Water and greasy bacon sound like a recipe for hot splatter. Here's how the viral hack actually works.

Bacon has become a mainstay on American breakfast plates. This cured, often-smoked pork product, cut mostly from a pig’s belly, adds a one-of-a-kind crunch and savoriness to breakfast, providing a salty counterpoint to other signature dishes like scrambled eggs, pancakes and oatmeal.

We all have bacon preferences: charred and crisp, soft and chewy and, for most of us, somewhere in the middle. Regardless of the outcome, a trending TikTok cooking hack claims to at least guarantee even cooking, prevent dangerous, dirty oil splatters, and keep the meat from burning beyond recognition. But does it hold up? I put the viral video tip to the test.

Though I’m a fan of the quick, easy, CNET-approved oven-baking technique and even speedier air fryer method, the water-cooked method allegedly renders the bacon’s fat slowly and consistently, resulting in uniform cooking, fewer splatters and even reduced sodium. 

Ultimately, the water is said to suppress hot grease from popping violently and landing on stovetops or, more importantly, your skin. It also lets the meat cook low and slow before it fries in its own grease, rather than crisping immediately as the skillet heats up.  

Water can also draw out some of the bacon’s sodium, which is ideal for those who find it too salty. 

Color me shocked by the results: This cooking tip was executed flawlessly and lived up to the hype. The bacon strips were chewy yet crispy, with no bitter char, and cleanup took mere seconds with a quick wipe with a sponge and towel.

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