5 from 1 votes

Twisted Bacon

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This TikTok Twisted Bacon recipe is a viral sensation for a good reason.

With totally crunchy bacon perfection and delicious chewy soft bacon on the inside, this is hands down the best and most enjoyable bacon method in a long time. Just like sausage hash brown casserole, bacon is everyone’s most favorite breakfast food and soon will be yours as well! 

Incredibly easy, this no-fail bacon is a perfect combination for a new TWIST on bacon.

pile of bacon straws on a plate.

Why you will love TikTok Twisted Bacon Strips

Great for all bacon recipes: First of all, bacon slices in any form are amazing. This awesome viral TikTok for twisted bacon gives you a great way to grab and go. Twisted bacon is the perfect way to enjoy on a salad, as a side dish, in Bloody Marys, a breakfast that is great for on the go (like a bus stop) and leads to a super juicy, crunchy bacon piece

Perfect texture: Changing how loose or tight the bacon is rolled can instantly alter the texture. Test out different curls depending on your bacon preference. 

Testing out the food trend: We are big on testing out perfect viral food trends here and it is just as fun and inspiring in your own kitchen! This TikTok twisted bacon was first shared on House of Keto and we encourage you to watch the original video and follow her there.

Ingredients

  • One package, 12-16 oz, uncooked bacon

How to Make Twisted Bacon

Preheat the oven to 400.

  1. Twist a slice of bacon and place it onto a large rimmed baking sheet. To twist bacon, take a single piece of bacon and hold onto one end firmly. Using the other hand, twist the bacon into a tight spiral. These tighter twists really make a difference when baking. 
  2. Place onto a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces of bacon are twisted and on the baking sheet and the entire pack is used. Bacon can be set side by side but do not overlap or stack.
how to twist bacon.

  1. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until crispy. 
  2. Remove the baking tray from the oven and use a metal spatula to loosen the cooked bacon from the pan. Drain bacon twist on a plate lined with a paper towel to rid of excess bacon grease. Serve the bacon straw immediately. 

Expert Rolled Bacon Tips

  • Bacon continues to harden as it is removed from heat, so once it’s out of the oven or air fryer, remember that it will begin to lose some of the greases and firm up. Depending on the kind of bacon you personally enjoy, this may mean adjusting time appropriately. 
  • Lucky for all of us, there are plenty of bacon options out there. You can easily use turkey bacon in this twisted bacon recipe, but it usually needs an adjusted cooking time backward a few minutes. Start checking around 20 minutes for the desired doneness. 

  • If you prefer easy clean-up, it is fine to add a piece of parchment paper to the baking sheet. 
  • No need to stretch and twist. Simply hold bacon with one hand, twist tightly, and place on sheet. 
  • The slight chewiness is perfect as a breakfast favorite, to add to an appetizer charcuterie board, or to enjoy as a keto-friendly snack. 
  • Bacon twirls can sit next to each other but not ON each other. 

Can TikTok Twisted Bacon be air-fried? 

Absolutely! Twisted bacon cuts time right down in the air fryer like a Ninja Foodi. However, there is less room to spread bacon out in the air fryer, so if you need a lot of bacon made, you will need to make it in several batches. 

Complete the same process by twisting (not pulling, just twisting) bacon and placing in the air fryer basket. Do not overlap bacon. Set air fryer to 400 degrees and cook between 8-12 minutes, adjusting for the thickness of the bacon.  

Once the bacon is cooked, remove with tongs. Let the air fryer basket cool and grease to solidify, and then wipe out with a paper towel. 

Ninja Foodi Trick: One trick I share with my audience on how to soak up grease in the pot.

  • Prep the air fryer by adding a piece of uncooked bread underneath the air fryer basket but inside the pressure cooker basket. See the Ninja Foodi Bacon article, for example. This helps soak up the bacon grease as it drops from the Air Fryer pan. If you are using an Instant Pot instead of a Ninja Foodi, you can still use this method.
plate of twisted bacon on a sheet pan.

What kind of bacon should I use? 

In our case, we used regular cut bacon which gave the perfect combination of stick-like crispiness. If you use thick-cut bacon, the time may need to be adjusted per package of bacon.

