off bacon: by twisting it. And yes, that someone posted it on TikTok.
There’s a lot of these twisted bacon videos out there, but it looks like user Abby Durlewanger, who posts on @houseofketo, is the one who popularized it. This method looks particularly useful if you’re making batches of bacon to snack on or eat with breakfast. Instead of laying it flat, you twist each piece of bacon vertically into a meaty swizzle stick. People tried it out and confirmed that the trick works well, although it can take as long as 40 minutes to bake up a sheet: “Something about the little nooks and crannies you get from twirling the strips makes for the perfect combination of crispy and chewy.”
Personally, I like this idea, and I’m wondering if this would work well in my air fryer where basket space is pretty limited. I could probably fit more bacon into the basket that way. Because the basket is raised, the bacon wouldn’t be simmering in its own grease, either, and the convection would help keep each twist crisp and crunchy.
Aside from just having it for a side with some eggs or something, People came up with another good suggestion: You can put bacon twists upright in a glass to accompany a charcuterie board or snack tray. I bet a bacon swizzle would also make a pretty good garnish for a bloody mary too, or as a snack with a michelada when you’re out soaking up that summer sun.