Vegetarians beware — I am talking bacon today. Nothing but bacon. I promise I will do a post about nothing but veggies SOON! But today I’m all about bacon. Because my 17 year old son Kell has celiac disease, we tend to eat a lot of protein around here. One of our favorite “dinners” is BREAKFAST — and breakfast to us always means BACON.
Over the years I’ve tried out a couple of different ways to cook bacon. Obviously pan-frying is one of them, but I get so tired of the grease splatter mess (not to mention the painful grease splatters on your hands!) Even with a splatter guard, grease seems to get everywhere! Then I saw Ina Garten from the Food Network cook bacon in the oven and I was SOLD! No more grease splatters! Unfortunately, my family was NOT sold, because it takes a LOT longer and they are an impatient bunch when they are hungry!
So when I saw another Food Network celebrity, Alton Brown, making bacon in a waffle maker I was intrigued! Could this be the best of both worlds?? No splatter? Fast cooking? I decided to give it a try because I was really craving a good BLT Sandwich!
First, drag out the ol’ waffle maker. This one is ancient and very basic, but it’s all you need to get the job done. Preheat your waffle iron.
Cut the strips of bacon in half, and put two 1/2 strips on each square of your waffle iron. Close the waffle maker and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes then check on their doneness.
This is what they looked like about halfway through. If they aren’t done, close the waffle maker and check again in another 2 to 3 minutes.
When the bacon is the color you like it, drain it on a towel.
The thing I really liked about cooking the bacon this way was how the grease drained right down into the waffle iron nooks and crannies and the bacon was pressed nice and flat so it all cooked very evenly. Oh yeah — and no grease splatters!
Personally I think this is the perfect way to cook bacon! I mean look at that sandwich…only perfectly cooked bacon could make a sandwich that good lookin’! :-)
My sandwich
My son’s sandwich.
If you’re still unconvinced, or you just don’t like the idea of waffle-pressed bacon, here are some more ways I found people cooking their bacon:
In the Oven – Method #1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a jelly roll sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Evenly space 6 slices of bacon in it.
- Place an upside-down cooling rack over the bacon to keep them flat (as long as the cooling rack is slightly smaller than the sheet pan).
- Roast for 6 minutes, turn pan 180 degrees, roast for another 6 minutes. The result: flat, and evenly cooked bacon!
In the Oven – Method #2
- Same as above but put the bacon on TOP of the cooling rack, rather than under it. The fat will drip off, making your bacon super-crispy and lean.
In the Oven – Method #3
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with crinkled aluminum, lay the strips of bacon over that and cook for about 15-20 minutes. This makes clean up easy, and by crinkling the foil you allow the grease to pool away from the bacon.
In the Oven – Method #4
- Put bacon in a cold oven. Once it gets to 350 degrees, turn the bacon over. Set the timer for 4 minutes exactly and once it beeps it’s done.
In the Microwave
- Flip a bowl upside down on a plate. Lay the bacon over the bowl. Cook for approximately 1 minute per piece of bacon. The plate catches the grease that drips down the bowl. Since the grease runs away from the bacon, it results in crispy, slightly “drier” bacon.
On the BBQ Grill
- If you are making bacon burgers…cook your bacon right on the cooler part of the grill for about 5-7 minutes.
In the Smoker
- Smoke bacon slowly (30 minutes plus) over hickory in a smoker or grill using rib racks to drape the bacon strips over.
In the Deep Fryer
- One of the ways the pros do it — use a deep fryer. You can cook 5 or 6 strips of bacon in about 5 minutes without a big mess. Great if you like curly, chewy bacon.
In Bacon Fat
- Every time you cook bacon, save the fat in a plastic container in the freezer. When you want to cook bacon, take the fat out of the container and melt in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat.
- Once the fat is liquid, add your bacon strips. Cook to desired degree of crispness.
- Blot with paper towels and eat! Once the bacon grease has cooled slightly, pour it back into its container, and freeze for next time. The bacon fat does not add any more grease to the finished bacon, but does add flavor, especially after several uses.
In a Cast Iron Skillet, in the Oven
- Put about 10 pieces of bacon in a 12-inch cast iron skillet and place it into a cold oven set to 425 degrees.
