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?
Similiar to Crystal’s. Lay bacon slices on a layer of paper towels on a paper plate. put another layer of paper towels and more slices going crosswise. Do thisas many time as you need to. Cook 1 min per slice. Quickest in the west for a hungry group!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.*hugs*deb
Now why didn’t I think of that?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.OMG! Now I want bacon! LOL! I have been using the oven method ~ you can cook a large amount of bacon at one time and either freeze some or just eat it all! LOL! Especially good when cooking for a crowd! But I’m liking the grill method. Another use for my grill! Thanks Jillee! P.S. I love your blog – I look forward to it each and every day! And I share it with everyoone I know! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jill, come on over for breakfast! Or dinner if that is when you have more time. I bake my bacon on a rack, never turn it over and like the way it comes out so crispy. Sometimes I even sprinkle it with a tiny bit of brown sugar. I also bake eggs in muffin cups to go along with the bacon. Hey, if the oven is on and I want a full breakfast, including biscuits, why not? So, come!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On my way!!! I’m DYING for a big breakfast right now! These granola clusters I’m eating just aren’t cutting it while I’m reading about all these delicious ideas for bacon! lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used my left over bacon fat in your granola recipe. In place of the butter. All I can say is OMG!!! Not one complaint from family or neighbors. YUM!
Here is another way to cook bacon in boiling water! I haven’t tried it but it is the way I cook sausages.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://foodmancingthegirl.blogspot.com/2012/02/technique-cooking-baconin-water.html
Now that’s interesting! I’m going to try it tomorrow. Thanks for posting.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just tried it – doesn’t work very well at all :P
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We cook bacon on the BBQ on a double layer tin foil sheet with the edges rolled up. We usually don’t reuse the bacon fat, so once the bacon is done we leave the tin foil on the BBQ to cool and just roll it up with the fat and discard. We like this the best as then you don’t have lingering bacon smell in the house long after.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great suggestion Deb! The hubster LOVES bacon but HATES the lingering smell. Tough to deal with that! lol.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t eat pork but one of the things I love about your daily post, Jill, is that even when it doesn’t apply to me, I know someone who will love it! I’m linking to this one for an all-things-bacon loving friend. Shabbat Shalom!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s the spirit Gail!!! I’ve come to accept I’m not going to be able to please all the people, all the time….but I love that you recognize that too and are willing to think about someone ELSE who might appreciate it. Bless you. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ok–don’t kill me, but I wonder if you could do turkey bacon that way? It doesn’t have as much grease, and we’re trying to be healthier.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We only eat turkey bacon and have never had a problem cooking it any way that you cook regular bacon. It does cook up much faster. We put ours in the oven on broiler pan with the oven on a high broil and in 3-4 minutes, we have perfectly cooked bacon that we did not have to flip over.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use my George Foreman grill to cook turkey bacon and it comes out perfect.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cook mine in the oven all the time but never turn it over. It works just fine that way too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I detest the flavor of microwaved bacon; oven is too messy; have burned through several George Foreman’s and Cuisinart’s; used a panini grill for a while which works great but again hard to clean. If you are the lucky owner of a NuWave, it is PERFECT and easy to clean–win, win!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great Idea I have a George F grill that should work too…. If now I have been looking at waffle makers,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ooo and I thought I would share a couple of other uses for Bacon fat it makes the best roasted potatoes nice & brown & crispy. also mix some bird seed it it feed your outside pets.( as I dont have inside pets) I do enjoy watching the birds. I even leave treats for the squirrels. I use the tree by the creek for that family :-) dont really want then too close.
Have a good one Ann/alba
I cook mine in the oven but don’t turn it and have never had a problem.If I need to fry it, I sprinkle a dab of salt in the pan to stop the popping and splattering.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I add bacon drippings and brown sugar to make my baked beans. That way you don’t have to buy the more expensive pre-seasoned beans, but come out with a more flavorful dish anyway.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have another microwave method – place layer of paper towels on microwave safe plate. Lay bacon out on paper towels. Cover with another paper towel and cook til done. Towels absorb grease and bacon is able to crunch up
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I used the paper towel method for years when microwaves first came out. Works well. But I switched to a neat little plastic rack device invented by a Minneapolis teenager years ago and love it. Same idea as the bowl, which I will keep in mind for the future.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.BTW, bacon fat for potatoes is superb. Only thing better is duck fat ;-)
I am going to have to try this method. I have been baking it in the oven but it does take longer. Saw something on Pinterest for making BLT sandwiches that I used last time I cooked bacon in the oven – you kind of weave 4 pieces of bacon together and cook it that way. Fits perfectly on the bread.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve been using a George Forman for quite some time now and just love how it cooks the bacon. Now I’m going to share another way to cook bacon that my mother and grandmother used that gives it a whole new taste. Two ways to do this: 1st. is dip bacon strips in beaten egg, drain, then into seasoned flour then fry in a skillet. 2nd. just dip in cold water then the seasoned flour and fry. This is a good way to use some of your reserved bacon grease as it needs a “glob” in the skillet to fry as the bacon just doesn’t give up the grease cooked this way. Either way the bacon doesn’t shrink, it stays flat so it’s easier to eat or use on a sandwich. This sure stretches the bacon by not shrinking and we love the flavor the seasoned flour gives.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My brother found himself share-parenting 4 growing boys who love bacon. For some reason his share of the kitchen gear included a large Dutch oven pot, but no frying pan. Being the resourceful guy that he is, he dumped the pound of bacon into the Dutch oven and turned on the heat.
The high sides of the Dutch oven contained all the grease spatters and he ended up with perfectly cooked bacon.
Our whole family has been using this method ever since.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.oh, this is SO NOT FAIR—no bacon in the house, and now i’m craving it!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.bacon is one of THE MOST delicious foods—i think i could eat it every day.
i’m going to try the oven method next. i’ve read that to cook more at once, you can put bacon on two cookie sheets, top each with foil to catch grease splatter, and stack one sheet on top of the other—i can’t wait to try it!
My father-in-law uses the bacon grease to fry breakfast potatoes. It is wonderful!! They come out with intense flavor and a crisp that is unmatchable. I highly recommend trying it out next time you cut up potatoes for breakfast.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I will have to try the waffle iron idea. I hate pan frying and I have given up on the oven because I got sick of having to scrub it after all the grease splatters..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://img0.etsystatic.com/013/0/7223935/il_fullxfull.424640280_3van.jpg
I bought my sister something similar to the link (if it worked) in a pottery shop in Asheville and she uses it every day. She is a bacon fiend and requires and she loves the piece I dubbed the baconater. You drape the bacon over the sides of the “mug” and it cooks up crisp. Meanwhile the grease drips down to the “saucer portion”. And the the”gravy boat” style end makes forceasypouring into your grease container.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a similar “bacon mug” that I bought in a pottery near Asheboro, NC. You microwave the bacon. It works great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love the George Forman grill idea (I don’t have a waffle maker) -I usually make it in the oven but that is still messy and we love bacon! Thanks for the ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ohhh…that DOES sound good! I’m hungry! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love bacon and pecans in my waffles. You just gave me a short cut. Cook the bacon in the waffle maker and no need to grease it again, just add batter and pecans and cook. Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.oh that sounds soo good Invite me over please lol :-)
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