The type of bacon and the thickness of bacon (as well as personal preference of texture) can all result in removing a few minutes earlier or cooking a few minutes longer. 

Bacon can also be cooked with extra flavors like pepper for spicy bacon. 

bacon package.

FAQ’s

How long will bacon last? 


The best thing about bacon is that it lasts forever. It’s delicious at room temperature too. Just store in an air-tight container. You can keep your bacon-wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the fridge for several days. Just don’t forget to unwrap before eating. 

Should you use parchment paper or aluminum foil on the cookie sheet? 


Mainly using a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or a cookie sheet with parchment paper has very little to do with the cooking aspect and more to do with excess grease. People typically use those to make cleaning up easier.
Personally, we do not believe cleaning up a sheet pan is complicated so we use it as is, let grease solidify, and scrape off into the trash. I try not to use excess items if not completely necessary for monetary and environmental reasons. 

How should I dispose of bacon grease? 


There are many things that should never be dumped down a garbage disposal. Grease is at the very top of the list. It causes serious clogs and can completely destroy the system causing back-ups. Bacon grease can either be stored in a mason jar for additional use or wiped up and thrown out in the trash. 

super crispy bacon twist.

Twisted Bacon Recipe Variations

  • There has long since been a sentiment that bacon on its own is the perfect food or snack. I can’t argue with that sentiment, but bacon can also be easily seasoned.
  • For some spice, try covering bacon first with a dash of cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper, or garlic.

  • If looking for a bit of sweeter bacon, try brown sugar, maple syrup, or a honey glaze, all that is baste on about 5 minutes before the bacon is pulled out of the oven.
  • Another great way to enjoy is to try jalapeno bacon, garlic-herb bacon, chili-cayenne bacon, or even bagel seasoning. The key to most recipes is simply to experiment and enjoy!

5 from 1 votes

Twisted Bacon (TikTok Method)


Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
TikTok Viral Twisted Bacon, an easy-to-make bacon method that lines of rows of twisted bacon, for crunchy crispy bacon on the outside and soft tender center on the inside, perfect for grab and go bacon, appetizers, and family-friendly ways to enjoy MORE bacon in your life.

Equipment

  • Rimmed Baking Sheet

Ingredients
 

  • 12 oz. package of bacon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Twist a slice of bacon and place it onto a large rimmed baking sheet. To twist bacon, take a single piece of bacon and hold onto one end firmly. Using the other hand, twist the bacon into a tight spiral. These tighter twists really make a difference when baking. 
  • Place onto a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces of bacon are twisted and on the baking sheet and the entire pack is used. Bacon can be set side by side but do not overlap or stack.
  • Bake for 24-28 minutes or until crispy. Remember that bacon continues to harden after being removed from the oven, so as it gets closer to your desired level, remove and let sit for a few minutes.
  • Remove the baking tray from the oven and use a metal spatula to loosen the cooked bacon from the pan. Drain bacon twist on a plate lined with a paper towel to rid of excess bacon grease. Serve the bacon straw immediately. 

Notes

Expert Bacon Tips

  • Bacon continues to harden as it is removed from heat, so once it’s out of the oven or air fryer, remember that it will begin to lose some of the greases and firm up. Depending on the kind of bacon you personally enjoy, this may mean adjusting time appropriately. 
  • Lucky for all of us, there are plenty of bacon options out there. You can easily use turkey bacon in this twisted bacon recipe, but it usually needs an adjusted cooking time backward a few minutes. Start checking around 20 minutes for the desired doneness. 
  • If you prefer easy clean-up, it is fine to add a piece of parchment paper to the baking sheet. 
  • No need to stretch and twist. Simply hold bacon with one hand, twist tightly, and place on sheet. 
  • The slight chewiness is perfect as a breakfast favorite, to add to an appetizer charcuterie board, or to enjoy as a keto-friendly snack. 
  • Bacon twirls can sit next to each other but not ON each other.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pieces | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 38g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 128mg

Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.

Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.

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5 from 1 votes
5 from 1 vote

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One Comment

  1. Love this, great idea had never seen this before so thank you for the “how-to”! I’ll be trying this. I always cook bacon in the oven but this makes it look so much more special. Can you make this with Turkey bacon? I’m so excited to try it out.