- Once the oven is hot, it will take about 7 minutes to cook. No need to flip, just cook to desired doneness and remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Total time from fridge to eating, about 25 minutes.
In a George Foreman Grill (or Panini Press)
- A slight variation on the waffle maker. Use a George Foreman grill. No splattering, perfectly cooked on both sides and all the grease drains aways.
In a Wok
- Same rules for pan frying apply. Put your bacon (12-18) slices in a cold pan set to medium heat.
- Arrange the bacon strips in a circular pattern around the pan.
- As the bacon at the bottom of the pan finish cooking, move them to the sides to drain and replace them with the strips arranged on the sides.
- Place the bacon on a wire rack over paper towels to drain and straighten the strips to get the nice even shape you want. (NEVER place directly on the paper towels)
And as if that weren’t enough information about BACON — just a little more. Here are some additional tips and tricks to get you to your bacon “happy place”:
- To keep the bacon flat in the pan, run it under cold water first.
- Par-cook a large batch of bacon when you have some extra time. Once the bacon has cooled, toss it in the freezer inside a plastic container. Then when you have a hankering for bacon but are short on time, a perfectly cooked strip of bacon is only 20 – 30 seconds away in the microwave. Finishing the last bit of cooking in a toaster oven on some foil works well too.
- Add some fresh ground black pepper to your bacon while it’s cooking.
- And last but not least — DON’T THROW AWAY THE BACON FAT!
Some things to use your bacon fat for:
1) Seasoning your cast iron skillet
2) Making cornbread
3) Making collard greens
4) Any recipe that calls for butter or oil to grease a pan
5) Seasoning your grill
More Ideas You'll Love
There you go — more than you ever wanted to know about cooking the perfect piece of bacon!
You can thank me by inviting me over for breakfast! :-)
What’s your favorite way to eat bacon?
You can also use the bacon grease to make hot bacon dressing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One more tip to add, dredge bacon in flour, shake off excess and cook in your regular skillet and drain on a paper towel. I promise that it will be crispy and bonus is that it will not shrink.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I was a kid, my grandmother always saved bacon fat, but just in a ceramic mug, right next to the stove. I don’t think I’d do that now. But it’s maybe better in the freezer? What about the fridge.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wore out two small electric grills, Foreman’s and another, cooking bacon. It is quick, easy, and the grease runs into the little dish. Loved it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just started reading “One Good Thing” and am really enjoying it. Next time I cook bacon, I’m going to try the panini press. Another tip for using bacon fat is fry your bread cubes in the fat to make perfect and flavourful croutons for your caesar salad. You have to use the croutons the same day as they get soggy quickly.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.YUM! What a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for sharing all the bacon tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My daughter is a Pampered Chef Consultant and sold me on putting our bacon on stoneware and cooking in 400 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes, depending upon the kind and thickness of bacon. Easy cleanup! Just another way to prepare! Enjoy!
I love this tip! I tried my George Foreman tonight it worked great, no greasy mess (just poured the grease from the tray into a jar to safe for later). The bacon was crispy. I do have to clean my George Foreman though, but is far less clean up. The bacon was never sitting in the grease and I think the taste was better because of that.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hello Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I enjoy your posts and like the new format change. Thanks for sharing with us some of your life’s journey and successes. Your Pinterest pins were one of my favorites because of clean pages, no hassle pop-ups and not too much selling. We like it because you keep it real!
I’m not a blogger, but occasionally want to share useful tips I have learned along the way. Can I send ideas to you and you can post them if you like?
All the best to you and family
Thank you so much Carol! I absolutely love getting ideas from my readers! You can email me anytime at jill@byjillee.com :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What kind of bread is that? I have a daughter with Celiac and finding a decent sandwich bread seems to be a never-ending quest!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You will both LOVE this bread recipe! https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/03/finally-gluten-free-bread-that-doesnt-suck.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great post! Who doesn’t love bacon? I have a few more yummy uses for the bacon fat that you should try:
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1) green beans cooked with bacon, bacon fat, and onions…..delicious!
2) pan fry your eggs in bacon fat in a skillet (I use a cast iron skillet, but any will do.)
