Chip-Crusted Bacon

More About This Recipe

• Bacon is crusted in crushed chips and then fried to a crispy crunch.
  
  I used to go to a happy hour at a local watering hole where one of the most popular appetizers was just a bucket of bacon. It actually came in a bucket and was just as simple and delicious as it sounds.
  
  The key, of course, is that the bacon is very crispy.
  
  In an effort to make the strips a bit heartier (and crispier), I coated them with a layer of chips and lightly fried them until golden brown. 
  
  Bring me a bucket of these chip-crusted bacon strips any time!
  
  The key to making this recipe work is to actually cook the bacon first, but you don’t want it to be completely crispy. If you cook it too much to start, then it will burn when you fry it later.
  
  See those darker pieces above? While I would generally shoot for that level of crispiness on my bacon, that’s way too cooked for this recipe. You want the lighter version.
  
  If you’re baking your bacon at 350ºF (which I  recommend), you’ll want to bake it for around 10 minutes to get it to the cooked, but not crispy, stage.
  
  I used plain Food Should Taste Good corn chips for my version, but you should absolutely change it up to suit your tastes. They have a huge assortment of chip flavors. You could probably use any of them!
  
  Use a mallet or a rolling pin to really crush these chips into small bits.
  
  Then just whisk up a few eggs in a large dish.
  
  Once the eggs are whisked together, dunk the cooked bacon into the eggs to coat each strip well.
  
  Then press the bacon into the crushed chips until each strip is really well coated.
  
  To cook, heat a few cups of oil in a large skillet until it’s about 325ºF. You don’t want it too hot or it will burn the bacon.
  
  Fry the bacon for about 45 seconds per side until the strips are lightly browned.
  
  Then let them drain on a few paper towels so they stay nice and crispy.
  
  I like to serve these guys with lots of ranch dressing and sriracha sauce.
  
  They're a perfect appetizer or snack!
  
  Nick believes that crispy bacon is the best thing. Check out his blog, Macheesmo, and follow him on his Tablespoon Profile.