I tried the popular TikTok trick for perfect 'twisted' bacon, but I still prefer my tried-and-true method

• TikTok's trendy twisted bacon is all over the internet, so I tried it to see what the hype is about.
• The trick involves rolling the strips into twists before popping them in the oven.
• It definitely worked, but I don't think I actually liked it better than my regular bacon.

Twisted bacon, the latest TikTok cooking trend, supposedly yields perfectly crispy and chewy results.

Once I saw this hack from @RichardEats - who put a spin on the trick from users @babyphotog, @lowcarbstateofmind, and @houseofketo - I knew I had to try it for myself.

Read on to see what I thought of the twisted-bacon trick.

First, I had to do quite a bit of prep work

As I waited for my oven to preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, I lined a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire cooling rack on top.

Then I opened up my package of bacon and rolled a few strips before setting them on the rack.

The twisting process added time to the prep, and I could only twist the bacon so much before it started to unravel itself.

I also put a few flat strips of bacon on the rack to see how they would compare.

Once the oven preheated, it was time for the bacon to go in

Once the rack was full, I set a timer for 30 minutes (@RichardEats recommended baking for 30 to 35 minutes) and popped the pan in the oven.

At the 30-minute mark, the bacon looked crispy, so I took it out and let it cool.

As promised, the bacon was crispy and chewy without being overly greasy

As the bacon was cooking, the fat dripped down onto the foil-lined baking sheet, which meant I didn't really need to transfer it to a paper towel to soak up the extra grease.

After briefly dabbing the strips, I tried the twisted bacon first. The strips were crispy and chewy in different parts, which came together for a deeply satisfying bacon-eating experience.

Next, I tried the flat pieces of bacon, which were crispy all the way through - just the way I like it - and a touch drier than the twisted variety.

The trick definitely worked, but I think I'll stick to my untwisted bacon

I enjoyed the crispy, chewy twisted bacon, but it wasn't elevated enough to make me stray from my usual cooking method.

The twisting process took a little extra time and cleaning bacon grease off a cooling rack really isn't fun.

I call my preferred bacon texture "shatter bacon," and I can achieve the level of crispiness by baking flat strips on a foil-lined baking sheet. But if you prefer a combination of crispy and chewy, twisting might be worth it.