Cooking it is easy. You can pan-fry it, but since I make an entire package at a time, I find it easiest to bake it in the oven. I never tried beef bacon until a few months ago when I saw it on a restaurant menu. I ordered it and was immediately hooked! It wasn’t as crispy as oven bacon made with pork bacon, but it was incredibly flavorful. Back home, I realized I could buy this bacon at Whole Foods Market. I immediately started experimenting. The recipe below is my preferred way of cooking this rich and flavorful bacon.
Recipe Card
Once you open the package, you should get about 8 slices, some wider and some narrower, but all of them cut very thin: Good options include garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. My personal favorite? A sprinkle of smoked paprika. I love the smoky flavor it adds.
Broiling
Arrange the slices on a foil-lined, broiler-safe, rimmed baking sheet. Set the oven to broil on high (500°F) and position a rack 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below). Broil the bacon until browned, about 7 minutes. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.
Pan-Frying
This is suitable if you’re making half a package, as the whole package won’t fit into one skillet. But you could always use two skillets or a double-burner griddle. Place the slices in a large cold skillet. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until browned, turning often, for a total of about 10 minutes.
Oven-Baking
This is my preferred method. Here’s an overview of the steps. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Place the bacon slices on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake them in a 400°F oven until they are browned. This should take 15-20 minutes. In my oven, it takes 20 minutes. Place the bacon briefly on paper towels, then serve. It’s not too difficult to time cooking the eggs to the last 5 minutes the bacon needs to spend in the oven. I sometimes pair it with keto biscuits, breakfast tomatoes, breakfast mushrooms, or egg muffins. You can also use this bacon in many recipes that call for pork bacon, such as Cobb salad, bacon deviled eggs, lettuce sandwich, and avocado chicken salad. Another option is to turn it into lunch by adding a veggie such as tomatoes or boiled green beans, as shown in the photos below: Start with a few seconds for every two slices and see if you need to add more. The reheated slices will be chewy but still very tasty.
