Bacon in a Wok & After School Sandwiches 

The sight of sizzling bacon in a wok is an image that’s stuck with me since childhood! It also happens to be a great way to cook bacon, with the perfect mix of chewy and crispy.

Growing up, Sarah and I had a nanny for a brief stint who would whip up bacon sandwiches as the most incredible after school snack. She’d chuck a bunch of bacon into the wok, stir-fry it with chopsticks, and grab a few slices of bread. 

Minutes later, we were noshing on the most delicious bacon sandwiches I’ve ever eaten, usually with a nice tall glass of chocolate milk. It wasn’t the healthiest “snack,” but it certainly kept us quiet! This recipe is an homage to after-school decadence and her no-nonsense brilliance! 

Why Consider Cooking Bacon in a Wok

There are a lot of tricks out there for cooking bacon. Starting it on a cold pan, cooking it on a wire rack in the oven, cooking it on foil, on parchment paper, etc. We’re a cast-iron skillet house ourselves, but one only has so many cast-iron skillets. What if it’s already being used for eggs or pancakes? 

That’s when you turn to your trusty wok! Cooking bacon in a wok is FAST, since the metal is thin and heats quickly. It’s also a great way to season newer woks, wash fewer dishes (like oily sheet pans and racks), and reduce your reliance on foil and parchment paper. Plus, the wok has a built-in drainage system. The grease pools to the center, and the bacon can be drained along the sides. 

Above all though, cooking bacon in a wok yields what I think is the perfect mix of crispiness and chewiness. 

The Eternal Debate: Crispy or Chewy?

Who decided that perfectly flat and crisp pieces of bacon are best? After all, much of the aforementioned tricks are in the pursuit of just that. I myself enjoy a less fussy approach that ensures there are chewy and crispy sections in equal measure. 

The wok is perfect for this, because you start by laying the pieces out flat, and end with stir-frying the bacon with a wok spatula to finish it off. Et voila: bacon that’s not too chewy and not too crispy! 

Tips for Great Bacon

Frying bacon can be a bit of a dud job at breakfast time. It’s high stakes, you end up smelling like bacon after, and the likelihood of getting splattered with hot grease is high. Inevitably, I was that person growing up, but on the bright side, I have much bacon wisdom to share!

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of manning the bacon pan: 

• Do your best to think ahead and defrost your bacon (or use a fresh pack).
• Make a little (or a lot) more than you think you’ll need. No one should ever have to fight over bacon, and someone will always polish off the last piece. 
• Some say that starting bacon on a cold pan keeps it from curling. I’ve done both methods and I’ve found that I get a mixed bag of results in either case.
• Chopsticks are your best friend. But read on to see why we often use a spatula when cooking bacon in a wok! 
• Three flips yield an even consistency. The first flip should be when the one cooked side of the bacon is partially cooked, but not yet crisp. The second flip should be when the other side is almost as crispy as you want it to be. And the third and final flip should be to brown the other side to the perfect consistency. There’s something about this method that time and time again has proven to be the most effective way to avoid overly crisp or burned bacon! 

As for our favorite way to eat that wok bacon? Sandwiched between two pieces of crusty bread, toasted in the drippings. If you look at these photos and don’t drool, you’d probably fail a captcha test! 

Wok Bacon Sandwiches: Recipe Instructions

You only need two ingredients for this recipe: good bacon and a nice, crusty bread. We used sourdough.

Heat your wok over high heat. It should be just smoking right before you add the bacon. Lay the bacon strips in a single layer across the wok. Don’t be shy about putting a few pieces along the sides of the wok. 

Don’t move the bacon around for the first minute or so. If it’s getting too dark, turn the heat down slightly. The fat should start melting and crisping.

Next, using chopsticks or a spatula, flip the bacon when it’s partially browned but not fully cooked. Cook that side to the same level as the other.

Next, grab your wok spatula and stir-fry the bacon with the heat on high to evenly crisp it to your liking. This is the method that yields a mix of crisp and chewy bits of bacon! If you like your bacon uniformly crispy, instead of using your wok spatula, flip the bacon a third time, and let it fry a little longer over lower heat. 

Note that the grease pools in the wok, so when the bacon is done, push it to the sides and let gravity do the work of draining. Transfer to a plate when drained. 

Next, with the heat on medium-high, lay the bread slices around the perimeter of the wok.

You can use your spatula to drizzle over a bit more of the bacon drippings if you want a super crisp and decadent sandwich. I like it lightly toasted––a little crunch with a heart of soft bread.

Assemble the sandwiches by laying 3-4 slices of bacon across each sandwich. Serve immediately! 

Looking for more ideas with bacon? Try our bacon and egg fried rice and our Bacon and Scallion Egg Noodle Stir-fry!