Sous Vide Bacon

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For the best bacon you’ll ever taste, you need to try this Sous Vide Bacon recipe. It’s tender, juicy and crispy, and the perfect addition to weekend brunches!

I know, you might be skeptical about using the sous vide to cook bacon for 24 hours, but I promise, this method yields the most amazing bacon!

Thick cut bacon is sealed in a bag and cooks slowly in its own juices in a sous vide water bath. This makes the bacon ultra juicy and tender.

Then, it gets seared in a hot skillet to give it a crispy exterior and is perfect served with these air fryer hash browns for breakfast. 

I love this method over traditional methods of cooking bacon as it never turns out chewy or rubbery!

The bacon actually reminds me of this sous vide pork belly because it’s so melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

You can use it on anything that asks for bacon...like this bagel breakfast sandwich, croque madame, breakfast fried rice or honey roasted parsnips.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• What is Sous Vide?
• Other Sous Vide Recipes
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Make ahead instructions
• Serving options
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Why this recipe works

1. Using thick cut bacon ensures the bacon is meaty and tender with a melt-in-your-mouth texture!
2. You can cook the bacon for as little as 12 hours or up to 24 hours, it just depends on your desired texture. The long cooking time also gives you plenty of time to prepare other brunch dishes!
3. It’s perfect for making ahead. Just cook the bacon in the water bath, then store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to crisp up and serve!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use sous vide magnets) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum-seal bags

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

Other Sous Vide Recipes

• Sous Vide Ham
• Sous Vide Shrimp
• Sous Vide Lamb Shanks
• Sous Vide Short Ribs

Ingredients

The ingredient list is super simple! You only need 1 package of thick cut bacon. 

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 145F degrees.

Place the bacon in a vacuum seal bag and seal.

Cook bacon for 12-24 hours (24 hours results in the most tender bacon).

Remove and place in an ice bath for a few minutes to cool.

Open the bag and separate the bacon slices carefully.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon slices in a single layer (you will have to cook in batches).

Cook about 5-7 minutes per side, or until bacon is crisped and golden brown.

Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to allow the grease to drain.

Serve with crispy hash browns and sous vide scrambled eggs or add it to this ultimate bagel breakfast sandwich!

Expert tips

1. To avoid bacteria entering the bag while the bacon cooks, make sure the sealable bag is sealed properly.
2. The bag may start to float, especially for a long cooking time of 24 hours. For safe and even cooking, the bag should be completely submerged in the water bath. 
3. To prevent floating, use something heavy to weigh the bag down like a wet towel or a sous vide sinker weight. 
4. If air gets in the bag, you can just open it, let the air out and reseal it. 
5. You’ll also need to make sure that the water level is maintained in the water bath. If evaporation occurs, just add more water to the bath.
6. For the best results, make sure you’re using thick cut bacon. If you use regular cut bacon, it will not turn out as tender and juicy.
7. After the water bath, you’ll need to brown the bacon for 5-7 minutes per side. Be careful not to over brown it as the bacon may burn or get too crispy and lose its tender texture.
8. For even browning, arrange the bacon in a single layer in the skillet. This will require browning it in 2-3 batches.
9. Feel free to double the recipe by placing two bags of bacon in your water bath (as long as they both fit).

Common questions

Make ahead instructions

You can sous vide bacon in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer.

To do this, once the bacon comes out of the water bath, keep it in the ice bath until it’s completely cooled. Then, store the sealed bag in the fridge or freezer.

When ready to eat, open the bag, peel the bacon pieces apart and brown according to the recipe. (If the bacon is frozen, let it defrost in the fridge first before peeling apart and browning).

Serving options

Bacon is perfect for breakfast, brunch or even breakfast for dinner! Here are a few recipes that go perfectly with bacon:

• Sous Vide Soft Boiled Eggs
• Sous Vide Egg Bites
• Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
• Cornmeal Pancakes
• Cheesy Sausage Quiche with Shrimp 
• Cornmeal Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

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