How to Cook Bacon

Ahhh…bacon.  Is there anyone out there that doesn’t love it?  Bacon just makes everything taste better!  Add it to burgers, pair it with eggs, add it to Brussels sprouts, green beans, toss it into a salad, and make BLT sandwiches.  Without bacon there would be no BLT sandwich.  The world would surely be a much sadder place without bacon in it.  So what is the best way to cook it so that it comes out delicious, light and crisp, not burnt or rubbery?

There are 3 primary methods for cooking bacon, and each has its pros and cons.  Depending on how much time you have and how much of it you are cooking will likely determine the best cooking method.  So let’s take a look at the 3 different ways you can cook bacon.  Each method has a place in your culinary cooking arsenal.

TIP:  When choosing bacon at the grocery store, turn the package over and take a peek at the underside.  Look for packages that have the most fat.  The fat is what cooks up nice and crisp and has the best flavor; the lean bits are chewier and can be tough.  

The Microwave Method

Not my favorite method but when I am pressed for time, like on a school morning and only cooking a couple of strips, this method works great. 

Place strips of bacon on a double thickness of paper towels.  Make sure the pieces aren’t overlapping, and that they are laid out nice and flat.  Cover with another paper towel; this will contain any splatters and help keep your microwave oven clean.  Place on a microwave safe plate and cook on high power. 

Because microwave oven wattage varies, you will have to experiment on how long to cook your bacon.  For me it is about 1 minute for every piece of bacon.  Two pieces, two minutes, three pieces, 3 minutes, you get the idea.  If your bacon isn’t cooked to the doneness you like, add an additional 30 seconds and then check it again.  Keep doing this until it is cooked to your liking.  Adding additional small increments of cook time will ensure you don’t burn it.  Going from “it’s almost done” to “burnt” happens very quickly.

Pros:  Quick and easy cooking method.  Easy clean up.  No grease to contend with disposing of; just toss the greasy paper towels in the trash and wash the plate it was cooked on.  Works well for cooking small amounts.  Bacon cooks up nice and flat.  Once you get the timing right you can set it and forget it.

Cons:  Bacon can easily be burnt.  Bacon often cooks up rubbery and chewy.  Not the most efficient method for cooking large batches of bacon.

Pan Frying Method

This is the tried and true method for cooking bacon.  My mother cooked bacon on the stove, it’s how I cook bacon when we are camping.  It produces nice crisp bacon strips, and you can easily remove some strips early if you have someone in the family that enjoys their bacon on the chewy side. 

There’s nothing that smells sweeter in the morning than coffee brewing and bacon cooking on the stove.  Well maybe baking bread smells better, it’s a toss-up!  If you want to learn how to bake bread from scratch, you can read my blog post on how to do it here.  But I digress.  Today we’re talking bacon and chewing the fat!  LOL! 

To cook bacon on the stove top lay out strips of bacon in a single layer in a large frying pan.  Place the pan on the stove and turn the stove heat to medium or medium high.  Once the bacon starts cooking and rendering some fat turn it over to ensure it cooks evenly on both sides. 

Do not walk away from it once it gets going, it can burn quickly, especially if you have the heat at a higher temperature.  You may want to press and hold it down with a fork or a spatula if it starts to curl up on you.  The ends have a tendency to curl up when it is cooked in this fashion.  Turning it often will allow it to cook evenly and prevent it from burning.

When cooked to desired doneness, remove bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess fat.

Pros: Produces light crispy delicious bacon.

Cons:  Messiest of the 3 methods, grease will splatter onto your cook top, countertops and clothes.  You must keep a close eye on it as it cooks, you cannot walk away from it.  What to do with the leftover bacon grease in the pan after cooking it. 

CAUTION:  Do not pour bacon grease down the kitchen sink!  It will clog your drains!  Instead pour it into an empty soup can, and once it cools down, toss it in the trash.

Oven Method

Line a large cookie sheet with foil.  Place a cooking rack on the cookie sheet.  Lay out strips of bacon in  single layer on the cooking rack, be sure not to overlap the bacon.  Place in a 400 degree preheated oven.  Cook for 15-30 minutes.  Cooking time will vary depending on how hot your oven cooks, and how crispy or chewy you like your bacon.

Pros:  Cooks bacon evenly and bacon stays nice and flat.  You can walk away from it as it cooks.  Easy to cook large batches at a time.

Cons:  Takes the longest to cook bacon using this method, 20-30 minutes.  What to do with the leftover bacon grease in the pan after cooking it.  Clean up is a pain; washing a large cookie sheet is cumbersome.

TIP:  Place a paper towel or coffee filter into a mesh sieve and place on top of a glass jar.  Carefully and slowly, pour the hot bacon grease in the pan into the sieve to strain out any particles.  Place a lid on the jar and store the strained bacon grease in your fridge.  It will solidify as it cools.  When you are frying potatoes or eggs use the bacon fat instead of oil or butter.  It will add delicious flavor to your dish.      

No matter what method you choose, adding bacon to your meals will make your life so much better. Bacon makes anything it touches, just that much better. It has mystical powers!

Let me know in the comments what your favorite method is for cooking bacon. What’s your favorite dish that has bacon in it? BLT’s are my favorite!