3) pan “fry” your pancakes and French toast in bacon fat…..oh my!!
4) pan fry potatoes in bacon fat.
5) roast all kinds of veggies in the oven in bacon fat.
There are so many other yummy ways to make great use of your bacon fat.
Enjoy!!
I enjoy your posts. Thank you!
Yum! Thanks for the ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a Pampered Chef stone sheet pan that I use to cook my bacon in the oven. It cooks it crispy on both sides without turning and it will hold a 16 oz. package of bacon, depending on the thickness of the slices
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am really amazed about all these ways to cook bacon! I LOVEEEEEE bacon and so does my family, wait until I share all these methods with them. TFS.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Enjoy!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There’s a few methods that seem reasonable enough depending on how much bacon you need and how much time you have on your hands. I’ve cooked bacon just about every way possible. If you have a family of four or more, take a close look at the new bacon cooker called the Bacon Pro. It cooks 20+ slices of bacon all at once in the microwave. It is amazing. It is clean and easy. You’ll never go back to cooking it in the oven or on the stove-top or any other method for that matter. Bacon Pro. Watch the video.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The price is outrageous! Two or more at $29.95! I’d rather clean up a mess.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love the idea of foil lined George Foreman grill! I always cook the whole package of bacon, let cool and freeze. So handy. Zap a few seconds in microwave and you’re set.
Love your emails jillee. Lynell British Columbia Canada.
Ps Canadian bacon is the best but soooo expensive lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually buy 4 little boxes of corn bread mix at Aldis. It is really good when made in a preheated 16 inch cast iron skillet. It calls for 1 egg and 1/3 cup of milk per box. My question is, how much bacon grease do you think I can add to bring this recipe up a notch? How about crumbling up the cooked bacon and adding it to the mix?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Put 2-4 tablespoons of bacon fat into the cast iron skillet and put in the oven to heat up. Then add the corn bread batter to the skillet and bake. The crust will be so crispy and yummy! Adding bacon crumbles will be tasty, as well as adding shredded cheese and thinly sliced jalapenos, with or without seeds depending on how hot you want it. Now that’s cornbread!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips Bookworm, that sounds delicious!
I found a tip about cooking bacon on a George Forman and that is now my favorite way. Then found another tip to make clean up a little easier, line the Forman with aluminum foil! I just take a sheet large enough to fold over, lay the bacon on the bottom then fold the top over the bacon, close the lid and you are good to go, clean up is sooo easy and I can get several uses of the foil to cook bacon.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.SO clever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow… and now that we all need a BLT… : ) Great ideas here, thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Definitely! Ha ha, thanks Becky!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for all the wonderful NEW ways (to me) for cooking bacon. I have usually put bacon on foil and baked in the oven or cooked on a paper towel lined plate in the microwave. I love the waffle iron cooking tip. Now I just need to go to the grocery store and buy more bacon!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas. We usually just cook our bacon on the electric griddle. It’s fast and the griddle has a little plastic box to collect the grease. We also after its cooked put it on a plate with paper towels underneath.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think some of these responses are spam, generated by computers, not people. That’s why they don’t make sense.
My aunt’s way of cooking bacon is to lay the pieces crossways in both directions in a large skillet, (think lattice pie crust) then when the bottom is done she flips the whole thing at once. She stores in her fridge or freezer for wonderful BLT’s.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make mine in the oven using two sheet pans. Line the first with parchment, place as many strips of bacon that fit, usually half to 3/4 the package. Then cover with a 2nd sheet of parchment followed by a 2nd sheet pan. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Check for crispness. If needed bake some more. Pour off the grease and put bacon on paper towel. Enoy
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The waffle iron and foreman grill are new ideas for me. I will have to give them a try. Thanks as always Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ll try out a few of these tips if you will try mine…simply dredge your bacon in flour, shake off the excess and cook as usual. I promise you will be surprised.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Interesting!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for the good writeup. It actually was once a leisure
Please log in or create a free account to comment.account it. Look complex to more added agreeable from you!
However, how could we communicate?
What about clean up? What’s the best way to clean the waffle iron after cooking the bacon?
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